One of the biggest mistakes we see in accounting firms is the team members not working on the appropriate tasks. Most often it's the partners doing the technician's work such as data entry, but it's also the technician's (and the partners) doing the administrative work. This means your team members aren't working on those tasks where they bring the most value.

Another challenge we have seen in the industry is the lack of a quality supervisory and managerial level in a lot of firms. That's not to say the managers aren't great accountants, it's that supervisor and manager skills are different to an accountant's typical skillset and few firms take the time to develop these skills in their team members.

We chat about how Penny structures her team to deliver her back office support (BOS) services. Simplistically we break the work into 3 categories, the preparation, the supervision, and the client relationship - although you could (and should) add a fourth administrative category. Once you've done that ask the question in what category are you spending most of of your time - go on, have a look at the time sheets! And now work out how to fix it - with technology, with people, or with outsourcing.

If you'd like help working through this or any other aspects of your business transformation, drop us a line via LinkedIn.

Penny Breslin - LinkedIn | @PennyB57

Damien Greathead - LinkedIn | @Damien_GH