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Succession Planning: CPA Firms' "Perfect Storm"  |
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| How to Negotiate a CPA Firm Merger |
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Thousands of firms are seeking the only exit strategy available to them – merge into another firm. And most firms over $5M have a voracious appetite to merge in smaller firms. But most partners have never negotiated a merger before. Marc Rosenberg has consulted with firms on mergers for over 20 years. This 55-page monograph answers the questions: How do you get started, What can one do before the merger to make sure it’s successful? What actually needs to be negotiated?
Topics include:
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The steps in the process |
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How to assess the cultural fit |
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Keys to a successful merger |
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34 critical questions to ask |
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What data should you review? |
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Nuances and idiosyncrasies |
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Questions the "smaller" firm must ask |
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Deal-breakers and non-negotiables |
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Questions the "larger" firm must ask |
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Key systems that must be agreed upon |
| How to Bring In New Partners |
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Succession planning has hit CPA firms with a vengeance. As Baby Boomer partners approach retirement age, they naturally are focusing on who can take their place and eventually write their retirement checks. This monograph answers the questions: What are best practices in bringing in new partners? How is the buy-in structured?How does all this work?
Topics include:
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What is a partner these days? |
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Should we have non-equity partners? |
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How do firms develop staff into partner? |
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What does one get for the buy-in? |
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When are they ready? |
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How do new partners get compensated? |
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What should their buy-in be? |
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22 main provisions of a partner buyout plan |
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What should their ownership percent be? |
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How should voting work? |
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How does capital get determined? |
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What about non-solicitation agreements? |
| How to Operate a Compensation Committee |
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CPA firms are increasingly realizing that the old compensation formulas no longer work, that performance “intangibles” need to be recognized, and that their compensation system needs to be performance-based. This is leading to the adoption of compensation committees (CC) by more firms across the United States. This monograph answers the questions: What are Compensation Committees? How do they work? Why have they become so popular? Topics include:
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Characteristics of a good system |
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Structuring partner compensation |
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The link to strategic planning |
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Data reviewed by the CC |
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Communication is key |
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The role of partner evaluations |
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The role of the firm’s core values |
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Partner goal setting |
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Make-up of the committee |
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Examples of partner roles |
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Performance criteria for partners |
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Open vs. closed compensation systems |
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Decisions that the CC needs to make |
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Compensation Committee Timetable |
| Strategic Planning and Goal Setting For Results |
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This monograph is essentially a "Cliffs Notes" guide to strategic planning and partner goal setting for CPA firms. It’s patterned after Marc's proprietary approach to consulting with CPA firms on strategic planning and goal setting, as he has developed it over the last 20 years. Marc's approach has two major goals: Think BIG and keep it simple, and, GET RESULTS.
Topics include:
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The three main phases of strategic planning |
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Overall management philosophy of a CPA firm |
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Steps to creating the strategic plan |
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Why mission statements are a waste of time |
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The vision statement |
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Stimulating productive brainstorming sessions |
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Best practices for goal setting programs |
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Core values |
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Sample partner goals |
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Keys to implementing & pitfalls of strategic planning |
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Partner accountability |
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| What Really Makes CPA Firms Profitable |
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This monograph summarizes dozens of high-impact techniques to maximize firm profitability. Based on Marc Rosenberg’s experiences with over 700 CPA firms across the country, this monograph focuses on the most effective techniques and practices.
Topics include:
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The essence of CPA firm profitability |
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Accountability and acting like a partner |
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CPA firm benchmarking |
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Marketing and the bottom line |
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Strong management and leadership: The most reliable path to profitability |
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Other ways to improve profitability |
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25 best practices that move firms from good to great |
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What doesn’t seem to be important to firm profitability |
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Partner relations: Happy partners are productive partners |
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40 great ways to improve CPA firm profitability |
This monograph includes benchmarks from the Rosenberg MAP Survey to rate your firm’s profitability.
| Effective Partner Relations and Communication |
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Marc Rosenberg and Dr. Ellen Rosenberg, an experienced clinical psychologist with more than 20 years of experience in private practice, collaborated in the writing of this monograph. They have worked together on CPA firm projects involving partner relations issues, and their experiences are chronicled in this monograph.
Topics include:
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The causes of difficulties among partners |
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Groundwork for forming partner relationships |
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Partner collegiality vs. accountability |
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How to be a good partner to your partners |
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Choosing the right partner from the outset |
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When it is best for partners to stay together and when it is best to part |
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Communication: What it means, why it’s important |
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How to have effective partner meetings |
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What partners should talk to each other about |
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Health and psychological issues |
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Why partner conflict is good and how to resolve it |
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Partner relations issues for women and for men |
| Guide to Planning the Firm Retreat |
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This is a complete guide for planning a successful management retreat. Marc has facilitated 10-15 retreats a year for over 20 years. This monograph walks you through his proprietary process of planning, selecting agenda topics, and running the retreat meetings. The focus throughout this monograph is on enabling firms to take action on retreat ideas.
Topics include reasons for convening a retreat, how a retreat differs from a partner meeting, alternative formats, and potential agenda topics, ground rules for participants, logistical issues, retreat facilitators and speakers, and suggestions for ensuring the implementation of ideas generated.
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