{"id":4190,"date":"2018-05-04T05:00:42","date_gmt":"2018-05-04T09:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/?p=4190"},"modified":"2025-04-24T11:02:14","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T15:02:14","slug":"build-a-successful-accounting-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/build-a-successful-accounting-practice\/","title":{"rendered":"6 ways for accountants to beat the competition"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/category\/accountants\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Accountants<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t6 ways for accountants to beat the competition\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2018-05-04T05:00:42-04:00\">May 4, 2018<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"6 ways for accountants to beat the competition\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/build-a-successful-accounting-practice\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/author\/keirthomasbryant\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Keir-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Keir Thomas-Bryant\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Keir-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Keir.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Keir Thomas-Bryant<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Our Practice of Now 2018 report revealed that 67% of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/accountants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">accountants<\/a> worldwide feel that the profession is more competitive than ever. Over a third (40%) of accountants feel more uncertain about their prospects compared to a year ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;It\u2019s a challenging landscape,&#8221; says Jennifer Warawa, a former accountant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;It used to be that my accountant was down the street or across town,\u201d she said. \u201cToday, people want an accountant who can really <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/accountants\/client-solutions\/\">serve their business needs<\/a> and they\u2019ll go all the way across the country, and in some cases to another country. The playing field has been leveled and competition is everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, what can be done?&nbsp;Well, put simply you need to ensure you stand out amongst the competition. That comes down to focusing intensely on the three key areas that should already be&nbsp;drilled into every manager within an accounting firm:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Improve the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/how-to-move-from-accountant-to-business-partner\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">client experience<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Advance practice offerings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make better use of technology<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are suggestions that might spur thought around these areas, or even drive outright changes to help you build a successful accounting practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-stay-in-touch\"><strong> Stay in touch <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe next generation of business leaders are looking for a relationship they can see as an extension to their management team,\u201d said Bobby Lane, speaking to Sage Advice from his office at Blick Rothenberg, where he\u2019s a Partner. \u201cThey want to be able to work with a practice that can solve their problems, explain what is going on in their business and support them on their journey.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And those who have grown their practices from small acorns will have experienced that moment when this kind of personal touch is no longer feasible \u2013 or certainly much more difficult. A formal client management system becomes the only sane way forward, perhaps with assigned client managers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But none of this means the personal touch should disappear. Those working within a growing practice just need to remember to be sincere as much as possible \u2013 and to be aware that communications technology has a habit of removing sincerity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, when sending out client communication letters, always ensure they\u2019re signed personally by the client manager or accountant who carried out the work. The same can apply to direct mailings. It might take 30 minutes to hand-sign each of hundreds of maybe even thousands of letters but, in a subtle way that matters, your customers will really appreciate seeing that small snippet of humanity that is your signature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Signing letters or similar is ordinarily characterized as a marketing trick, but I invite you here to consider marketing as a fringe benefit. What should be driving your actions is a desire for client satisfaction, and a desire to put the client at the heart of your business by providing a consistent and authentic human connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Email or phone call? Consider the total amount of work involved. If you\u2019re emailing a client about something like a new compliance requirement, and anticipate having to respond to several follow-up emails, why not set aside ten minutes to call them and explain it in person? Okay, so the client might then go on to explain a new problem they\u2019re having \u2013 but that\u2019s only more business for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In short, take any opportunity you can to provide a human touch for your clients \u2013 and don\u2019t assume this kind of thing is necessarily time-consuming. While it\u2019s certainly not as efficient as some forms of electronic communication, it also won\u2019t eat into your schedule half as much as you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-invite-clients-to-be-involved\"><strong> Invite clients to be involved<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPractices will have to adapt,\u201d continued Lane. \u201cThey must communicate using the same channels, collaborate effectively and cultivate relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/mastery-network\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Client relationships<\/a> are what defines a practice and must drive all decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a prevalent urban legend that says car manufacturers deliberately introduce faults into vehicles that require the owner to return the car to the dealership. This gets the customer back into the showroom, the theory continues, and for car manufacturers that showroom is everything. Salespeople loiter. The newest models are there to touch. And free beverages relax the customer to encourage buying decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Urban myth or not (and it almost certainly is!), there\u2019s no reason why accounting firms can\u2019t take a similar approach. No, you shouldn\u2019t deliberately introduce faults into client books. But you can certainly invite clients to visit perhaps for seminars or sessions to explain new regulations or requirements, or even to listen to a keynote speaker (tip: People who\u2019ve written books are often willing to talk for free by way of promotion, as are legislative bodies keen to get out the word about some new initiative).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An approach like this encourages stronger relationships with clients, and ultimately these relationships are one of your most valuable intangible assets. Yes, this kind of thing can also be good for marketing but again the avoid seeing it through that lens. If nothing else seeing it as marketing might engender a somewhat less genuine approach than is required. Here you\u2019re simply attempting to show you care about your clients\u2019 interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If there\u2019s no space at your offices it might be worth hiring a room or hall somewhere. If you\u2019re technologically savvy you might even livestream the event on Facebook or YouTube for those who can\u2019t be there or record the event for your YouTube channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-make-clients-the-center-of-innovation\"><strong> Make clients the center of innovation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s another reason why you might want to invite groups of clients into your business. Rather than give them something, you might ask for their help by creating client advisory committees \u2013 sometimes known as Customer Advisory Boards, or CABs. This is where you invite clients to provide feedback on your business and the services you offer, or perhaps even seek opinions on services you intend to offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Needless to say, running such a committee requires a degree of forethought. Simply gathering people together and saying, \u201cHow are we doing?\u201d will produce chaotic results. Everything from choosing those who you want to invite onto the committee, to deciding on an agenda, should be carefully thought out beforehand. Some experts in this area advise creating a charter, for example, so that both you and the committee members know what you\u2019re trying to achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, such committees can put your clients right at the heart of your decision making and innovation and can make your practice truly responsive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once again, there are ancillary marketing benefits in the fact that it can make clients more evangelical about your business \u2013 and therefore more likely to recommend you to others. But once again you should avoid driving this initiative from a marketing perspective. It should be considered an extension of your customer care methodology and as a way to ensure you put clients first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, requesting this kind of feedback \u2013 and using it to drive innovation \u2013 doesn\u2019t necessarily require a committee. A personal request in writing or email from a client manager to a client might encourage them also to provide feedback \u2013 although this approach is perhaps more likely to get lost because of the sheer volume of messages we all deal with daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-specialize-your-practice\"><strong>Specialize your practice!<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPractices have to be able to offer a broader service offering or will cease to exist in the future,\u201d added Lane. \u201cThis means being able to work with clients in areas that may be lacking within their internal skills set, such as payroll, forecasting, preparing management accounts, staff incentive schemes, and more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s nearly always the potential to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/avoid-the-client-service-trap\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">offer more specializations<\/a> within a practice, of course. A general financial accounting practice can introduce a management accounting specialization, as just one example. Insolvency, tax, auditing, consulting, payroll \u2013 often adding that specialty to your firm can be as simple as hiring the right person, and growing that function can be as fundamentally simple as letting them have the freedom to form a business unit within your wider practice. You might consider funding training for an existing employee to achieve specialist qualifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, less-frequently discussed is the prospect of providing accounting specializations within particular industries. While the fundamentals of accounting don\u2019t change, somebody specializing in accounting for \u2013 say \u2013 the entertainment industry is going to have a different experience set and focus compared to somebody specializing in the food industry. Clients really care about this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The benefit to a firm of specializing in particular industries is that getting new clients becomes a degree easier because, with smaller niche industries, in particular, the word can spread surprisingly quickly about accountants who have taken the time to understand the quirks of that business type. And as a business, you have a readymade marketing approach in the fact you\u2019re the only specialist in that industry within your area. You might target trade organizations for that industry too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Clients in return feel more confident when an accountant not only \u201cspeaks their language\u201d but can cite previous examples where a certain process or approach within a specialist industry has produced results \u2013 especially if that approach has been proven to save money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-hook-up-with-client-data\"><strong>Hook-up with client data<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cClients will happily pay fees if they feel that they are getting value,\u201d explained Lane. \u201cThey will see far greater value in the relationship if their fees are being spent on services that are adding value to the relationship rather than for pure processing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/elephant-cloud-ignoring-obvious-competitive-advantage\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cloud technology<\/a> makes it possible for practices to have a 24\/7 view of their client\u2019s data \u2013 everything from their core ledgers to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/accounting-software\/invoicing\/\">invoices<\/a> that have been issued, to the timing when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/accounting-software\/accounts-receivable\/\">payments are received<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Needless to say, this opens up a world of possibilities for improving client service. There\u2019s no more need to send tedious and annoying client reminders when it\u2019s time for quarterly returns, for example, because the data is just a click away. But more than this, it puts the accountant in a position to provide proactive advice moving forward, such as fully-informed tax planning, or spotting problems before they have a chance to arise. It allows the role of the accountant to grow and evolve, as more of the accountant\u2019s experience can be used \u2013 and stronger client relationships formed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, there\u2019s also the potential to provide client focus in other ways by becoming an accounting software provider. This way you can not only earn commission on software subscription sales but also provide deployment services to businesses \u2013 while at the same time ensuring you create the fundamental setup that provides full visibility into the company accounting that\u2019s healthy for both you and the client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In most cases, your firm is already full of experts in both accounting and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/accounting-software\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">accounting software<\/a>. So why not deploy this in ways that can provide additional income for your business?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-democratize-data-across-the-practice\"><strong> Democratize data across the practice<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the old days, clients had files \u2013 real paper and manila cardboard! \u2013 that lived in filing cabinets. While a newer generation of accountants may barely remember such antiquities thanks to computer record keeping, it\u2019s stunning how the culture of a single file and single-person client management lives on within many practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if a client contacted you by phone what would the response be? Would whoever answered the call be able to help that person, or would they attempt to put the call through to the client manager\/accountant \u2013 and then turn the client away if that person\u2019s busy? How many clients enjoy being told they can\u2019t be helped at the very moment they need it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ability for every staff member not just to have access to data in order to at least attempt to help clients, but also to be able to make their own notes for others showing their actions, provides a competitive advantage by ensuring clients get the best response each and every time. It\u2019s another example of how fully embracing technology \u2013 in this case, competent practice management software \u2013 can be transformative within a practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPractices must continue to develop their own internal systems,\u201d said Lane. \u201cThis will drive the ability to move a client relationship to a broader and more strategic service offering.\u201d<\/p>\n \n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Grow your practice with Sage accountant software<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p class=\"\">CPAs and accountants can trust Sage\u2019s tools and resources to grow their accounting firms and better serve clients.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:image {\"id\":8125} --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"100\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/02\/sage-boss-your-practice-tick-horizontal_white.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/02\/sage-boss-your-practice-tick-horizontal_white.png 800w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/02\/sage-boss-your-practice-tick-horizontal_white-768x96.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><!-- \/wp:image --><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/accountants\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-3526\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Learn more<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1215\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-645973033-1215x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-645973033-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">The Practice of Now 2020<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Discover how accounting is on the brink of positive disruption and what accountants and bookkeepers can do to be successful.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-af179c0a-d833-41d2-8cd3-ed86dcd20fb1\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Get the report<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1214\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/10\/BusinessVoice-1214x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Man in home office\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/10\/BusinessVoice-1214x810.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/hub\/accountants\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAccountants\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/hub\/business-strategy\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness strategy\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-33549 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-accountants tag-accountants tag-accounting-101 tag-fixed-assets tag-small-business business_type-small-business business_type-accountants card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1215\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1450969748-1215x810.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1450969748-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1450969748-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1450969748-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-12-22T09:26:06-05:00\">December 22, 2025<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">4 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/fixed-asset-lifecycle-management-efficiency\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tStreamline your fixed asset lifecycle from acquisition to disposal\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tSimplify every stage of fixed asset management with best practices that reduce manual work, improve accuracy, and keep your organization audit-ready.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-33655 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-accountants category-money-matters tag-accountants tag-accounting-101 tag-fixed-assets business_type-accountants industry-financial-services\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/the-essential-guide-to-sub-ledger-accuracy-and-integration\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0968-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0968-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0968-512x768.jpg 512w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/BrandShoot-LND_June2024_Financial-Services_0968-540x810.jpg 540w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-12-18T15:04:29-05:00\">December 18, 2025<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">3 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tThe essential guide to sub-ledger accuracy and 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h5\">\n\t\t\tMindful fixed asset reporting: Best practices for cleaner reconciliations\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-13397 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-accountants category-free-guides-templates category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-accountants tag-automation tag-cfo business_type-small-business business_type-accountants business_type-growing-business industry-financial-services industry-software-saas\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/5-steps-to-build-your-revenue-recognition-strategy\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" 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0-.957-.099.75.75 0 0 0-.315.776c.031.146.104.28.211.384l3 3a.75.75 0 0 0 1.06 0l3-3a.76.76 0 0 0 .231-.533.74.74 0 0 0-.22-.538q-.108-.106-.247-.164c-.139-.058-.191-.057-.291-.056s-.198.022-.29.061-.174.097-.243.169l-1.72 1.72V3.75a.76.76 0 0 0-.22-.541.76.76 0 0 0-.542-.22zM5.75 8.5C4.24 8.5 3 9.74 3 11.25v7C3 19.76 4.24 21 5.75 21h12.5c1.51 0 2.75-1.24 2.75-2.75v-7c0-1.51-1.24-2.75-2.75-2.75h-3a.76.76 0 0 0-.537.216.74.74 0 0 0-.223.535.76.76 0 0 0 .223.535.74.74 0 0 0 .537.216h3c.699 0 1.25.551 1.25 1.25v7a1.24 1.24 0 0 1-1.25 1.25H5.75a1.24 1.24 0 0 1-1.25-1.25v-7c0-.699.551-1.25 1.25-1.25h3a.76.76 0 0 0 .537-.216.74.74 0 0 0 .223-.535.76.76 0 0 0-.223-.535.75.75 0 0 0-.537-.216z\" \/><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-09-24T15:43:15-04:00\">September 24, 2025<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">5 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\t5 steps to mastering revenue recognition for SaaS\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-13831 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-accountants category-money-matters tag-accountants tag-accounting-101 tag-cash-flow tag-cloud-financial-management business_type-small-business business_type-accountants business_type-growing-business industry-software-saas\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/accounting-compliance-and-reporting-best-practices-for-saas\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-580503469-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"A woman holding a phone and sitting in front of a computer\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-580503469-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-580503469-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-580503469-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-07-30T12:27:13-04:00\">July 30, 2025<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">13 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tUnderstanding SaaS compliance: Best practices for accounting and reporting\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our Practice of Now 2018 report revealed that 67% of accountants worldwide feel that the profession is more competitive than ever. Over a third (40%) of accountants feel more uncertain about their prospects compared to a year ago. &#8220;It\u2019s a challenging landscape,&#8221; says Jennifer Warawa, a former accountant. &#8220;It used to be that my accountant [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":280,"featured_media":4194,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[158],"tags":[2,170],"business_type":[312],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[57,55],"persona":[150],"imagine_tag":[222],"coauthors":[542],"class_list":["post-4190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-accountants","tag-accountants","tag-business-strategy","business_type-accountants","industry-financial-services","industry-professional-services"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-us","author_name":"Keir Thomas-Bryant","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2018\/05\/SAGE_MSA_051217_BB_087_All-Uses.jpg","imagine_tags":{"222":"Accountants"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice US","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/280"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4190"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4190\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/4194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4190"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=4190"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=4190"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=4190"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=4190"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=4190"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=4190"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=4190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}