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If you could make one change in your practice with the goal of refreshing your workload, increasing profit, and reducing stress, what would it be?    If you said change your pricing structure — well, we agree.    What often keeps us from updating our prices (or even better, switching from fixed or hourly rates to a value pricing model) is fear of losing clients, feeling unsure on how to do it, or a lack of confidence related to the value of our work.    But get this: People want your services. And when they really value what you have to offer, you don’t have to work around the clock at hourly rates just to make ends meet.    In this episode, CEO Nate Hagerty is joined by Loren Fogelman, a sports psychologist turned business coach who specializes in pricing strategy and sales for accountants and tax pros. (Her clients are able to reduce workload by as much as 50% while DOUBLING revenues.)    She has been steadily recognized in recent years by HubSpot in its annual list of the world’s top 22 business coaches. Loren delivers talks and workshops across the United States at major conferences such as Inbound — one of the world’s most esteemed content marketing events for entrepreneurs — as well as many niche accounting conferences.    Listen in as Loren breaks down how to practically shift away from the hourly rates pricing trap to a value-based pricing model that has proven successful for her clients.   Having the money conversation might feel uncomfortable… but you’re worth it.     Loren’s free resource to value price your services: https://www.businesssuccesssolution.com/package/   Other places you can find her:   Website: https://businesssuccesssolution.com   Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyouraccountingpractice   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenfogelman   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/business_success_solution/   Twitter: @lorenfogelman   Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/BusinessSuccessSolution

As we turn ourselves towards 2023, lead quality is king.   There are things you can do to *attract* the right kinds of prospective clients to your practice that absolutely are worth your time investment.   Often, that involves using social media. But if we’re honest…     Facebook is full of geriatrics. Twitter is a dumpster fire. TikTok is famously full of BAD tax advice. Instagram doesn’t easily lend itself to accounting and tax practices…    Yet LinkedIn is full of business owners (high-income earners) looking for sound solutions (and trusted advisors) RIGHT NOW. When the other social media platforms fail, LinkedIn can be an exception — if you do it right.   For this episode, we brought two friends — national LinkedIn expert Anthony Simonie and sales coaching aficionado Donald Stojack — to do a live masterclass session with TPM CEO Nate Hagerty on how to optimize your profile and use it the way it really should be used. You’ll walk away with tons of practical tips for using LinkedIn plus the chance to further connect with Anthony and Donald.    Anthony’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonysimonie?trk=author_mini-profile_title   Donald’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldstojack   Click here to book free session focused on optimizing your LinkedIn profile: www.CEsession.com/book-now 

Want non-local clients? If so, then this episode on PPC advertising is for you.   Of course, there are MANY reasons to invest in advertising-fueled growth.   And it doesn’t just mean Facebook ads because here’s the thing about those (or any kind of social advertising):   You’re interrupting your prospective client. Like many forms of PPC, you are relying upon DEMOGRAPHIC data and hoping that your messaging is strong enough that they will pause their baby-pic-browsing and be immediately compelled by your accounting or tax information.   ON THE OTHER HAND:   Joe/Jane Prospect is actively searching for solutions related to accounting or tax-related issues, and they do some basic google searches ... and they find YOU.   Joe/Jane is already inclined to engage ... and the fact that they "found you" (even if via PPC), puts YOU in the power position. Contrast that with you interrupting their social browsing ... you have to "justify" your interruption. The positioning is entirely different.   But here's the big problem with search advertising: The house always wins.   In other words, if you're going to play with the back end of the Google advertising dashboard, you need to know what you're doing.   Which is what this episode is all about -- equipping you with the tools you need to win with PPC advertising.   Listen in as TaxProMarkter’s Vice President, Christian Jones, and Director of Advertising and Innovation, Ben Greutman, share why you should spend money on PPC advertising, a list of questions you need to IMMEDIATELY ask your advertising provider, and stories from clients crushing it with PPC ads.   … And though ads are important to building an online presence, they’re not the only solution for bringing in leads. Here’s a little bonus from TPM VP Christian Jones on the right time to do ads: https://youtu.be/2c9azO9Id70 

With the 2023 tax season upon us… do you find yourself appreciating working in accounting & tax services or is it more like the onset of dread as you’re faced with the possibility of 12+ hour work days?   Somewhere over the years, tax and accounting pros fell into this bad habit of discussing our work like it was those horrible fraternity or sorority hazings back in college: “If I have to suffer every tax season, so will you!”   But wait — aren’t a lot of us our own bosses? Small business owners operating our own practices?    Surely there’s a better way to structure our accounting and tax services — one that involves giving superior care and attention to amazing clients WITHOUT the headache of being stretched thin serving clients who complain all the time…?   In this episode, Nate Hagerty interviews Andrea MacDonald, CPA: a mom, wife, and accounting nerd who founded Pro Tax & Accounting LLC. Through accounting services, tax planning, and tax return preparation, Andrea and her team help small business owners resolve cash flow issues, A/R issues, A/P issues, and a whole lot more. Andrea specializes in supporting other small business owners during their entrepreneurial journey.   If you’re unhappy with your current workflow (or you’re building your own practice), you’ll want to hear how Andrea has gone from being overworked and underpaid to doing meaningful work with fewer clients AND — get this — being paid what she’s worth.   You can find Andrea here:    www.protaxllcva.com   https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-macdonald-cpa-4704042b/   Twitter: @andreamacdcpa

Spend a lot of money on a beautiful website but still can’t seem to get leads?    Struggling to get on page 1 of the search results?    If you have a great looking website and some type of follow-up system, but no one can find you on Google, that’s a problem. Looks don’t equal performance. Getting on the first page of the results comes from building an organic foundation from the beginning. And building a good website isn’t hard. All it takes is a little optimization – filling in that metadata on the back end.    And optimization doesn’t stop at your website. It also means filling in every form of your Google Business Profile, posting regular content, and not neglecting your backyard.    Beyond optimization, you need to consider that Google focuses on local results. Even if you serve clients nationwide, Google will view your practice as a local business.    Listen in as TaxProMarketer Vice-President Christian Jones talks best SEO practices and local listings strategies to get you ranked in the search results.     Episode highlights:   - Google wants to see that you’re optimizing the experience of the user.   - Uniqueness is something Google factors in –  60% of the internet is duplicate content.   - Google measures clicks, scrolls, and time on site...  so optimize for engagement.   - Google Business Profile is all about frequency, recency, star rating, and content.    - 99 times out of 100, if marketing tactics aren’t working to get leads, it’s because you don’t have Google reviews.

Are you ready for 2023?   Ooh nelly, what we all thought would be a pretty "easy" tax season (in relative terms to the nightmarish last three busy seasons) is going to be much more ... interesting, in light of the economic disruptions now and to come.   Not only that, but the fact of the matter is: The traditional website is dead.   So ... if you want to grow your practice, you need more than a "nice website." You need a full marketing plan that includes an optimized Google business profile, email strategy, social strategy, traffic strategy, and more.   Yes, you can do the "funnel" thing ... but until you have these other components well and truly nailed, you're chasing from behind instead of working ahead. The most ideal online marketing plan naturally brings quality leads through the marketing journey — without you having to become a carnival barker in the process.   In this episode, CEO Nate Hagerty and Vice President Christian Jones take you through a crash course on marketing your practice in 2023 — covering all the essentials plus addressing what has changed this year in the world of online marketing.    If you want continued growth, this episode is for you.

In the accounting and tax world, it’s easy to trudge through the daily workflow without building relationship with clients and marketing your services. The reason: You can be an expert in your field – the best accounting and tax pro – without doing all of that.   But will all of your expertise amount to anything if clients don’t like you and new leads can’t find you?   Today’s guest, Carlos Samaniego, is an author and speaker who got into tax resolution work after experiencing first-hand the terror of owing the IRS. (He spent over eight years not filing taxes – imagine the penalties and interest due!) He has since turned his life around and now helps others do the same. Carlos’s firm has saved tens of thousands of dollars in back taxes by negotiating settlements with the IRS instead of letting them bombard his clients’ lives with aggressive collection tactics (like levies or wage garnishments). His book, How to Make the IRS an Offer They Can’t Refuse, has been featured on Fox News, CBS, and NBC TV and on radio stations throughout the U.S.   Listen in as Carlos shares with Nate Hagerty (TaxProMarketer CEO) not only how he fell into doing tax resolution work, but the power he’s discovering in being authentic with his clients and how to practically implement this in accounting and tax firms.    CarlosSamaniego.com   TaxDebtConsultant.com   Carlos’s free book: TaxDebtBook.com

When we speak with accounting and tax pros one on one about their marketing, this is what we often hear:   I have an outdated website.  My local SEO is flopping. How do I prevent dead-on-arrival paid ads? Traffic to my website is slumping.   There are plenty more, obviously. These are merely the most common — all of which lead to the wrong leads and not enough of the right kinds of clients being attracted to your accounting and tax practice.   To stand out from others in YOUR market area, you need a clear, informed marketing plan for 2023.   In today’s episode, TaxProMarketer VP Christian Jones and CEO Nate Hagerty cover how to reach the goals you need for busy season (and beyond). They’ll help you sharpen a simple plan for all of your marketing (online and offline) and bring you through a brief exercise to help you build that plan.

As you’re probably aware, the tax and accounting world isn’t known for being the most cutting edge industry. Some practices still operate the exact same as they did decades ago, because… these approaches have stood the test of time – right?   Not necessarily.    In 2013, Ryan Lazanis, CPA founded Xen Accounting, one of the first 100% cloud-based accounting firms. Following its acquisition in 2018, he pooled together his experience and entrepreneurial skill to birth Future Firm. Through Future Firm, Ryan provides education, community, and coaching to help accountants develop a strong business model and create a scalable, systematic firm – all while improving their lifestyle.    Listen in to hear Ryan talk with Nate Hagerty (TaxProMarketer CEO) about pricing your services, preparing for a successful acquisition, the future of accounting, and building your firm so it is set for success today instead of stuck in autopilot.   Ryan currently educates over 7,000 firm leaders globally via his free weekly newsletter and coaches hundreds of successful accounting firms through his Future Firm Accelerate online coaching membership. Click here to learn more about the future of accounting:   https://futurefirm.co/   https://futurefirm.co/newsletter/   https://futurefirmaccelerate.com/

There are stages to a business, and very soon you realize that once you've hit six figures in revenue, you can stay in that desert for a LONG time… unless you build with a team.   But hiring great people for tax and accounting practices is a monstrous pain in the you-know-what.   Some market areas are flooded with overpriced talent, poor work ethic, and a me-first mentality. Other markets for talent are full of people with a strong work ethic but little of the education or ceiling for knowledge work or handling higher-end clientele.    With the ever-increasing complexity of the tax code (hello K2, K3) and the demographic changes within the profession, CPAs and tax professionals find themselves fighting over scraps when it comes to getting great staff… and then wondering how to retain those employees over time.   But what if it were much simpler?   In this ProMarketer Podcast episode, host Nate Hagerty (CEO of TaxProMarketer, an Inc. 5000 company with 5-star ratings on GlassDoor) and TPM client and friend Argel Sabillo, CPA (HeyApril CEO) bring to you an exciting new methodology for building a team of experts who can care for your existing clients ... and free you up to go out and get higher-paying new ones.    Find more about Argel’s work here: www.taxprohiring.com   Podcast bullet points (for TPM post) Attract talent by being clear on your company goals, spreading your natural net wide, and implementing an employee referral program. When hiring, focus on culture fit and work ethic – and train the rest. Experience and character (NOT resumes) is ALL. The biggest key to retaining employees with talent in your practice? CULTURE. Retain employees by creating a safe zone for them to critique their experience (and yes, even you). Offshore employees are an incredibly untapped resource that can bring warmth, skill, and professionalism to your team at a significantly lower cost.

Nowadays, anyone can create a social media page and broadcast opinions on how to structure your tax and accounting business (and believe us, we’ve seen plenty of that).   But how many of them have actually walked the walk and seen success? And are they skilled in a niche market, or are they just a jack of all trades and master of none?   Meet Brandon Hall, founder and managing partner at Hall CPA PLLC – a modern, seven-figure accounting firm servicing real estate owners with a growth rate of 40-50% per year. In this episode, Brandon shares with Nate Hagerty (TaxProMarketer CEO) how he built his way to success by discovering his niche market and sticking with it. You’ll also hear Brandon’s groundbreaking (and proven) approach to pricing his services and hiring employees.    More places you can find Brandon:   https://twitter.com/bhallcpa   https://mailchi.mp/439971dedec2/bmf

You might have someone on your team with an incredible knack for tax and accounting services.    They love engaging with clients, are a whiz with numbers, and pick up new projects faster than you can lay them down. (If a name came to mind, read on…)   How can you make space for them to fly?   In this episode, Caleb Jenkins from RLJ Financial Services and Nate Hagerty (TaxProMarketer CEO) share how to give your employees the freedom to grow. At age 16, Caleb became the youngest certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor. He has been listed as Top 100 ProAdvisor and 40 Under 40 in the Accounting Profession for several consecutive years. Caleb also serves on the Intuit ProConnect Customer Tax Council, on the ADP Accountants Advisory Board, and as an Educator and QuickBooks Consultant with the SALT Microfinance Program, which works with those in chronic poverty in developing countries.    Caleb’s passion is championing what we are really doing in the industry – which is not only providing trustworthy accounting services that help people overcome financial obstacles but also doing that better every day.   Places you’ll find Caleb:   https://www.rljfinancial.com/who-we-are/caleb-jenkins   https://twitter.com/CalebLJenkins   https://www.linkedin.com/in/calebjenkins1994/

We hate to break it to you, but…    The internet is not special. It’s just one of many marketing principles to lay hold of (albeit - a necessary one in this time).   At least, that’s what our guest Jassen Bowman, EA, asserts in this episode of the ProMarketer Podcast. He says it’s no different from any other offline marketing medium.    Of course, tax and accounting firms still need a strong online presence and a plan for marketing to new and existing clientele.    But despite all the fancy tips and tricks for how to market online, a lot of the tried-and-true marketing principles still apply to the internet. After all, why reinvent the wheel when it’s rolling just fine?   In this episode, Jassen Bowman joins TaxProMarketer CEO Nate Hagerty to discuss how fundamental marketing principles are more applicable than ever for both your online and offline marketing. As an Enrolled Agent, Jassen has presented over 500 live seminars and webinars to CPAs, EAs, and attorneys on the subjects of tax firm marketing, practice management, ethics, real estate, and taxpayer representation. He has authored over a dozen books for tax professionals and written for NSA's Main Street Practitioner, NAEA's EA Journal, AccountingWeb, and CPA Trendlines.    Check out Jassen’s latest book, Profit Optimizers: 12 Big Ideas for a More Profitable Tax Firm, here: https://jassenbowman.com/books/

We’re sure you’ve been flummoxed by some tax and accounting firms’ failure to reach new potential client pools while simultaneously others experience a gushing influx of new clients.    And that has got to make you wonder… what’s their secret?    The truth is, in today’s world, your competition is global.    Everyone has a camera and a microphone. You can reach any audience anywhere in the world. And if you can do it… your competition can too.   So, what’s the secret formula you need so your business stands out from the thousands of other accounting firms vying for people’s attention? What do you need to do to garner trust from your clients?   The answer is CREDIBILITY.   Join the founder of Credibility Nation – Mitchell Levy – and TaxProMarketer CEO – Nate Hagerty – as they dive into this client-winning (and client-keeping) core value and how to implement it.   And don’t forget to take advantage of the Ultimate Credibility Bootcamp at a discount for ProMarketer podcast listeners. You’ll learn how to improve the way you show up in person and online, and you’ll also experience life-changing paradigm shifts that’ll help your tax/accounting practice continue to blossom.

After what some are calling the Worst Tax Season In a Generation — but during which many other practitioners THRIVED— what is coming for the 2023 tax season?   Based on our conversations with tax professionals, other accountants, industry leaders, and more ... we have some ideas.   Join Pronto Tax School founder, Andy Frye, and TaxProMarketer CEO, Nate Hagerty, as they rub their 2023 Tax Season Crystal Ball and share with you the picture that is taking shape.   You'll hear about...   * How tax business owners can get ahead of their competitors NOW to offload their terrible clients and prepare themselves to onboard BETTER clients than they've previously dealt with   * What we're hearing about IRS staffing levels, potential (radical) tax code changes, and industry-wide speculation about what's coming down the pike   * The BEST ways to prepare over the following months for what is to come in the tax season.

A quick Google search shows that accounting firms have data breaches every day. And, it’s easy to think, “Oh, that won’t happen to my business. I’m too small for cyber thieves to care about” OR “I’ve got password security on lock.” But, with no dedicated cybersecurity or IT person monitoring (OR detecting) possible breaches, the most valuable data is vulnerable and at risk. And, worse, so is your reputation if it does happen.   And this is why Hossein Dadkhah (Advantage IT) got into cybersecurity for accounting firms: to help protect client data, detect intrusions, and help these companies build an informed response strategy for when trouble comes knocking.   In this episode, Hossein and ProMarketer Podcast host Nate Hagerty discuss the importance of cybersecurity for accounting firms and tax practices as well as ways to mitigate this issue for practitioners.   That starts with an assessment of your firm’s security: https://calendly.com/advantageit/acctra

While the culture war rages on (and yes, it's pretty hot today) ... there is an entirely different kind of storm on the horizon.   And tax professionals are perfectly primed for it ... maybe.   And we’re seeing good things RIGHT NOW in the advertising data ... and we’ve got some thoughts on what is coming for tax resolution services.   Hint: it's going to be a BIG deal.   The head of Tax Resolution Academy (and longtime TaxProMarketer agency client) Dan Henn, CPA, offers his 10,000-foot perspective and how your practice can ride this rocketship -- EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT AN EA or CPA.   As you must know ... the expiration of the PPP, and the EIDL programs (and various sundry pandemic credits) will expose many zombie companies for what they are -- and will inevitably create some 941 "issues".   Not to mention the very likely recession to come.   But as you must know -- this translates into an opportunity to be of great service. There will be thousands and thousands of taxpayers in distress with the IRS.   And they need YOU -- the caring local professional ... NOT the hyperdrive national sales outfits who are just looking for the next tally on their whiteboards.   The very good news is that we have been hitting upon some campaigns that are driving MAJOR leadflow for these services -- right now.   We share all of that in this session as well as how you can set up your own campaigns for maximum conversions.

With inflation in the air, it seems only natural to talk about PRICING with you. Specifically, yours.   Regardless of the inflationary realities you and your clients are facing, how you price your services is one of the best things that you can be looking at right now.   Recently Nate Hagerty, CEO of TaxProMarketer, hosted Michelle Weinstein (aka "The Pitch Queen") for one of his agency-clients-only office hours sessions, and she brought the house down as she coached up a few TPM clients LIVE on how they priced within their practice and the shifts that are possible when that shift is made.   And the ProMarketer Podcast has been planning to have her back even before the recent surges in price pressure across the economy.   Looking ahead to where the tax and accounting world is going, practitioners MUST realize that commodification of the simple return and the falling away of pandemic-related SBA and IRS weirdness will result in pressure on practices that haven't figured out how to serve a higher-level client.   And raising your fees is only part of the recipe.   So, to get through burnout, you’ll need to commit to some positive changes in how you operate within your practice.   Listen in as host Nate Hagerty and guest Michelle Weinstein discuss how to properly and effectively change your pricing structure and set up your practice for the future world.   For more great resources from Michelle Weinstein:   - Abundant Accountant Website   - Abundant Accountant Podcast   - Abundant Accountant YouTube Show 

Though the last three tax seasons have brought tax pros like you to your knees pleading for relief, to make it through, you’ve got to remember it’s not about you. This is about your customers.    And to serve them well in future tax seasons (and beyond), you need to find passion for what you do, something Roger Knecht of the Buiding the Premiere Accounting Firm podcast says is an imperative for moving forward in this industry. As president of the Universal Accounting Center (a multimillion accountant advising firm ranked in Inc’s top 500 list for growth rate) with 20 years in the industry, he knows a thing or two about burnout and getting past it. Listen in as he shares with TaxProMarketer CEO Nate Hagerty about adding advising in tax practices, creating workplace boundaries, gaining proficiency, broadening services, and more.    Because if you find your passion, you’ll help your clients legally avoid tax liabilities they are (or could be) facing, and you’ll find ways to offer them value beyond simply filing their taxes in regular tax seasons.    Looking for support and some practical coaching? Head on over to www.universalaccounting.com for free resources or take in some episodes of the Building the Premier Accounting Firm podcast.

Small businesses truly are the lifeblood of the U.S. economy. And behind those businesses are accountants, bookkeepers, and tax practitioners, guiding them through the muck that is the current state of things.    But that also means burnout… so many longstanding industry professionals shouting into the ether, “I’m done.” How then shall the industry (and it’s workers) find a way to get past the chaos? What tips and tools are going to help professionals like you navigate the turmoil?   That’s where Accounting Web and Managing Editor Seth Fineberg come in. AccountingWeb’s online content machine is all about giving accountants practical tools and industry knowledge to get the job done better.    And that begins, as Seth shares with host Nate Hagerty, with remembering what makes you happy… along with a good dose of “NO” to the things that hinder the joy of serving your clients.    Ask yourself:   What kind of work do you want to be doing?    What kind of clients do you want to be serving?    What matters to you in this industry?    How do you want to spend your time?    Finding the answers to these questions means charting a path to rediscovered joy even in the midst of a stormy tax and accounting industry.   And… there’s always networking and getting fresh fuel at the AccountingWeb Live Summit next year under the San Diego sun, May 15-18. In the meantime, listen in and visit AccountingWeb.com to get more of what Seth and his team are offering up.