You’re well aware of the feeling: As your team works longer hours and exert more effort, you find that the busy season never ends. At the end of the day, your tasks remain undone, especially since your workflow ceased being effective years ago. Work remains pending, as you wait for somebody else to finish their part in the world flow. The team struggles to keep track of client and project information, all the while billing takes up too many hours of the day.
As an accountant, your days consist of stress and overwhelming periods—on top of that, the world around you continues to evolve. With new regulations and standards to pursue, expanded duties to figure out, and technological advancements to study, the industry landscape of CPAs has become a burden of extreme complexity. If you get swamped with work daily, it’s time to shift the gears. It all begins with planning—the more you plan, the better equipped your firm will be. As you create the perfect plan, consider the following tips below:

1. Learn to prioritize

Seeing as financial seasons come and go, your firm likely takes on the extra workload, on top of the already piling deadlines. While clients and projects may be abundant or tax season is at hand, effective and strategic planning is key to success. Making a list of urgent tasks is one place to start, especially those projects that need keen attention to detail.
Another important route to take is relying on technology’s helping hand. A workflow routing software, for instance, helps your team better manage tasks. This way, no one gets left behind in terms of schedule and urgency—with tasks aligned in advance, everyone will know exactly what needs to be done, even in the most hectic days.

2. Learn how to better manage client relationships

Your firm will likely have handled various clients, ranging from easy to deal with, down to the most unpleasant. In most cases, however, you’ll likely have raised client expectations so high, making the workload demanding and stress at an all-time high.
To properly handle your clients, it’s best to set realistic expectations for your services. Be clear upfront about what your services entail, and what it doesn’t—while going above and beyond for your clients is commendable, it can do more harm than good in the long run.

3. Reduce Paperwork by Using Digital Data Formats

Handling physical copies of registers and other paperwork can be overwhelming and messy. By switching to digital documents, you can save space, energy, costs, and so much more while keeping your important data secured and organized. You also reduce the risk of misplaced or mishandled documents if you decide to go digital.
In recent years, technology has evolved rapidly, and now there are a number of invoicing & payment software you can choose from and utilize. While it can take time and effort to learn and set up, the benefits are boundless. Gone are the days of physically having to open up file shelves and carry documents. As technology evolves, so should your strategies.

The Bottom Line

As you very well know, time is of the essence. In the world of finance and accounting, time directly translates into money, which is why accountants are expected to remain as productive as possible. Seasons come and go, but workloads stay the same—if your firm is struggling to keep up, it’s time to make some changes. Careful planning is key and with little touches of technological help, such as workflow management software, you’ll be able to enjoy a rewarding business experience.
If you’re on the hunt for an accounting practice software, My Firm360 offers the best solutions on the market. As an all-in-one software, we’ll help you manage your CPA business effectively. Communicating with clients, managing workflow, and tracking time and documents has never been easier.