Reprinted with permission from CPA Practice Management Forum. In the October issue of CPA Practice Management Forum, my article on the importance of financial analysis to firm growth left some readers less than totally convinced. One partner responded, “Gale, I read what you wrote about using financial analysis to develop our growth strategy. Quite frankly,

Reprinted with permission from CPA Practice Management Forum. No matter how good your kid is at soccer it’s still an extracurricular activity as long as she’s in school and nobody’s paying her to play, right?  Helping her see that school comes first is part of your job as a parent. Part of your job as

Reprinted with permission from Accounting Today.   A niche, the dictionary tells us, is an ornamental recess, usually in a wall, that holds a statue or other decorative object.  But in recent years niche has taken on a more generic meaning as a suitable place for someone or something. In accounting, niche has become synonymous

Reprinted with permission from Accounting Today. Billy Crystal said it best, “Change is such hard work.”  But oh how satisfying it is when the change you make leads to the success you seek. One of the most profound changes firms can make is in the way they look at the market.  Historically accountants develop an

Reprinted with permission from Accounting Today. How big is too big?  I’m frequently asked this question by firms that have successfully grown a particular niche.  “Can we expect the needle to continue to rise, or are we relegated to low growth and thin margins?” they wonder. My answer is unequivocal.  “You bet that Cat can

An Internet search for the term “predictable growth” yields millions of links to websites, videos, books, and consultants. There seems to be no doubt about the idea that growth can be planned and charted.