Accounting firms find it easy to grow with the steady business that comes from the first 3 1/2 months of the year due to income tax filing deadlines. The trick for many companies is to remain viable during the 8 1/2 months of the post-tax season. Despite an ebb in business, company growth can occur throughout the year with the correct strategies.
Slow times of the year mean your company can focus more on marketing your services and assets. In post-tax season, show your clients how you added value to their contract with you. Review the services you and your firm performed amid tax time when you have lulls in the action, and see what you can do for your clients and for your own company.
Identify Ways to Become More Efficient
Post-tax season represents the ideal time for you to examine and review how you served your clients. Identify ways to improve the delivery of your time and talents to clients. Talk about key details soon after tax time in order to keep this aspect of professional development fresh in your mind.
Follow Up
Follow up with clients during post-tax season, because even though it may be a slow time for accountants, your clients may work year-round in order to keep steady streams of revenue flowing. Mention tax-saving opportunities that may occur quarterly rather than once per year. You may see a client that has bad accounting practices, or you may find a business that barely passed an audit — these are ideal opportunities to reach out to them and see if they could use some extra help. Offer to teach the basics of bookkeeping, and maintain contact with companies at least once per quarter.
Upgrade
Consider investing in a technological upgrade to foster company growth. Find the best type of cloud-based accounting software that your clients can incorporate into their systems. Offer customers a discount for using the same accounting software as your firm. The cloud-based platform should give your company an inside look at a client's bookkeeping practices in order to identify areas for improvement at any time.
Write an FAQ
Update your firm's website with frequently asked questions you heard when your company was busy doing taxes. Write down the top five questions and expound on them with simple, clear-cut explanations. Write a blog post about it and post the musings to your firms' website, your LinkedIn profile and your personal blog. Send links to your clients, colleagues and co-workers.
Engage in Business Development
Help your clients develop stronger business models, and put them in better shape for next year. Post-tax season means your firm can grow alongside the clients who pay you. When your customers earn more money, you win as well.
Keep busy with post-tax season ideas that may make your accounting firm more marketable. Remind clients of the value added by your firm with proactive ways to collaborate alongside your customers. Even if you just reach out once per quarter, keep clients intrigued with your viable suggestions.
Photo courtesy of cooldesign at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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