Wash. Sanitize. Repeat.

We’ve all heard the message over and over – wash – sanitize – repeat.  That’s the number one step we’re all hearing daily as the best thing to do to avoid the H1N1 virus – more commonly referred to as the swine flu. Seems almost like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? Mothers have been saying it for years – sounds like once again your parents were right.

Fear of catching the H1N1 virus has everyone – parents, teachers, businesses and consumers alike – a little on edge as we all search for the perfect recipe to protect ourselves, our families and our businesses.  While surgical masks aren’t part of our daily dressing routine, I have seen some people out in public wearing one of the masks (not sure if they’re protecting themselves from others, or others from them!).

Just as it seems very basic to wash your hands thoroughly after you sneeze or before you eat, there are several other things you can do immediately to help fend off the virus:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• Stay home if you are sick until at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (100°F or 37.8°C) or signs of a fever (without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol®). Read detailed information about how long to stay away from others.
• Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.

Need more guidance? There’s an abundance of information out there. One place to start is with a new webinar being offered exclusively to OSCPA members on Oct. 23 – H1N1 Virus Preparedness Planning: What You Need to Know and Do. If you can’t attend the webinar, it will be available in OSCPA’s Online Library the following week and you can listen to it any time. The discussion leaders will walk through what’s real, what’s hype and what you need to know, plus:

• Key factors to know about the potential impact of H1N1: How will it affect your business?
• What is H1N1 and what are the risks?
• Understanding the U.S. Alert stages
• What You Need to Do
• Prevention: Actions employers should take NOW
• Management of employee exposure in the workplace after a confirmed case
• Developing your outbreak contingency plan strategy

If you want to head out on your own, here are a few places to start your search. These resources from the Centers for Disease Control and the Small Business Association can help you prepare your business and even include “fact sheets” you can print out for your staff, your family and friends.

• Action steps to keep your business and employees healthy from the Center for Disease Control
• SBA Preparedness Guide
• 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccine info
• Preparing for the Flu: A Communication Toolkit for Businesses and Employers
• U.S. Chamber H1N1 flu guide to keep businesses in business 
• Business pandemic influenza planning checklist
• Guidance for businesses and employers to plan and respond to the 2009 – 2010 influenza season
• Occupational health issues associated with H1N1 influenza virus (swine flu)

How many times have you said – it’s better to be safe than sorry? It is, isn’t it?

It’s time to take your client communication off auto pilot

By OSCPA member Rick Kavenagh, CPA

Recently I read some alarming facts about how CPAs are viewed by their clients. A recent study of small business owners revealed that 40% of them think that their CPA provides little or no help in making their businesses successful. I also read that 68% of clients who leave their accounting firm do so because they believe their CPA doesn’t care about their business.  These are scary statistics given that the most significant challenge facing CPA firms of all sizes is client retention, according to the AICPA’s 2009 CPA Firm Top Issues Survey.

Reports like these make me wonder if the CPA profession has become complacent in assuming that we will always be the clients’ trusted advisors. There’s a disconnect somewhere. If national surveys show year after year that clients look to us for the quality of our financial advice, why do so many business owners not view their CPAs as a strategic partner in their success?

It may boil down to a simple, but important factor in the relationship — communication.

As a CPA and business advisor, my number one duty is developing relationships with my clients that extend beyond the compliance work.  This is especially important with small businesses, as they often rely on us as a total business solutions provider.

Small businesses are a driving force in our economy. They account for more than 50% of jobs in the private sector, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. What’s more, they are a significant client base for many CPA firms.

With the weight of the economy bearing down on them, CPAs have a responsibility not only to help keep them afloat, but also to help businesses  prosper.

Today, people are looking for ways to stretch their dollars further, and that includes fees for professional service firms. Just doing the work isn’t good enough anymore. Being a proactive partner with your clients — knowing what their hardships are and delivering solutions — strengthens the relationship and opens doors for your firm to provide additional service in other areas.

How do you provide value added service that gets you recognized as a strategic partner?

• Start by listening. Visit your client and discuss how their business is faring. Find out their pain points.  Identifying solutions for them before they approach you shows you care about their business.
• Connect them to the right people.  If you have expertise in your firm that can help them address a challenge, great. If not, recommend an outside contact that is best suited for the task. Your clients will remember this and view you as a true advocate for their success.
• Offer solutions they didn’t know they need. Helping your clients with strategy each year makes good business sense. But as Harvard Business Review writer Jeff Stibel says, “Planning is important; plans aren’t.”In the current economy, businesses need to react faster because change has become the only predictable constant. Small businesses have a leg up in this area because they don’t suffer from as much bureaucratic lag as larger businesses do. They often are more flexible and adept at taking advantage of opportunities that you identify.
• Be their eyes and ears in the outside world. Monitor legislation that could benefit clients. Pick up the phone or send a quick e-mail to spark conversations even if you aren’t working on an assignment.  The more value you add, the more likely you are to be called to the table for future projects. If you are not reaching out to your clients at least once a month with some communication, someone else will.

Unfortunately, some business owners don’t see the value a CPA brings to their overall business. This can lead to our services being viewed as a price-driven commodity.

It’s time to deactivate auto-pilot and move your client relationships to a higher level.

Show them you are an integral part of their team and you will remain the trusted business advisor they call for advice in good times and in bad.

Rick Kavenagh, CPA is Director, Business Services for Brockman, Coats Gedelian & Co., Akron.

If you’re an OSCPA member who would like to write for our blog, we’d love to hear from you! Send your submissions to Amy Johnson.

Tax Season is over, but keep blowing your horn

CPAs everywhere are doing a happy dance. Tax season is over and it was an undeniably tough one. Time to take a deep breath and rejuvenate.

CPAs aren’t the only ones who collectively sigh on tax day. The rest of the public is celebrating because what is a dreaded annual event for many has come and gone. And after April 15, the media doesn’t call as often to speak to members because there’s still a perception that CPAs are the professionals you call only for tax advice.

We’re working hard to change that. Because some of the biggest opportunities lie in what CPAs do for their clients the rest of the year.

CPA. Those three letters make a huge difference when it comes to long-term results and OSCPA is committed to helping the public make that important distinction. CPAs can also get better at tooting their own horns.

Here are a few ways we can jointly promote the role and work of CPAs even before the ink is dry on the tax forms:

April is Financial Literacy Month and a good springboard for building year-round client relationships. Pick up the phone and schedule an appointment to help clients tweak or overhaul their business or personal financial plan.

One silver lining in the recession may be that Americans are quickly changing their spending habits. In a recent AP survey, 54% of taxpayers expecting a refund said they plan to use it to pay bills or reduce debt. Consider sending clients an e-mail with these money-stretching tips for investing their refunds.

At the same time, you can introduce them to the Society’s Financial Fitness Ohio Web site. It includes a wealth of resources for consumers in various stages of life.

Now is a tough time for college graduates entering the workforce. In the latest OSCPA podcast series, “Navigate your Finances in a Turbulent Economy” OSCPA chair-elect Matt Yuskewich, CPA, covers part-time employment options, developing a savings strategy and other important lessons to start graduates off on a solid financial footing.

Changing public perception takes time. But together, we can all help to move the needle. More consumer advocacy groups are demanding that states license and regulate tax preparers. If there’s a movement in Ohio, OSCPA will be in the forefront to ensure that CPAs are NOT subject to any additional levels of regulation or registration.

Therefore, it’s critical that we keep educating the public about why hiring a CPA is really the best year-round financial insurance plan available.

The Burning Question: Your CPA License

The most frequently asked questions of The Ohio Society of CPAs member service staff for the week of February 16, 2009 are:

• How do I reactivate my CPA license?
• Why should I hire a CPA over an unlicensed accountant? (for tax preparation, professional services, job opening)

There’s a common message in both questions – the CPA designation has value and relevance that’s critical in today’s environment.

Why the focus on the CPA credential; and why right now? In a climate of rational and irrational fears – Will I keep my job? Will I be able to retire? Will my investments recover? Is my business at risk? – the CPA designation brings a missing component the market is craving of stability and TRUST.

CPAs are respected and trusted. Our own marketing spin on CPAs is that they are the trusted professionals who bring insight and integrity to business information of all types. As professionals focus more on personal branding and how to make themselves essential to clients or employers, today’s reality is that the CPA is a strong differentiator. Members in business and industry are increasingly making sure that they’re able to “hold out” as having their CPA designation, and members in public practice are thinking “CPA first” in their marketing message. As staffing demands reduce, the CPA credential is more frequently a consideration in promotion and retention by employers.

If your CPA designation has not been a priority for you, now’s the time to rethink its importance. In Ohio, CPAs are required to maintain an active permit in order to use the designation without qualification. Reactivating your permit is easy – the Accountancy Board of Ohio (ABO) requires that a licensee who holds an Ohio registration (inactive license) apply for the active permit and complete a total of 120 hours of continuing education credit during the three years preceding application.

Completing the CPE is easy as well, with options convenient for your needs. If you have any questions, the Member Service staff at OSCPA will be happy to assist you with your unique needs at CPAnswers@ohio-cpa.com, or 888.959.1212. For specific questions related to your CPA license, the ABO staff encourage you to call: 614.466.4135.

Why a CPA?

• You worked hard for it. The process to become a CPA is rigorous – you’ve earned it – use it!
• CPAs adhere to a strict code of professional ethics. That means something in terms of direct value in today’s marketplace (Integrity + Objectivity + Professional Competence = Trust. Trust = Value.)
• CPAs have a commitment to continual learning. Knowledge = Value.

The Ohio Society of CPAs is fully committed to being your partner in success.

For the public:

• To find a CPA in Ohio, call toll-free 888.959.1212 or visit our Web site.
• This season, make sure the person you turn to for advice and help is certified and proudly identifies themselves as a CPA.

H&R Block ads present more opportunity than challenge

Lots of CPAs are upset by H & R Block’s current advertising campaign. In a few ads, they take blatant pot shots at CPAs’ accuracy in preparing tax returns.

These ads upset me too. I’ve spent most of my career working with CPAs and advocating for the value, knowledge & insights CPAs provide, as well as CPAs’ tremendous public service.

The AICPA has asked H & R Block to pull the ads and we’re told H&R Block has responded that they’ll reevaluate the ad series. But we can also use this as an opportunity to boost the public’s already high opinion of CPAs.

In national surveys, CPAs have consistently ranked among the most trusted and respected financial professionals. So we don’t have to defend CPAs’ credentials so much as reinforce why a CPA is the best professional for the job.

An Akron Beacon Journal reporter nailed it two years ago when she pointed out the advantages she gained in using a CPA for her own taxes. She also did them herself, and used H & R Block for comparison.

Her experience with the CPA was the least expensive and required less time, yielding the largest return. The CPA found more qualifying credits and an additional $800 she could claim through amended prior-year returns. She summarized the experience as a “good checkup that put her on the right path.”

Her experience with H & R Block? Not so good.

The preparer didn’t ask the right questions for her situation. The fees were higher, her federal refund was lower, she ended up owing on her state return, and the process required more visits to the H&R Block office. Although she was paying for expert advice, she didn’t feel she received it.

At The Ohio Society of CPAs, our goal is to steer the public toward developing a year-round relationship with a CPA, not just at tax time. The benefits of looking on financial management as a year-round necessity, not just a tax-time task, are more important today than they’ve ever been. We reinforce this in all of our consumer communications. And the media recognizes the CPA profession’s expertise because they call on us to provide CPAs for interviews and to answer consumer tax questions, not the other guys.

Visit our Tax Headquarters to see how we’re positioning CPAs to the public. And e-mail Amy Johnson at the OSCPA for talking points you can use to encourage everyone you know to use a CPA rather than a preparer who isn’t licensed, receives minimal training, and is paid an hourly wage to prepare returns just four months out of the year.

If you want a first-hand view of the training and compensation for H & R Block tax preparers, see this blog series from The Virtual CFO. It was written by a CPA who considered working there before he earned his CPA.

The proof is in the returns.