Growing Your Firm | Strategies for Accountants, CPA's, Bookkeepers , and Tax Professionals

Are you tired of the "compliance grind"? Most accountants overlook a goldmine sitting right in their current database: Tax Resolution. With over 27 million Americans currently facing IRS issues, the demand for representation has never been higher. In this episode of Growing Your Firm, host David Cristello sits down with Michael Rozbruch, founder of Roz Strategies and a pioneer in the tax resolution industry. Michael shares how he grew a practice from his dining room table to a $23 million-a-year powerhouse and why now is the best time in history for firms to enter this space. In this episode, we explore: The "Stealth" Referral Letter: How to generate $5k–$10k cases from your existing clients without spending a dime on ads. The 4 Collection Alternatives: Michael simplifies the IRS maze into four main outcomes (Installment Agreements, Offer in Compromise, Penalty Abatement, and Currently Not Collectible). The $6,000 Marketing Campaign: A step-by-step breakdown of the "Old School" direct mail strategy that targets PTIN holders and generates consistent inbound leads. The "Sales Prevention" Department: Why not answering your phone live is costing you hundreds of thousands in potential fees. The IRS "Mega API": How the government's transition to AI and machine learning will exponentially increase enforcement and audits in 2025/2026. The Tax Resolution Intake Script: Michael reveals the "Psychologically Induced" questions every firm should ask to qualify leads, including: "Does the IRS claim you owe $10,000 or more?" "Has the IRS levied your bank account yet?" "Has the IRS garnished your paycheck yet?"

Are you building a firm to last, or building it to sell? Whether you're a CPA starting a firm or a Managing Partner eyeing retirement, understanding the current M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions) landscape is critical for your largest wealth-generation tool: your practice. In this episode of Growing Your Firm, host Dave Cristella sits down with Doug Lewis, Managing Director at The Visionary Group, to pull back the curtain on how buyers are actually evaluating accounting and bookkeeping firms in 2026. From the impact of Private Equity (PE) to the "sticky revenue" of Client Accounting Services (CAS), Doug breaks down the metrics that determine your firm's valuation. In this episode, we discuss: 1. The Shift in Valuation: Why firms are moving away from gross revenue multiples and toward Adjusted EBITDA. 2. The CAS Premium: Why Client Accounting Services and outsourced bookkeeping are trading for higher multiples than traditional audit or tax. 3. The Talent Shortage & M&A: How the pipeline shortage is moving "Talent" to the #1 spot on buyer wishlists. 4. The "Layover Test": Why culture alignment is the first thing that kills a deal (and how to spot red flags early). 5. Internal Succession Stress Testing: What to do when your "locked-in" successors have other plans (like opening a tiki bar in Thailand). 6. Staying Fiercely Independent: Why selling isn't the only path and how to build value even if you never plan to exit. Featured Guest: Doug Lewis Take control of your practice: Optimize your workflow with Jetpack Workflow: https://bit.ly/4bj4a0H 🚀 Sign up for a 14-day free trial to Jetpack Workflow! https://app2.jetpackworkflow.com/auth/login 🚀 Stay Connected: Subscribe for bi-weekly stories from firm owners and modern accounting strategies. 👋 Say hi on social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jetpackworkflow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jetpackworkflow Twitter: https://x.com/jetpackworkflow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jetpack_workflow/# 🎙 Listen to Growing Your Firm Podcast Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growing-your-firm-strategies-for-accountants-cpas-bookkeepers/id923004172 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6MauXYaHFyS0rlb6L3Qb1U Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jetpack-workflow/growing-your-firm

Ben Curtis, co-founder and CEO of Good Measure Financial, a remote-first accounting firm. He explains using an EOS-lite approach with VTO and L10 meetings, tracking time and KPIs like effective hourly rate, smoothing workflows to avoid month-end peaks, and scaling rapidly via relational networking and a fractional co-founder model.

Chase Damiano, Founder and CEO of Human at Scale who builds operational systems for accounting firms. He explains how weak infrastructure and rework fuel burnout. He covers 360° ops audits, building a business operating system with KPIs and playbooks, and behavioral shifts that stop CEOs from becoming bottlenecks.

If your firm's growth has hit a plateau, you might be looking for answers in outsourcing or capital infusions. However, Jennifer Wilson suggests a different perspective: the primary constraint facing firm leaders today is the people-power behind the work. Success in the modern landscape is less about the "how" and entirely about the "who." Check out the blog here to learn more.

Discover why industry leaders are feeling more optimistic than ever about the future of professional accounting. This roundtable discussion explores a pivotal shift from a culture of burnout toward one centered on high-value advisory and long-term client success. The experts dive into how emerging technologies like AI can automate compliance tasks and free up practitioners for strategic leadership roles. By embracing modern business models and intentional change management, firms can unlock new opportunities for growth and personal satisfaction.

Matt Gardner scaled Hiline by moving beyond referral-only growth and building systems designed to scale. By niching down, investing ahead of demand, restructuring sales roles, and embracing automation and technology, Hiline created a predictable growth engine that does not rely on founder hustle. Scaling an accounting firm beyond referrals is one of the hardest challenges firm owners face. In this episode of Growing Your Firm, Matt Gardner shares how Hiline grew by niching down, investing ahead of growth, and building a real go-to-market engine instead of relying on referrals or founder hustle. Resources: Matt Gardner's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattgardnercpa/n

Growing accounting firms often misdiagnose turnover and capacity issues. Erin Daiber explains why these problems usually start at the partner level, how trust breakdowns create hidden churn, and what firms must fix first before hiring or offshoring. The firms that stabilize fastest focus on leadership alignment, clear expectations, and disciplined workflows. Resources: Erin Daiber's LinkedIn - linkedin.com/in/cpacoacherin

William Hamilton, founder of SmartPath who helps firms design pricing and engagement models. He breaks down how to present pricing, why to offer multiple options, and when to productize packages. Conversation covers showing prices online, packaging around client goals, and which services drive the highest margins.

Justine Lackey built a sellable bookkeeping firm by staying hyper focused on one service, one platform, recurring revenue, documented systems, and ethical leadership. Long before selling in 2023, her firm was structured to operate independently, making the transition successful for clients, employees, and buyers. Key Takeaways Focused service offerings help firms stand out in M&A discussions Recurring prepaid revenue improves cash flow stability Standardized systems support smoother transitions Ethical leadership enables better client and team outcomes during exits Reducing owner dependency supports long-term firm continuity