I’d always thought that hard work was the answer to getting what I wanted in life. Well, I was half right.
I definitely had the hard work part down. I was working 90 hours a week during the off-season and only taking off half a dozen Sundays per year. Now, don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t that I disliked my work. I enjoy being a CPA and was making a good income at it. It was just that I wanted to spend more time with my wife and three children, something my schedule didn’t allow.
I started implementing the Sterling Practice Management program last December, and in just seven months I have already seen a huge change. I have cut my weekly hours from 90 to 50. Now when I attend a volleyball game, I can take the rest of the night off, instead of returning to work, and I also make it to all my son’s baseball games. This week I’m camping with the family.
This extra time off, however, hasn’t come at the expense of the business. In fact, by organizing the office better and learning how to build the staff into a cohesive team, our gross is up considerably, as is my take-home. My staff is also benefiting from the growth; as the firm does better, so do they.
Although I am working far fewer hours, my time at the office is much more enjoyable. It is a lot more fun and challenging meeting new clients, taking on new projects and planning for future expansion, instead of doing the same old drudgery day after day.
Practice management is a weak point in our profession, which is a shame. Like most accountants, I was well trained in my profession, what was lacking was the management training. I felt good in my technical skills, but had never really been taught how to manage the practice. I was learning something in the school of hard knocks, but there is a better way to learn than getting knocked around. It is amazing how even little organizational changes can make a huge difference in your stress level, your profitability and your attitude toward work.
There is one thing I would caution you about, however. If you decide to try Sterling, don’t set your goals too low. I did. I went to Sterling just to help me free up some time to spend with my family. I wasn’t looking to raise my income or expand the practice. I have already achieved that first goal, cutting 40 hours out of my weekly work schedule. But that is just a start. I have more energy and less stress than before and can now expand the practice. This year’s gross is running about forty percent higher than last year’s and I have my sights on building a million dollar practice in a few years.
Carlos Tanner, CPA
