Firms are under mounting pressure to deliver exceptional service and drive profits, often at the expense of manageable workloads. Yet, sustaining long-term success doesn’t demand sacrificing balance or burning out top talent.
Here are 5 ways forward-thinking firms have created harmony between managing hours and client satisfaction.
1. Implementing a client scheduling system
As featured on the episode Creating Balance Without Losing Business in the Transforming: Tales of Business Evolution podcast, Brenda Cannon, Partner at Cannon & Associates, CPAs, shares how her firm revolutionized tax season by implementing a client scheduling system that smooths workload, reduces burnout, and improves turnaround times. Brenda illustrates how small firms can reclaim work-life balance and transform their business model for long-term sustainability. You can also watch (DC update, better tax season planning and hiring insights – Aug. 7, 2025) or listen (AICPA Town Hall: DC updates, hiring insights and better tax season planning) to Brenda on the August 7, 2025 AICPA Town Hall, where she further walks through changes firms can make now to improve tax season.
2. Right-sizing your client base, no matter the firm size
The importance of aligning your firm's client base with its overall strategy and vision is highlighted in Right-sizing your firm: A commitment to clients and staff. It emphasizes that while it may seem beneficial to have a broad range of services and a large client base, focusing on clients that fit well with your firm's strengths can lead to greater success. The article suggests evaluating which clients to retain based on the firm's strategy, the clients your firm is best suited to serve, and the service offerings that excite your staff. The PCPS Right-Sizing Your Client Base Toolkit, created by the AICPA® & CIMA® Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS) and the Whetstone Group Inc., provides a myriad of resources that can be utilized as a guide to identify ideal clients and narrow down incompatible clients.
3. Consider the benefits of outsourcing
Is outsourcing right for your firm? This article explores the potential benefits and considerations for firms thinking about outsourcing. It focuses on the challenges firms face, such as a decline in the number of accounting graduates and an aging workforce nearing retirement. Outsourcing can help address these challenges by improving efficiency, reducing costs, and allowing firms to focus on their core expertise. Remember to evaluate firm-specific needs before deciding to outsource. The PCPS Outsourcing for CPA Firms Toolkit, created by the AICPA® & CIMA® PCPS and Impact Global Solutions, provides advice and insights on how firms can prepare for, execute, and optimize their outsourcing journey.
4. The use of Client Service Representatives (CSRs) and Non-CPA Staff
Imagine a world where your accountants and CPAs can focus solely on their technical expertise, while a dedicated team member handles all client-focused tasks. This is the vision behind the role of the Client Service Representative (CSR) as explored in The CSR: Client-oriented and firm-focused. The article explores how redistributing client-focused responsibilities to a CSR or Non-CPA staff can ease capacity constraints and enhance firm efficiency. The PCPS Non-CPA Workstream Toolset, created by the AICPA® & CIMA® PCPS and ConvergenceCoaching®, LLC, provides customizable strategies, tools, templates, tactics, and publications designed to help you create an innovative workstream strategy and easily integrate these new positions into your firm.
5. Implementing methods and processes to prioritize efficiency over overtime
By applying Lean Six Sigma and standardizing processes, Dennis Sherrin, CPA, CGMA, Chief Value Officer and Strategic Consultant at Avizo Group, Inc., discusses how his firm slashed overtime hours in the episode How a CPA firm got lean and ‘drastically reduced’ overtime of the Transforming: Tales of Business Evolution podcast. Dennis emphasizes that efficiency, not longer hours, drives both profitability and work-life balance. Additionally, read How this firm made 40 the new standard for the 70+ hour week, where Dennis further explains some of the non-traditional ways he is changing things in order to be a people-focused firm.
Achieving a balance between managing hours and maintaining client satisfaction is not only possible but essential. Embracing these approaches will not only enhance firm efficiency but also ensure that top talent remains engaged and motivated.
Managing a firm involves nurturing a strong culture, developing talent, and serving clients in a dynamic environment. The Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS) helps CPA firms of all sizes with practical, customizable practice management resources. PCPS is an additional membership section within the AICPA. Join PCPS today to not only access these Transforming Your Business model resources but also:
Networking: Connect with peers from similar-sized firms to share best practices.
Benchmarking: Access data and reports from the largest firm practice management survey.
Discounts: Save on AICPA liability insurance, conferences, and webcasts.
Additional Resources: Use customizable practice management tools designed to help your firm thrive in a fast-changing environment.
Questions? Email pcps@aicpa.org.