The routine of an accounting firm doesn't need to be so bureaucratic, much less represent an obstacle to growth. Today, it's perfectly possible to adopt some management practices to achieve a more efficient and productive environment, generating good results on a permanent and even predictable basis.
These actions help organize the bureaucracy and paperwork that we all know is part of the routine of an accounting firm. Furthermore, these practices facilitate an overview of the day's tasks and measure productivity and time wastage, in addition to giving the team motivation to work with greater dedication and commitment.
If you're looking for more productivity in your office, check out some practices and see how they can help you manage resources more efficiently in your accounting firm.
1. Develop a financial plan and monitor the results
No action has a real chance of success if it isn't properly planned. This is especially true when dealing with bureaucratic issues, as is the case with accounting firms.
Therefore, the first management practice you should adopt is financial planning. After all, it's through this that you can plan your firm's growth in a more controlled manner. Be sure to set goals and assess the time you think it will take to achieve them. Also, don't forget to estimate expenses and income.
By setting deadlines to achieve your goals, you'll have a more accurate view of the path you need to take to achieve them, allowing for more precise interventions whenever necessary.
Accurate control of all income and expenses is also essential. For this control, a good alternative is to use online financial management services; in this article, we list some good options .
2. Manage your team's productivity
When searching for employees to join your team, analyze the candidates' experiences and assess their profile based on the nature of your business. It's important to ensure compatibility to avoid adaptation difficulties. This eliminates the need for a repeat hiring process, saving money.
This compatibility will also be crucial in building a team capable of working toward the same goals as the firm. Therefore, be sure to engage with feedback and pay special attention to complaints, suggestions, and compliments. Also, create satisfaction reports and schedule meetings whenever necessary. It's important to always maintain a focused and motivated team.
To improve your skills, there's nothing better than investing in training and development for your employees. This way, you can motivate them to produce more and keep them up-to-date on new practices developed through technological innovations.
To ensure increased productivity, set goals for your team. This way, you can measure the office's performance as a whole and have a baseline for addressing problematic areas. Set clear, objective, and achievable goals: don't demand the impossible, as this can be very demotivating.
You can use this management practice to compare different periods. In the long term, it provides very useful parameters that contribute to more assertive decision-making.
3. Prioritize customer service
To ensure customer loyalty, the best thing to do is offer relevant and efficient service that provides the necessary information and addresses customer needs. To achieve this, be sure to invest in quality customer service, with communication channels and a dedicated, well-trained team to provide this support. Don't overlook the potential of social media. With social media efforts, for example, you can leverage services like Facebook and Twitter to provide clarifications and answer questions in real time.
This is a great way to win and cultivate strong clients, which will be significant for your business's growth. With quality, reliable, and attentive service, your client will hardly have any reason to look for another accounting firm.
4. Invest in technologies and tools for your office
To optimize your office's internal procedures, be sure to rely on technology resources. Some of them allow you and your team to automate many processes and produce more in less time.
Consider adopting accounting management software and even smartphone apps. Use task management tools to facilitate your and your team's management.
Another important issue is employees' lack of focus and wasted time, especially online. To avoid this, the best approach is to use a service that allows you to manage internet access , with the ability to set rules for internet use and prevent access to websites outside of the scope of work.
This means that, by using the right tools, you can not only better manage day-to-day tasks but also transform management into a differentiator for your accounting firm. Furthermore, your clients will see your dedication to the business's internal structure and responsiveness, something they won't find so easily with competitors.
5. Make sure your team is up to date
Likewise, nothing can be worse for your team's credibility than not knowing how to handle a particular resource or clarify a specific piece of information or need to your clients. Besides compromising your employees, this can harm the firm as a whole, as it will certainly be a good reason for the client to seek out other, more qualified services.
With constant changes in legislation and new technological resources emerging, it's crucial to stay up-to-date. Therefore, team up-to-date information is crucial, both to handle innovations effectively and to provide clients with the necessary security, given the unique nature of accounting services, which we know are complex in Brazil.
6. Define specific roles and responsibilities
Regardless of the size of your office, it's important that your team's roles and responsibilities are clearly and effectively distributed among employees. To achieve this, it's recommended to create a simple document describing all the roles, tasks to be performed, and responsibilities of each professional within your team.
Establishing a clear hierarchy is also important, defining who each employee should report to in each situation and which team members are responsible for managing tasks, making decisions, and consequently, responsibilities regarding the activities and results to be delivered.
7. Focus on your market
The corporate accounting market is vast and broad, with numerous different segments and areas of activity for companies. Each area has its own unique characteristics within the complex Brazilian accounting legislation.
Of course, your accounting firm can serve both individual entrepreneurs and companies from various sectors and institutions, such as industries or educational institutions.
However, to avoid compromising your results and the excellence of your service, it's important to choose your clients based on your firm's profile and the qualifications of your team. If you want to take the risk and serve as many segments as possible, it's recommended to avoid large companies that may require highly complex services.
The objective of this article is to address improvements and best management practices for your accounting firm. If you already follow any of these practices, share your experience with us in the comments!
