The Ideal Practice Model: Seven Areas That Transform a CPA Firm

The Ideal Practice Model: Seven Areas That Transform a CPA Firm

Joe Woodard has trained over 150,000 accounting professionals and spent his career studying what separates firms that grow from firms that stay stuck. His answer? It almost always starts with pricing. In this conversation, Joe walks through the Woodard Ideal Practice Model, which focuses on seven key areas of operational excellence: brand, services, clients, technology, process, engagements, and team. But the most actionable insight he shares is simpler than a seven-part framework. He says the very first lever any firm should pull is pricing, and he lays out a specific strategy for doing it. Double the price on your bottom 20% of clients. If half of them stay, you have the same revenue. If all of them leave, you get the capacity back. Either way, you win. Joe also shares a measured perspective on AI adoption, noting that mass adoption in accounting is still 12 to 18 months away and that the best thing practitioners can do right now is learn directly from the developers of the platforms they already use. This episode is for firm owners curious about how to create capacity without hiring, practitioners ready to revisit their pricing strategy before the next busy season, leaders wondering where to start with advisory services, and anyone interested in a practical framework for building a more valuable practice. Timestamps 00:14 - Introducing Joe Woodard: founder of Woodard, host of Scaling New Heights  02:03 - How Joe's practice led to Scaling New Heights and a coaching and consulting division  04:01 - The shift from compliance to advisory: what is holding CPA firms back  06:01 - Skill set and mindset working together: cash flow projections, dashboards, and KPIs  07:16 - The downward spiral: too busy to invest in new skills, team pressure, and turnover  09:18 - Applying the Pareto Principle to your CPA firm client base  10:42 - How to move methodically through the full client base after creating capacity  12:19 - How pricing improvements affect CPA firm valuation: revenue per FTE and clients per million  13:33 - Why the mindset block comes back around when targeting larger advisory clients  16:34 - How to reinvent your service structure instead of just improving the existing one  19:05 - Why most accounting firms are under-contracted and what to do about it  20:13 - AI adoption in accounting: where the profession is now and how fast it is moving  22:30 - Xero, QuickBooks, and Intuit: how AI integrations are already changing daily workflows  24:08 - Joe's story: his daughter, a butterfly named Alicia, and a mockingbird  27:01 - Book recommendation: "A World Without Work" by Daniel Susskind  29:03 - Where to find Joe Woodard online: woodard.com Download Now: https://poegroupadvisors.com/accounting-practice-academy/increase-letter/ Price increases are nothing to fear. The real challenge is effectively informing clients of these changes. Our templates will help you demonstrate your value and help clients understand the increases necessary to keep your firm afloat. *Download now and receive:* - (1) Major Fee Increase Letter Template - (1) 20% Fee Increase Letter Template

Focus Works Every Time: Brannon Poe and Ian Brennan Close Out the Power of Focus Series

Seven episodes. Dozens of real-world examples. One recurring answer. Brannon Poe and Ian Brennan sit down one more time to close out the Power of Focus series. Throughout this series, the pattern that emerges is hard to ignore: the firms that get results are the ones that get intentional about where they put their energy. This episode is for accounting firm owners who have listened to the series and are ready to identify their first move, practitioners curious about how the 80/20 Principle applies to their client list and services, leaders wondering how to build a team culture that attracts and retains the right people, and CPA firm owners ready to shift from working in the firm to working on it. Timestamps:  * 01:04 - Welcome to the final episode of the Power of Focus series  * 02:20 - Ian opens the conversation: recurring themes across the Power of Focus series  * 03:40 - Why focus is a simple concept with a powerful and consistent payoff  * 04:40 - Why creating capacity is the essential first step for any CPA firm transformation  * 05:25 - Where Brannon's focus on focus came from: the 80/20 Principle by Richard Koch  * 07:06 - Letting go: Greg Toner and Bill and Chris Murphy as standout examples from the series  * 07:54 - Staffing in a shrinking talent pool: why culture is the most durable retention strategy 08:54 - How client selection and service mix affect team morale and turnover in CPA firms  * 09:39 - Why sharing a clear vision with your team matters more than most firm owners realize 10:27 - What Brannon has observed about vision when selling accounting firms in the M&A space  * 12:30 - How a focused vision makes your CPA firm more attractive to job candidates  * 14:04 - Why being a jack of all trades limits margins and exhausts accounting firm owners  * 15:57 - Greg Toner's growth model: how knowing the recipe made scaling repeatable  * 16:21 - Brannon's closing thought: find a mastermind and surround yourself with other firm owners  * 17:08 - Ian closes the series: seven episodes, real results, an invitation to dive in

What Buyers Are Really Looking For

A niche accounting firm with 45% cash flow and 1,500 owner hours sold for 5.6 million dollars on 2.6 million in revenue. That is the kind of result possible when a CPA firm owner gets intentional about the factors buyers care about most. In this episode, Brannon Poe sits down with Laurens Ball, a highly accomplished intermediary at Poe Group Advisors, to break down what really drives practice valuations in today's market. This is the latest episode in our Power of Focus series, where we explore how CPA firm owners use focus as a strategic advantage. Laurens brings real-world case studies from the M&A side, showing how niche firms consistently grow faster, charge 20 to 40% higher fees, and attract buyers willing to pay premium prices. From a dental-focused practice generating daily referrals to an agricultural firm that found its perfect buyer by leaning into its specialty, the evidence is clear: focus pays off at the point of sale. Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction to the Power of Focus series and Accounting Practice Academy  00:25 - Welcoming Laurens Ball, senior intermediary at Poe Group Advisors  01:32 - What is a focused CPA firm? Laurens' definition  02:13 - Why intentionality is the foundation of practice growth  02:37 - Why hesitant-to-niche firm owners are leaving value on the table  03:19 - How niche accounting practices grow faster and charge 20 to 40% higher fees  03:52 - Dental niche example: weekly referrals and consistent growth  04:08 - Professional poker player niche: a memorable and lower-owner-hour firm  05:00 - Why niche firm margins, growth, and owner hours make them desirable at market  05:27 - Cost segregation firm: multiple offers, all-cash close  06:16 - Agricultural firm example: tractor on the website and the right buyer match  07:46 - Current state of the CPA firm M&A market in spring 2026  08:09 - When strong firms can see 7X EBITDA and what it takes to get there  09:03 - Niche firm sold at 5.6X: what the numbers looked like  09:41 - What buyers are really evaluating: cash flow, team strength, growth prospects  10:43 - How de-risking your accounting firm opens up more buyers and better terms  11:48 - Why the team is becoming the most important factor for roll-up buyers  11:48 - The "90-day question": what falls apart first if the owner steps away  12:08 - How to analyze your CPA firm client list for quality, fit, and pricing  12:31 - Seller case study: raising fees from $360 toward $700, keeping 98% of clients  14:08 - Across-the-board 20% price increase: 2,000 returns, five clients left  14:49 - CPAs have more pricing power than ever, with some firms at $2,000 per 1040  16:32 - How owner dependence affects buyer interest and sale terms  18:35 - Success story: owner reduced hours by 500 while keeping EBITDA steady  19:26 - Top advice for accounting firm owners who are 3 to 5 years from a sale  20:31 - How six months to a year of changes can mean $1 million more in valuation  21:02 - Why team health is the longest-lead and highest-impact strategy before a sale  22:33 - Why owner-centric practitioners are hardest to get to stop and look at the firm Download Now: https://poegroupadvisors.com/accounting-practice-academy/increase-letter/ Price increases are nothing to fear. The real challenge is effectively informing clients of these changes. Our templates will help you demonstrate your value and help clients understand the increases necessary to keep your firm afloat. *Download now and receive:* - (1) Major Fee Increase Letter Template - (1) 20% Fee Increase Letter Template

How Choosing Better Clients Builds More Profitable Accounting Firms

Ric Payne has been thinking about how accountants build better practices for decades. If you have been in the industry for a while, you likely know about Ric Payne.  He co-founded Results Accounting Systems in 1992, ran the Accountants Boot Camp across multiple continents, and worked with thousands of firms around the world.  His conclusion? High-performing firms are selective about who they work with.  The conversation also features Ian Brennan, director of Accounting Practice Academy (APA), a PGA workshop. Ian and Ric discuss how intentional client selection is foundational to everything else a firm tries to do; from pricing and marketing to advisory services and succession planning.  This episode is for firm owners curious about how strategic client selection creates pricing power and referral momentum, practitioners ready to build a client base that supports an advisory practice, CPA firm leaders wondering how to increase net profit without simply chasing more revenue, and accountants who want to build a practice they are genuinely excited to show up for. Timestamps: 0:00 - Introduction to The Accountant's Flight Plan podcast and guests 3:11 - Overview of the episode: client selection and Ric's white paper 6:42 - Why having no client criteria means having no strategy 7:33 - Steve Jobs on what not to do: the decision framework that changed Ric's approach 9:01 - The four growth profiles: fast-start satisfier, opportunistic harvester, & the patient builder 15:15 - The founder's gap vs. the Midas gap: two very different CPA firm outcomes 19:07 - Baker's Law: bad clients drive out good clients 20:54 - Why partners with lower utilization often have the highest net profit per partner 23:18 - Systems theory: your CPA firm is perfectly designed for the results it gets 26:58 - John Wooden's definition of success and why it applies to accounting firm owners 32:53 - Case study: UK accounting firm replaces ten 1,000-pound clients with one 10,000-pound client 37:01 - Dealing with imposter syndrome when stepping into an advisory role 41:11 - The 11 client selection criteria: the full walkthrough begins 57:05 - Roger Martin's Playing to Win [https://www.amazon.com/dp/142218739X ]and how it applies to accounting practice management 1:00:44 - Brannon on how the criteria tie back to personality, results, and client experience 1:05:46 - APA lesson: You cannot market your accounting firm if you don't know who your clients are 1:08:13 - How to find Ric Payne and access the client selection white paper Download Now: https://poegroupadvisors.com/accounting-practice-academy/increase-letter/ Price increases are nothing to fear. The real challenge is effectively informing clients of these changes. Our templates will help you demonstrate your value and help clients understand the increases necessary to keep your firm afloat. *Download now and receive:* - (1) Major Fee Increase Letter Template - (1) 20% Fee Increase Letter Template

How a $1.5M Firm Grew to $7M Organically with Jason Ackerman

Jason Ackerman, Co-Managing Partner at BNA Advisors, helped grow the firm from a $1.5 million firm to over $7 million organically, without acquiring a single practice. He joined his father's firm in 2012, scaled the team from 14 to 35 people, and built systems that allow the firm to handle more than 2,000 individual tax returns per year. His approach combines practical technology adoption, intentional pricing strategy, and a long view on people and talent. This is the fifth episode in our Power of Focus series and Jason's story is a strong example of what is possible when a firm stops trying to do everything and starts doing the right things well. This episode digs into the specific tools and tactics Jason's team is using right now, during tax season. His firm is rolling out 8821 authorizations for every client so they can pull IRS transcripts through Tax Now, catching payment discrepancies and missed filings before they become problems. They are also using a payment platform called Remission to schedule quarterly estimated payments for clients in one place. They’re reducing the back-and-forth and keeping the firm proactive rather than reactive. Both moves are part of a broader philosophy: reduce what the client has to do, increase what the firm can see. The through line of this conversation is intentionality. Jason is not automating things for the sake of automation, he’s not chasing every new AI platform, and he’s not pricing low to win volume. Every decision connects back to a clear standard: does this make the practice better, or does it just add noise? That kind of focus, applied consistently over more than a decade, is how a $1.5 million firm becomes a $7 million firm without a single acquisition. This episode is for CPA firm owners curious about building scalable systems without outside capital, practitioners ready to revisit their pricing strategy before the next season, firm managers wondering how to develop staff into more business-aware team members, and accounting practice owners thinking ahead about talent and technology in a changing industry. Timestamps * 00:36 - Jason Ackerman introduces BNA Advisors: $7M firm, organic growth, and co-founding a software startup * 01:08 - Growing a CPA firm from $1.5M to $7M without acquisitions since 2012 * 02:21 - Series context: practice management tactics for tax season 2026 * 03:23 - Why tax compliance still requires real expertise despite the shift toward advisory * 05:07 - The 8821 strategy: pulling IRS transcripts proactively for every accounting client * 06:46 - Using Remission to schedule and track quarterly estimated tax payments * 08:24 - The biggest operational pain points BNA solved as the firm scaled to 35 people * 09:22 - Why Karbon became a cornerstone of BNA's CPA firm practice management system * 10:52 - How to approach technology adoption: change one thing at a time * 12:15 - How Jason evaluates new software as an early adopter in the accounting industry * 13:22 - A measured take on AI tools: waiting for the market to shake out * 15:56 - How private equity is reshaping the accounting talent pipeline * 27:42 - Why value pricing is the single biggest lever for CPA firm owners preparing to sell * 29:21 - Why pricing high from the start attracts better accounting clients and protects your time * 30:38 - Book recommendation: discussion of the Karbon co-founder book featuring BNA Download Now: https://poegroupadvisors.com/accounting-practice-academy/increase-letter/ Price increases are nothing to fear. The real challenge is effectively informing clients of these changes. Our templates will help you demonstrate your value and help clients understand the increases necessary to keep your firm afloat. *Download now and receive:* - (1) Major Fee Increase Letter Template - (1) 20% Fee Increase Letter Template