The Firm of the Future: A Guide for Accountants, Lawyers, and Other Professional Services

Book Description

Provides accountants in small and medium sized firms the tool to expand services beyond attest and compliance functions.

Shows how to transition to other professional services that clients value.
Provides a pro-forma business plan for mapping a three to five year plan for the transition to a successful practice.
Positions consulting as an extension to traditional services, not just an alternative.
Includes many real world examples of accountants who have made a successful transition to new services, discussing the challenges and the results achieved.
Focuses on quality of life issues and how to get there.

Customer Reviews:

A truly paradigm-shifting work.......2006-05-15

Ron Baker is doing for the professional services firms what Columbus and Pythagoras did for the "Earth is Flat" proponents! "Paradigm-shifting" has become so over-used in our culture, but it is not mere hyperbole when describing this book. The work is quite thorough, implementing excerpts, quotes, and philosophies from dozens of well-respected scholars, economists, and management consultants. The work reminds me a lot of Tom Peters' seminal book, "In Search of Excellence" in the way in which the author sprinkles in so many great examples from other successful organizations and industries. In addition, he has many real-world examples (from firms around the world) of professional services firms that have successfully tranformed their practices. I whole-heartedly recommend this book to any professional who is trying to transform a professional services organization or who is wondering if there might be a more effective and profitable way to run a professional services firm.

The Essential Reference for Law Firm Leadership.......2006-02-08

I first read this book about 2 years ago. I keep it within arm's reach of my desk and refer to it often, still.

I've read one reviewer who stated that this book was the modern almanac of best business practices. I agree completely.

I run my own small law firm. We have implemented many of this book's practices with great success and profitablilty. Primary among them is fixed fee agreements. Yes, we are a law firm that has trashed its time sheets, due in large part to the inspiration and impetus of this book. And, we will never go back.

An earlier reviewer suggested that this book would be more useful for CPA's and not for lawyers. I disagree. Though I'm certain the message of this book is critical for CPA's, I think that any person in law firm leadership must read this book. I think it is particularly suited to small firms and solos who will have the ability to immediately take action in implementing these ideas and making them a reality in their practice.

However, if you are one of my competitors forget everything I said above and do not touch this book. My firm and my family will thank you.

Extremely helpful, well documented........2005-11-14

This is a very well-documented guide for any service firm. It's also very well written, very insightful and very well researched. It's real deep, complete and full of advice and wisdom from several great minds. I run a corporate reputation consulting firm in El Salvador and this is the most advice-rich book I've encountered in the last five years. I also recommend "the trusted advisor" by David Maister and specially "Managing the Profesional Service Firm" also by Maister.

Permission to Believe.......2004-12-14

The Firm of The Future coordinates both the theory and practical application of pricing concepts AND business service models in such a complelling manner that Baker & Dunn give Professional services organizations permission to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

While the Firm of The Future is geared to the legal and accounting professions the message and vision is applicable to Advertising agencies, Consulting Organizations, Marketing service firms and professional service providers of all shapes and sizes.

Cost plus pricing is short sighted and intellectually flawed.The intense pressure on increasing billable hours and driving down costs is destroying the creativity and core capabilities of Professional Service companies.Baker&Dunn explain the flaws of cost plus and hourly schemes and identify a road map which outlines how to move a professional services organization and it's customers to a healthier, happier, more productive and more mutually profitable business process

A great read---Inspirational and practical

Tom Finneran
Executive Vice President
American Association of Advertising Agencies

Must reading for the professional service provider!.......2003-12-04

After reading this book, you'll need to place it alongside your desktop dictionary, Thesaruas and Ron's first book "The Professional's Guide to Value Pricing. This is how strong of an impact their message has made on me.

After reading the first two editions of Ron's book, I didn't think he would be able to improve much on the message of switching to Value Pricing. Boy, was I wrong! He and Paul Dunn have done an amazing job of getting the reader to think differently. As with the radical theme of trashing the timesheet in "The Professional's Guide to Value Pricing", they do a masterful job of convincing you why the old "Revenue Equation" must be replaced with the forward-thinking "Profit Equation". They go on to introduce other new topics not found amongst professional services firms such as developing your Intellectual, Structural and Social Capital, emphasizing effectiveness over efficiency and of course Value Pricing. As is typical of Ron's writing style, and complemented by Paul, their reasoning for making this paradigm shift is well supported and well reasoned.

I've been using practicing Value Pricing for about 5 1/2 years now and I can tell you that it works. In my own firm, I've slowly begun implementing some of their new concepts but with a new perception. I'm convinced these principles will work for me and they can for you as well.

Book Description

The clearest, easiest-to-use guide to understanding GAAS 2007 on the market-fully updated!

This latest resource to understanding GAAS addresses the toughest part of an accountant's job-identifying, interpreting, and applying the many audit, attest, review, and compilation standards relevant to a particular engagement. Wiley Practitioner's Guide to GAAS 2007 offers the accounting professional a clear, accessible distillation of the official language of those standards, Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements (SSAEs), and Statements on Standards for Accounting and Review Services (SSARSs)-as well as advice on exactly when and how to remain fully compliant with each. The only GAAS reference organized according to practitioners' actual use of the Statements on Auditing Standards,Wiley Practitioner's Guide to GAAS 2007 presentseach statement individually, explaining how thestandards are related and offering guidance onthe entire engagement process in the form of practicenotes, checklists, questionnaires, and real-worldexamples that illustrate how the fundamental requirements of each section are applied. Other key features include:
* A brief identification of each SAS, SSAE, and SSARS, with its effective date and tips on when to apply it
* A convenient and comprehensive glossary of official definitions, which are usually scattered through-out a standard
* Behind-the-scenes explanations of the reasons for each pronouncement and brief explanations of the basic ideas of the section
* Concise listing and descriptions of each standard's specific mandates
* Easy-to-read capsule summary of interpretations, plus selected AICPA practice alerts and advisories
* Helpful techniques for remaining compliant with each standard

New in GAAS 2007!
* Audit Risk Assessment suite of standards, SAS Nos. 104 - 111, including new requirements related to:
*
* Understanding internal control
*
* Performing audit procedures
*
* Evaluating misstatements and audit differences
*
* Assessing audit risk
*
* And more
* SAS No. 103, Audit Documentation
* SAS No. 112, Communicating Internal Control Matters Noted in an Audit, including new definitions and guidance on evaluating the severity of control deficiencies

Accountant's guide to management techniques (A Gower Press handbook)

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Accountant's guide to management techniques (A Gower Press handbook)

Manufacturer: Gower Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0716102315

The Accountant's Handbook of Information Technology

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The Accountant's Handbook of Information Technology
Jack Bologna , and Anthony M. Walsh
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Finance | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0471304735

Book Description

The first book to examine information technology specifically from an accountant's point of view. As corporations start to reengineer themselves, this book will keep pace with the fast-changing developments in IT. Includes discussion of spreadsheets and financial modeling, artificial intelligence, office automation and information centers, telecommunications, networking, etc.

Accountants' Cost Handbook (Professional Management Accounting)

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Accountants' Cost Handbook (Professional Management Accounting)
J. Bulloch
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Design and Maintenance of Accounting Manuals (The Wiley/Institute of Management Accountants Professional Book)

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DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE OF ACCOUNTING MANUALS, 3RD ED

Design and Maintenance of Accounting Manuals (The Wiley/Institute of Management Accountants Professional Book)
Harry L., Cpa, Cdp Brown
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Technical | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Book Description

You can turn to this revised classic for a step-by-step plan to prepare pertinent and accurate accounting manuals, determine which formats to use, as well as maintain and update information. You'll get:

Details on the general accounting manual
Policy/procedure statement
Forms manual
Data processing manual
User manual
Information release system

Packed with over 150 examples of actual documents, this Third Edition offers comprehensive guidance on repairing and maintaining effective accounting manuals.

The core volume (ISBN 0471-253685) is supplemented annually.

The 2002 Cumulative Supplement (ISBN 0471-249882) includes the following:

A new chapter on dealing with the electronic manual- its advantages and shortcomings, as well as how to reformat a paper-based manual to take advantage of hypertext, on-line tutorials, and various help features.
A new chapter on handling the production and distribution of the accounting manual.
An extensive list of detailed procedures that apply to accounting, human resources, and management information systems.

The supplement updates the core volume Brown/Design and Maintenance of Accounting Manuals, Third Edition (ISBN 0471-253685).

Customer Reviews:

DESIGN AND MAINTENANCE OF ACCOUNTING MANUALS, 3RD ED.......2000-05-23

Good coverage of all relevant topics. A full-service document for controllers. It will be on my desk for years to come

Average customer rating:

Management Accountants' Handbook
Donald E. Keller , James Bulloch , and Robert L. Shultis
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management Accountants' Handbook, 4th Edition

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Management Accountants' Handbook, 4th Edition
Donald E. Keller , and James Bulloch
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Entrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Brings together the expertise of over 35 authorities in the field. Focuses on new developments in costing as well as the more traditional costing concepts and techniques. Includes new emphasis on management accounting and covers such topics as decision-making, controls, planning and current corporate organization. Includes chapters on computer applications, material requirements, revised inventory procedures and new manufacturing processes.

Management of an Accounting Practice Handbook

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Management of an Accounting Practice Handbook
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
Manufacturer: Practitioners Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0685525899

Management Services Handbook, The Accountants Contribution to Planning, Systems, and Controls

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Management Services Handbook, The Accountants Contribution to Planning, Systems, and Controls
Henry (Editor) De Vos
Manufacturer: The American Institute of CPAs, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ND1N1E

Book Description

An easy-to-use single reference source covering the full range of subject areas associated with plant pathology!

This comprehensive volume covers the entire field of plant pathology. It does not merely define the numerous subjects covered (297 topics carefully arranged in 38 sections!) but describes them in detail. Each section of this book serves as a comprehensive overview of a given area, providing breadth of coverage for students and depth of coverage for research professionals.

In addition to providing a dictionary of plant pathological terms and a complete list of crop diseases, accepted names, synonyms, and anamorphic/telemorphic names of pathogens, the Concise Encyclopedia of Plant Pathology is an essential reference for:

the latest nomenclature and classification of each crop bacterial pathogen
the complete listing of crop fungal pathogens, with their revised systematic position and classification of viruses into species, genera, families, and orders
classification of phytoplasmas and spiroplasmas
disease assessment, remote sensing, and digital image analysis
molecular diagnostic tools, plant clinics, and forecasting models in depth
microbial pesticides
induced systemic resistance
mycorrhiza
molecular marker-assisted selection, pyramiding of genes, and durable resistance
genetic engineering and transgenic plants
in vitro selection of resistant varieties
three kingdoms containing fungal phyla and the most recent refined classification of fungal phyla based on molecular studies
bactericides and viricides
seed health testing
indexing plant-propagation materials
plant activators and plant extracts
postharvest diseases
molecular biology of host resistance
the complete list of fungicides, plus ready-formulated fungicide mixtures, classification and mode of action of fungicides, the spectrum of diseases controlled by each fungicide, a computer-based decision support system, fungicide resistance, and modern application equipment
and much, much more!

Book Description

This is the first truly comprehensive A-Z reference work on the subject, having approximately 2,000 pages in a practical two-volume format. The full-length entries provide detail that glossaries and dictionaries cannot. Over 900 individual entries provide thorough coverage, and a number of biographical entries are included on important plant pathologists and plant scientists.

Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology: Physiological Plant Pathology

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Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology: Physiological Plant Pathology

Manufacturer: Springer-Verlag Berlin and Heidelberg GmbH & Co. KG
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 3540075577

Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology: Physiological Plant Pathology (Topics in Applied Physics; V. 10)

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Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology: Physiological Plant Pathology (Topics in Applied Physics; V. 10)
R. Heitefuss
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Concise Encyclopedia of Plant Pathology.

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Concise Encyclopedia of Plant Pathology.
P Vidhyasekaran
Manufacturer: Food Products Pr.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N63QJS

Product Description

El Niño Southern Oscillation & Climatic Variability, in book form with accompanying CD-ROM, is the most complete synopsis available of oceanic and atmospheric patterns during significant historical and contemporary El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. It is based on a unique record of more than a century of scientific observations of our oceans and atmosphere.

The observations of pressure and sea surface temperature are reinterpreted in the light of the relatively recent comprehension of the ENSO as an interaction of the ocean and atmosphere. ENSO is now understood to play a critical role in many of the extremes of climate, and the book is interspersed with examinations of the physical impacts of major ENSO phases (El Niño and La Niña).

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Environmental research papers
R Shapiro
Manufacturer: United States Air Force
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007ENYMK

Fifty Years of Romanian Astrophysics (AIP Conference Proceedings / Astronomy and Astrophysics)

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Fifty Years of Romanian Astrophysics (AIP Conference Proceedings / Astronomy and Astrophysics)

Manufacturer: American Institute of Physics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Astrophysics & Space Science | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Relativity | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0735404003

Book Description

All papers have been peer reviewed. This conference was organized for an anniversary moment to bring together scientists from the main fields of astrophysics and space science. It was a celebration of the 50 years from the start of the solar observations at Bucharest Observatory and the beginning of astrophysics research in Romania. Topics discussed include: solar atmosphere, magnetic structure on the Sun, solar and stellar winds, waves, oscillations and cyclicities, astroseismology, stellar astrophysics, and extragalactic astronomy and cosmology.

Global Ecological Consequences of the 1982-83 El Nino-Southern Oscillation (Elsevier Oceanography Series)

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Global Ecological Consequences of the 1982-83 El Nino-Southern Oscillation (Elsevier Oceanography Series)

Manufacturer: Elsevier Science Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Natural History | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0444883037

Learning to Predict Climate Variations Associated With El Nino and the Southern Oscillation: Accomplishments and Legacies of the Toga Program

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Learning to Predict Climate Variations Associated With El Nino and the Southern Oscillation: Accomplishments and Legacies of the Toga Program
National Research Council (U. S.)
Manufacturer: National Academy Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Rivers | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

Weather | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0309053420

The Near-Earth and Interplanetary Plasma: Volume 2: Plasma Flow, Plasma Waves and Oscillations (Cambridge Atmospheric and Space Science Series)

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The Near-Earth and Interplanetary Plasma: Volume 2: Plasma Flow, Plasma Waves and Oscillations (Cambridge Atmospheric and Space Science Series)
Y. L. Al'pert
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

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Oscillations of the Earth's Atmosphere
Wilkes
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

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Oscillations of the Earths Atmosphere
M V Wilkes
Manufacturer: CAMBRIDGE UNIV*@ PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000QABDNM

Prediction of Pilot-Induced Oscillations (PIO) Due to Actuator Rate Limiting Using the Open-Loop Onset Point (OLOP) Criterion

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Prediction of Pilot-Induced Oscillations (PIO) Due to Actuator Rate Limiting Using the Open-Loop Onset Point (OLOP) Criterion

Manufacturer: Storming Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: 1423530578

Product Description

This is a AIR FORCE INST OF TECH WRIGHT-PATTERSONAFB OH report procured by the Pentagon and made available for public release. It has been reproduced in the best form available to the Pentagon. It is not spiral-bound, but rather assembled with Velobinding in a soft, white linen cover. The Storming Media report number is A861093. The abstract provided by the Pentagon follows: Rate limiting has been a causal or contributing factor for Pilot Induced Oscillations (PIO). As part of the joint Air Force Institute of Technology/Test Pilot School (AFIT/TPS) program, an examination of the Open-Loop Onset Point (OLOP) criterion, developed by DLR German Aerospace, was conducted to see if it could predict PIO due to rate limiting and to evaluate its potential as a design tool. The criterion was applied to three previous flight test programs involving rate limiting. Findings from this analysis led to the HAVE OLOP flight test which was flown on the NF-16D Variable Stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft (VISTA). HAVE OLOP evaluated four longitudinal configurations with rate limiting elements inside the feedback loop. OLOP was found to over-predict PIO in some cases when using maximum stick amplitude as DLR suggests. When using actual stick amplitudes, correlation between OLOP predictions and PIO ratings was good. A new metric called stick ratio was developed to help explore the full range of stick amplitudes when using OLOP. OLOP could be a useful design tool, but because of the strong influence of stick amplitude, engineering judgement would have to be exercised. Recommendations on its use as a design tool are presented.

Teleconnections Linking Worldwide Climate Anomalies

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Teleconnections Linking Worldwide Climate Anomalies

Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Rivers | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

Weather | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0521364752

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