

Business Strategy for CPA's
Geraldine Carter
Business Strategy for CPAs: work less and make more. You know how to be an accountant – it’s running your business you need help with. With guests interviews and solo episodes, you will get business strategy every week to help you simplify your practice, get out of the compliance trap, get your time back, and command higher fees. Stop missing out on life: start working less while adding the next six figures of income. Business Strategy for CPA's is the show for you!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 31, 2024 • 34min
281 4 Pricing Problems Solved with Kathy Hayden, EA
Learn more about PEAK FREEDOM THIS WEEK’S EPISODEPricing is rarely just one problem. Often there are many challenges embedded in the problem. It might sound like this: “I know I need to raise my prices but it hurts my brain to think about how to navigate the complexity, the details, and the relationships.”In today’s episode, I talk with CPA Masterminder Kathy Hayden, EA. With 1200+ clients, overhauling her prices needed to be done but was too daunting to do alone. Her challenges were:Repricing legacy clientsRemoving tax preparers from being involved in the billingMaking prices consistent across the boardVisibility into clients’ income interfering with objectivity She worked through each challenge systematically, set herself up for a more controlled tax season, a 10% increase in revenue, and consistent prices she’s happy about.…NEW HERE?Hey CPA firm owner, glad you found the podcast. If you feel like you’ve become trapped by your own accounting firm, you’re fed up PiTB clients who get you their stuff late, don’t appreciate the value you provide, and complain to you when you don’t turn it around on a dime, I can help you stop the chaos and end the long hours, without losing revenue. If you like the podcast, join 2500+ other CPAs who get Vitamin G, my daily dose of single-tip business strategy delivered straight to their inbox: Subscribe here: geraldinecarter.com/subscribeReaders say they love it because they’re short and on point.…Listen to other stories from 1:1 clients:Offer Productized Services with Sheila Hansen, CPAFreedom to Choose Not to Double Revenue with Prithi Daswani, CPAWhen you need to explore, with Rebecca Driscoll, CPA15 Hour Weeks, $200K, 70%+ Margins, with Erica Goode, CPAKiller Niche: Farm + Ag CPA with Catherine Ozment, CPA130% Revenue Increase While Working Less with Paige GottHow to Build $250K in CPA Advisory Services in 4 Months, with Prithi Daswani, CPAFrom Scratch to 6 Figures in 9 Months with Shaan Afridi, CPASpecializing in Stock-Option Tax Strategy and Consulting, with Minnie Lau, CPA…Want to get your life back while protecting your revenue?Here are a few ways I help overworked CPAs:STOP WORKING WEEKENDSA free five-day email course to teach you how to get your hours down without giving up revenue. https://geraldinecarter.com/stop-working-weekendsGET LOTS OF ANSWERS FASTFor the solo CPA with a bunch of rapid-fire questions they want answers to, like:How high can I go on prices without sending my clients running?What do you think of my niche?How do I upsell my legacy clients?What’s the script for talking to prospects about higher-level and Advisory services?What do I put in my tiered packages?Book a single strategy call with me, to get answers to questions like these and more. It’s covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don’t feel like it was worth it, just say the word and I‘ll refund your purchase in full. geraldinecarter.com/call$495DOWN TO 40 HOURS CPA MASTERMINDFor the overworked CPA at six figures of revenue who wants to stop working weekends and wants to implement overdue changes, but has trouble doing it alone:Get guidance on prices, packages, and becoming more specializedDisengage problem clients without blowing a hole in your firmHave community of like-minded CPAs on a similar journey to share what you’re working on, bounce ideas off, and get accountabilityMake more progress faster and with more ease. Guaranteed to get you down to 40 hours. geraldinecarter.com/$7500

Jan 24, 2024 • 23min
280 Mastering Leverage to Create Value in Less Time
Learn more about PEAK FREEDOM Hey CPA firm owner, glad you found the podcast. In this episode, I discuss the concept of leverage and how to use it to optimize your accounting practice. We dive into the importance of recognizing and utilizing various forms of leverage, from people and systems to time and technology. Drawing parallels with physical leverage, I invite you to consider the need to design your business for efficiency and reduced friction. I encourage you to focus on your genius zone and choose specific levers that align with your strengths, and I prompt you to consider where you want to create leverage in your accounting practice, be it through staff, systems, technology, time, money, networks/audience, or expertise.…If you feel like you’ve become trapped by your own accounting firm, you’re fed up PiTB clients who get you their stuff late, don’t appreciate the value you provide, and complain to you when you don’t turn it around on a dime, I can help you stop the chaos and end the long hours, without losing revenue. If you like the podcast, join 2500+ other CPAs who get Vitamin G, my daily dose of single-tip business strategy delivered straight to their inbox: Subscribe here: geraldinecarter.com/subscribeReaders say they love it because they’re short and on point.

Jan 10, 2024 • 12min
279 The Real Reason You Started Your Accounting PracticE
Learn more about PEAK FREEDOM THIS WEEK’S EPISODEOn the real reasons you started your accounting practice: time, freedom, flexibility, control, autonomy.And how working more, adding more clients, more staff, and more hours is not the path to getting you there. It’s not. the.path.I’ll walk you through why inverting your thinking is required: how the key to working less is not to make more money first. You need to work less first, so that you can make more money. If you want to grow your revenue, you need to start with working less. Not more. …Hey CPA firm owner, glad you found the podcast. If you feel like you’ve become trapped by your own accounting firm, you’re fed up PiTB clients who get you their stuff late, don’t appreciate the value you provide, and complain to you when you don’t turn it around on a dime, I can help you stop the chaos and end the long hours, without losing revenue. If you like the podcast, join 2500+ other CPAs who get Vitamin G, my daily dose of single-tip business strategy delivered straight to their inbox: Subscribe here: geraldinecarter.com/subscribeReaders say they love it because they’re short and on point.////////////////NEW TO MY PODCAST?Check out some “greatest hits” episodes:Effortless Value #201Pricing for Improved Profitability #21112 Reasons to Niche #221Killer Niches for CPAs with Tom Wheelright #178Digital Products, Courses, and 90% Margins with The Real Estate CPA, Brandon Hall #179Get More from Technology with Joe Woodard #244////////////////Want to get your life back while protecting your revenue?Here are a few ways I help overworked CPAs:STOP WORKING WEEKENDSA free five-day email course to teach you how to get your hours down without giving up revenue. https://geraldinecarter.com/stop-working-weekendsGET LOTS OF ANSWERS FASTFor the solo CPA with a bunch of rapid-fire questions they want answers to, like:How high can I go on prices without sending my clients running?What do you think of my niche?How do I upsell my legacy clients?What’s the script for talking to prospects about higher-level and Advisory services?What do I put in my tiered packages?Book a single strategy call with me, to get answers to questions like these and more. It’s covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don’t feel like it was worth it, just say the word and I‘ll refund your purchase in full. geraldinecarter.com/call$495DOWN TO 40 HOURS CPA MASTERMINDFor the overworked CPA at six figures of revenue who wants to stop working weekends and wants to implement overdue changes, but has trouble doing it alone:Get guidance on prices, packages, and becoming more specializedDisengage problem clients without blowing a hole in your firmHave community of like-minded CPAs on a similar journey to share what you’re working on, bounce ideas off, and get accountabilityMake more progress faster and with more ease. Guaranteed to get you down to 40 hours. geraldinecarter.com/$7500

Jan 8, 2024 • 1h 6min
278 How to Get Your Accounting Firm Under Control in the Next 4 Months
Learn more about PEAK FREEDOM Hey podcast listener, today’s episode is the audio from a webinar I hosted recently.You’re going to want to listen because it shows you the path to go from working 55 hours a week to working 40 hours a week. Because it’s audio from video, the visuals and the slides are missing, of course. I don’t think it’s a huge deal, but if you want to watch the video replay, you can do that by clicking this link:https://www.crowdcast.io/@geraldine-carterI also mentioned the capacity planner, a spreadsheet designed to help you see clearly how many hours you are setting yourself up to work. You can get it here, and make your own copy.I answer questions about DT40H at the 50-minute mark: what it’s like, what’s included, and so on, so if you want to go directly to that part, you can skip ahead to the 50-minute mark.…New to the podcast? Check out my “greatest hits” episodes:Effortless Value #201Pricing for Improved Profitability #21112 Reasons to Niche #221Killer Niches for CPAs with Tom Wheelright #178Digital Products, Courses, and 90% Margins with The Real Estate CPA, Brandon Hall #179Get More from Technology with Joe Woodard #244…Want to get your life back while protecting your revenue?Here are a few ways I help overworked CPAs:STOP WORKING WEEKENDSA free five-day email course to teach you how to get your hours down without giving up revenue. https://geraldinecarter.com/stop-working-weekendsGET LOTS OF ANSWERS FASTFor the solo CPA with a bunch of rapid-fire questions they want answers to, like:How high can I go on prices without sending my clients running?What do you think of my niche?How do I upsell my legacy clients?What’s the script for talking to prospects about higher-level and Advisory services?What do I put in my tiered packages?Please feel free to book a single strategy call with me, to get answers to questions like these and more. It’s covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don’t feel like it was worth it, just say the word and I‘ll refund your purchase in full. geraldinecarter.com/call$495DOWN TO 40 HOURS CPA MASTERMINDFor the overworked CPA at six figures of revenue who wants to stop working weekends and wants to implement overdue changes, but has trouble doing it alone:Get guidance on prices, packages, and becoming more specializedDisengage problem clients without blowing a hole in your firmHave community of like-minded CPAs on a similar journey to share what you’re working on, bounce ideas off, and get accountabilityMake more progress faster and with more ease. Guaranteed to get you down to 40 hours. geraldinecarter.com/$7500

Jan 3, 2024 • 13min
277 What do I say on my website? #2: Pain & Dream Examples
Learn more about PEAK FREEDOM In this episode, we will dive into the practical side of Pains and Dreams to make it easier to know what to say on your accounting firm’s website.We talked about the “pains” and the “dreams” in theory in episode 275, so now I want to share with you how it sounds in practice on the homepage of my own site. This will help you to understand the concept better and start listening to your clients and prospects with these two categories in mind. By organizing your thoughts and putting the right words on your website, you can: attract the kinds of clients you want to work withmake your sales conversations more effectivewaste less time in discovery calls with prospects who aren't a good fit for your firm. No need to burn thousands of dollars on website copy that doesn't speak to anyone. There’s an easier way. …Hey CPA firm owner, glad you found the podcast. If you feel like you’ve become trapped by your own accounting firm, you’re fed up PiTB clients who get you their stuff late, don’t appreciate the value you provide, and complain to you when you don’t turn it around on a dime, I can help you stop the chaos and end the long hours, without losing revenue. If you like the podcast, join 2500+ other CPAs who get Vitamin G, my daily dose of single-tip business strategy delivered straight to their inbox: Subscribe here: geraldinecarter.com/subscribeReaders say they love it because they’re short and on point.…Check out my “greatest hits” episodes:Effortless Value #201Pricing for Improved Profitability #21112 Reasons to Niche #221Killer Niches for CPAs with Tom Wheelright #178Digital Products, Courses, and 90% Margins with The Real Estate CPA, Brandon Hall #179Get More from Technology with Joe Woodard #244…Want to get your life back while protecting your revenue?Here are a few ways I help overworked CPAs:STOP WORKING WEEKENDSA free five-day email course to teach you how to get your hours down without giving up revenue. https://geraldinecarter.com/stop-working-weekendsGET LOTS OF ANSWERS FASTFor the solo CPA with a bunch of rapid-fire questions they want answers to, like:How high can I go on prices without sending my clients running?What do you think of my niche?How do I upsell my legacy clients?What’s the script for talking to prospects about higher-level and Advisory services?What do I put in my tiered packages?Book a single strategy call with me, to get answers to questions like these and more. It’s covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don’t feel like it was worth it, just say the word and I‘ll refund your purchase in full. geraldinecarter.com/call$495DOWN TO 40 HOURS CPA MASTERMINDFor the overworked CPA at six figures of revenue who wants to stop working weekends and wants to implement overdue changes, but has trouble doing it alone:Get guidance on prices, packages, and becoming more specializedDisengage problem clients without blowing a hole in your firmHave community of like-minded CPAs on a similar journey to share what you’re working on, bounce ideas off, and get accountabilityMake more progress faster and with more ease. Guaranteed to get you down to 40 hours. geraldinecarter.com/$7500

Dec 27, 2023 • 4min
276 Hazel and Remy Serve Up Accounting Jokes for the Holiday Break
Learn more about PEAK FREEDOM Now in their fourth year as moonlight podcast hosts, my little kids Hazel and Remy dish out a few delicious accounting jokes.Enjoy the holidays!

Dec 20, 2023 • 13min
275 What Do I Put On My Website? #1: Pains and Dreams
Learn more about PEAK FREEDOM If you’ve ever sat staring at a blinking cursor, burned time trying to find the right words, or wasted money working with a shiny marketing firm who served you generic, templated, meaningless website copy, this episode is for you. In it, you’ll learn how to use your client’s pains and dreams to signal to prospects that you understand what they are struggling with and what they’re looking for. Once you know how to do this – use pains and dreams – writing website copy will get easier and more effective.Even better? You don’t have to write this part, because it’s your clients who give you the words. …Hey CPA firm owner, glad you found the podcast. If you feel like you’ve become trapped by your own accounting firm, you’re fed up PiTB clients who get you their stuff late, don’t appreciate the value you provide, and complain to you when you don’t turn it around on a dime, I can help you stop the chaos and end the long hours, without losing revenue. If you like the podcast, join 2500+ other CPAs who get Vitamin G, my daily dose of single-tip business strategy delivered straight to their inbox: Subscribe here: geraldinecarter.com/subscribeReaders say they love it because they’re short and on point.…Check out my “greatest hits” episodes:Effortless Value #201Pricing for Improved Profitability #21112 Reasons to Niche #221Killer Niches for CPAs with Tom Wheelright #178Digital Products, Courses, and 90% Margins with The Real Estate CPA, Brandon Hall #179Get More from Technology with Joe Woodard #244…Want to get your life back while protecting your revenue?Here are a few ways I help overworked CPAs:STOP WORKING WEEKENDSA free five-day email course to teach you how to get your hours down without giving up revenue. https://geraldinecarter.com/stop-working-weekendsGET LOTS OF ANSWERS FASTFor the solo CPA with a bunch of rapid-fire questions they want answers to, like:How high can I go on prices without sending my clients running?What do you think of my niche?How do I upsell my legacy clients?What’s the script for talking to prospects about higher-level and Advisory services?What do I put in my tiered packages?Book a single strategy call with me, to get answers to questions like these and more. It’s covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don’t feel like it was worth it, just say the word and I‘ll refund your purchase in full. geraldinecarter.com/call$495DOWN TO 40 HOURS CPA MASTERMINDFor the overworked CPA at six figures of revenue who wants to stop working weekends and wants to implement overdue changes, but has trouble doing it alone:Get guidance on prices, packages, and becoming more specializedDisengage problem clients without blowing a hole in your firmHave community of like-minded CPAs on a similar journey to share what you’re working on, bounce ideas off, and get accountabilityMake more progress faster and with more ease. Guaranteed to get you down to 40 hours. geraldinecarter.com/$7500

Dec 13, 2023 • 20min
274 Only 3 Problems
Learn more about PEAK FREEDOM What if your accounting practice only had 3 problems?It might suddenly feel simpler and easier to think about being able to address each one.…...Your accounting practice only has 3 problems.Create value for clientsCapture value with pricingDeliver results efficiently.…Hey CPA firm owner, glad you found the podcast. If you feel like you’ve become trapped by your own accounting firm, you’re fed up PiTB clients who get you their stuff late, don’t appreciate the value you provide, and complain to you when you don’t turn it around on a dime, I can help you stop the chaos and end the long hours, without losing revenue. If you like the podcast, join 1400+ other CPAs who get Vitamin G, my daily dose of single-tip business strategy delivered straight to their inbox: Subscribe here: geraldinecarter.com/subscribeReaders say they love it because they’re short and on point.…Check out my “greatest hits” episodes:Effortless Value #201Pricing for Improved Profitability #21112 Reasons to Niche #221Killer Niches for CPAs with Tom Wheelright #178Digital Products, Courses, and 90% Margins with The Real Estate CPA, Brandon Hall #179Get More from Technology with Joe Woodard #244…Want to get your life back while protecting your revenue?Here are a few ways I help overworked CPAs:STOP WORKING WEEKENDSA free five-day email course to teach you how to get your hours down without giving up revenue. https://geraldinecarter.com/stop-working-weekendsGET LOTS OF ANSWERS FASTFor the solo CPA with a bunch of rapid-fire questions they want answers to, like:How high can I go on prices without sending my clients running?What do you think of my niche?How do I upsell my legacy clients?What’s the script for talking to prospects about higher-level and Advisory services?What do I put in my tiered packages?Book a single strategy call with me, to get answers to questions like these and more. It’s covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don’t feel like it was worth it, just say the word and I‘ll refund your purchase in full. geraldinecarter.com/call$495DOWN TO 40 HOURS CPA MASTERMINDFor the overworked CPA at six figures of revenue who wants to stop working weekends and wants to implement overdue changes, but has trouble doing it alone:Get guidance on prices, packages, and becoming more specializedDisengage problem clients without blowing a hole in your firmHave community of like-minded CPAs on a similar journey to share what you’re working on, bounce ideas off, and get accountabilityMake more progress faster and with more ease. Guaranteed to get you down to 40 hours. geraldinecarter.com/$7500

Dec 6, 2023 • 32min
273 Work from Anywhere There’s WiFi
Learn more about PEAK FREEDOM How to implement better guardrails and boundaries for your clients to nudge behavior in the direction you want it to go. If you’ve ever chased clients for documents or had them turn stuff in way late and you’ve twisted yourself, your business and your staff into pretzels to get the work done before the deadline, this episode is for you. Listen in as my podcast coach and editor Tim Wohlberg shares how implementing simple boundaries (that can easily translate into the accounting world) transformed his business and life.Tim’s website:https://podcastperformancecoach.com/…Hey CPA firm owner, glad you found the podcast. If you feel like you’ve become trapped by your own accounting firm, you’re fed up PiTB clients who get you their stuff late, don’t appreciate the value you provide, and complain to you when you don’t turn it around on a dime, I can help you stop the chaos and end the long hours, without losing revenue. If you like the podcast, join 2500+ other CPAs who get Vitamin G, my daily dose of single-tip business strategy delivered straight to their inbox: Subscribe here: geraldinecarter.com/subscribeReaders say they love it because they’re short and on point.…Check out my “greatest hits” episodes:Effortless Value #201Pricing for Improved Profitability #21112 Reasons to Niche #221Killer Niches for CPAs with Tom Wheelright #178Digital Products, Courses, and 90% Margins with The Real Estate CPA, Brandon Hall #179Get More from Technology with Joe Woodard #244…Want to get your life back while protecting your revenue?Here are a few ways I help overworked CPAs:STOP WORKING WEEKENDSA free five-day email course to teach you how to get your hours down without giving up revenue. https://geraldinecarter.com/stop-working-weekendsGET LOTS OF ANSWERS FASTFor the solo CPA with a bunch of rapid-fire questions they want answers to, like:How high can I go on prices without sending my clients running?What do you think of my niche?How do I upsell my legacy clients?What’s the script for talking to prospects about higher-level and Advisory services?What do I put in my tiered packages?Book a single strategy call with me, to get answers to questions like these and more. It’s covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don’t feel like it was worth it, just say the word and I‘ll refund your purchase in full. geraldinecarter.com/call$495DOWN TO 40 HOURS CPA MASTERMINDFor the overworked CPA at six figures of revenue who wants to stop working weekends and wants to implement overdue changes, but has trouble doing it alone:Get guidance on prices, packages, and becoming more specializedDisengage problem clients without blowing a hole in your firmHave community of like-minded CPAs on a similar journey to share what you’re working on, bounce ideas off, and get accountabilityMake more progress faster and with more ease. Guaranteed to get you down to 40 hours. geraldinecarter.com/$7500

Nov 29, 2023 • 30min
272 More Free Time, More Confidence, with Melissa Downs, EA
Learn more about PEAK FREEDOM If you’ve ever felt stressed to the max and near the end of your rope, this episode is for you. Less than six months ago, Down to 40 Hours Masterminder and repeat guest, Melissa Downs was maxed out. She got her client load underneath capacity, used tiered pricing to get clients where they needed to be, and started saying no. It wasn’t always easy, but now she’s on the other side, with free time on her hands and no drop in take-home pay. …Hey CPA firm owner, glad you found the podcast. If you feel like you’ve become trapped by your own accounting firm, you’re fed up PiTB clients who get you their stuff late, don’t appreciate the value you provide, and complain to you when you don’t turn it around on a dime, I can help you stop the chaos and end the long hours, without losing revenue. If you like the podcast, join 2500+ other CPAs who get Vitamin G, my daily dose of single-tip business strategy delivered straight to their inbox: Subscribe here: geraldinecarter.com/subscribeReaders say they love it because they’re short and on point.…Listen to other stories from clients:Offer Productized Services with Sheila Hansen, CPAFreedom to Choose Not to Double Revenue with Prithi Daswani, CPAWhen you need to explore, with Rebecca Driscoll, CPA15 Hour Weeks, $200K, 70%+ Margins, with Erica Goode, CPAKiller Niche: Farm + Ag CPA with Catherine Ozment, CPA130% Revenue Increase While Working Less with Paige GottHow to Build $250K in CPA Advisory Services in 4 Months, with Prithi Daswani, CPAFrom Scratch to 6 Figures in 9 Months with Shaan Afridi, CPASpecializing in Stock-Option Tax Strategy and Consulting, with Minnie Lau, CPA…Want to get your life back while protecting your revenue?Here are a few ways I help overworked CPAs:STOP WORKING WEEKENDSA free five-day email course to teach you how to get your hours down without giving up revenue. https://geraldinecarter.com/stop-working-weekendsGET LOTS OF ANSWERS FASTFor the solo CPA with a bunch of rapid-fire questions they want answers to, like:How high can I go on prices without sending my clients running?What do you think of my niche?How do I upsell my legacy clients?What’s the script for talking to prospects about higher-level and Advisory services?What do I put in my tiered packages?Book a single strategy call with me, to get answers to questions like these and more. It’s covered by my 100% satisfaction guarantee. If at the end of the call, you don’t feel like it was worth it, just say the word and I‘ll refund your purchase in full. geraldinecarter.com/call$495DOWN TO 40 HOURS CPA MASTERMINDFor the overworked CPA at six figures of revenue who wants to stop working weekends and wants to implement overdue changes, but has trouble doing it alone:Get guidance on prices, packages, and becoming more specializedDisengage problem clients without blowing a hole in your firmHave community of like-minded CPAs on a similar journey to share what you’re working on, bounce ideas off, and get accountabilityMake more progress faster and with more ease. Guaranteed to get you down to 40 hours. geraldinecarter.com/$7500