Practice Management How I Will Become a Firm of the Future in 2018 Read the Article Open Share Drawer Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Written by Susan Tinel, EA Modified Sep 14, 2018 2 min read One of my resolutions for the new year is to be Firm of the Future. 2018 is the year. Since I started this journey, everything I’ve done has led me toward this end goal: to be a tax firm that excels above the rest. I have invested time in evaluating pricing, systems and processes, upgrading, optimizing integrations, placing my team around me, and equipping my team with what they need. I have reached out to my community of QuickBooks ProAdvisors® and learned what I could from them. Everything is at my fingertips and ready to go. So, this year, I resolve to push past the ceiling … and soar. I will use the resources available to me that I have so painstakingly reviewed and put into action. I truly want to have a Firm of the Future. Being a ProAdvisor has lead to tremendous growth in my firm, and I must evolve to master it. I started in this profession as a solo practitioner five years ago, and now, I am a part of a team of five. I am a trusted tax advisor to my clients, and together, we can continue to grow. But, we can only accomplish this if I am centered and focused, leading the technology and my team to the benefit us all. My resolution for 2017 was to take and pass the enrolled agent (EA) exam. I did it! With focus and determination, I studied for, and passed, all three parts in about two months. That taught me a valuable lesson; 2017 was not the first year I had made that resolution, sad to say. However, 2017 was the year I chose to use the resources I had around me to make me stronger. I studied with a fellow ProAdvisor who I met at a QuickBooks® Online Accountant live training event. We studied with an EA study app we both purchased. By making me stronger, she also become stronger – and together, we did it. With that momentum, how can I not meet my 2018 resolution? If you would like to follow me in this journey, I will be posting regularly about my exploits on my own website. I expect it to be an interesting tax season, especially with the recent passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. I look forward to sharing with you the pleasure of speaking with my clients about what really matters to them. Editor’s note: Read Susan’s ProAdvisor Profile for more insight into how she built her tax practice and how she relies on Intuit® ProConnect™ Tax Online and QuickBooks Online Accountant to serve her clients. Previous Post 5 Tips to Help You Get More Done This Tax… Next Post Creative Ways to Carve Out “Me Time” During Busy Season Written by Susan Tinel, EA Susan Tinel, EA, heads up April 15 Taxes, Inc., a full-service, cloud-based firm offering services in tax, accounting and entity filings. Based in San Diego, Calif. – and armed with her Blackberry – she works with more than 150 clients across the country, in Canada and the United Kingdom, 75 percent of which are small businesses. Susan is a QuickBooks ProAdvisor® and certified in QuickBooks® Online; she also uses Intuit® ProConnect™ Tax Online, Intuit Link, QuickBooks Online Accountant and Intuit Online Payroll. Follow Susan on Twitter @April15Taxes. More from Susan Tinel, EA One response to “How I Will Become a Firm of the Future in 2018” Way to go! Looking forward to reading how you are making each year, the best year yet! Browse Related Articles Tax Law and News Annual inflation adjustments for TY24 and TY25 Practice Management Intuit is committed to your success Practice Management Lacerte® Tax spotlight: Karl J. Strube, CPA Practice Management ProConnect™ Tax Online spotlight: Alejandra Matias Practice Management ProConnect Tax Virtual Bootcamp: Jan. 15-16 Webinars Navigating Common IRS Red Flags: Jan. 20 Webinars Pay-by-Refund: Jan. 20 Webinars Practical Security Checklist: Jan. 14 Tax Law and News January 2025 tax and compliance deadlines Workflow tools On the Books podcast: Merry books-to-tax season