How a Firm Administrator Can Save Your CPA Firm Money

Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Time: 03:00 PM ET / 02:00 PM CT / 01:00 PM MT / 12:00 PM PT [Prevailing Time]
Presenter(s): Rita Keller, AAAPM, Owner, Keller Advisors, LLC and Janine Zirrith, AAAPM, Firm Administrator, Wilkin & Guttenplan, P.C.
Objective(s):
To provide an overview of what a professional, well-trained firm administrator can do to take the management of a CPA firm to the next level.
Field of Study: Business Management & Organization
Program Level: Basic
CPE Credit: 1 Credit Hour
Delivery Method: Group Internet-based

No advanced preparation or prerequisites are required for this course.
Watch Recording

Course Description

Who, in your firm, supports and encourages the managing partner? Honestly, do the other partners do it very well, if at all? Who is the conscience of your firm, the person who always places the firm above their own personal agenda? Is there someone in the firm who enables the partners to be better and more successful CPAs?

In these challenging times, the owners and managers need to be helping clients and finding new ones. They need to be mentoring young accountants and improving efficiency on their engagements. They do not need to be worrying about billing, collection, technology, HR, basic marketing activities, the website and the day-to-day operations of the firm.

Join Rita Keller of Keller Advisors, LLC and Janine Zirrith of Wilkin & Guttenplan to explore what a professional, well-trained firm administrator can do for the managing partner and for the entire firm with this one-hour session on "How a Firm Administrator Can Save Your CPA Firm Money". As a firm administrator, gain insight on what you should actually be doing, what your administrative organization chart should look like and how a firm administrator might evolve to a higher level.

As a participant, you will receive a copy of "To Whom Shall We Turn", an Association for Accounting Administration Best Practice written by Dennis Lemeiux, AAAPM, Director of Operations at BerryDunn. This article follows the career of one of our Association members and is intended to help the reader examine the considerations involved as a firm weighs the benefits of a dedicate administrative leader.

Presenter and Moderator Bios
Rita Keller, AAAPM is a nationally known CPA firm management consultant, speaker and author. She is a former shareholder and chief operating officer of a successful, regional CPA firm and has over 30 years’ hands-on experience in the management, marketing, technology and administration of a successful firm. Rita is widely known for her leadership, presentation and implementation skills and her passion for CPA firm management. She works as a change agent for firms throughout the country focusing on the people, internal management, operational, implementation and partner issues. She also provides a mentoring/coaching program for the firm’s management team. Rita provides unique facilitation for partner retreats, bringing the people issues, succession issues and processes into the spotlight. As a facilitator and speaker, Rita has been featured at nearly every prominent management conference, such as Management Summit, The Advisory Board's Forum for Women in Accounting, the AICPA's Forum on Staffing Issues, the AICPA's Practitioners' Symposium, the AICPA's Leadership Forum, the AICPA's National Advanced Accounting Technical Symposium, the AAM and AAA National Conferences, plus numerous CPA firm association and state society management meetings. Rita has frequently been named one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting. As a member of The New Horizon Group, comprised of some of the most respected consultants to the CPA profession, Rita is able to maintain a keen sense of what CPA firms are facing nationwide.

Janine Zirrith, AAAPM joined Wilkin & Guttenplan, P.C. in 1985 and was appointed firm administrator in 1999. Prior to this appointment, Janine had served as office manager of the firm. As firm administrator, Janine is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the firm. In doing so, Janine is committed to maintaining the firm's culture and supporting employees at all levels. She implements the policies and decisions made by the firm's management. Janine coordinates the responsibilities and activities of the accounting and administrative staff. Janine's responsibilities include the scheduling of the accounting and administrative staff ensuring a smooth work flow while promoting efficiency and firm profitability. Janine handles all aspects of office administration, administrative training of all new hires, coordination of employee benefits and other personnel issues. Janine currently serves as national vice president of the Association for Accounting Administration. Janine is also the coordinator of training and orientation for the firm's various internship programs and is key in the firms recruiting efforts through interviewing potential candidates, attending campus career fairs and all areas involved in the select process of seeking potential staff and future leaders of the firm. In addition, Janine has primary management responsibility for the 30,000 square foot office building owned and occupied by Wilkin & Guttenplan.

Cost
$25.00 for CPAFMA Members / $25.00 for Non-Members / Free for PAFMs

Delivery System

  • All programs are delivered using the Zoom platform.
  • Confirmations will include log-in instructions.
  • Participants are able to participate using any device with an Internet connect (if the device does not have speakers, the participant can also dial-in) or they can participate with audio only by dialing in.
  • All registrants will receive a link to the MAPCast’s recording by email within 48 business hours of event’s conclusion.
  • There will be assistance available to help with technical and connectivity issues up to 10 minutes prior to the start of the presentation.

Registration

All registration is done on-line with the names and email addresses of each individual guest. Log-in details will be emailed to all registrants approximately 1-2 days prior to each session.

Refund Policy

CPAFMA will not issue refunds for MAPCasts. If a registrant is unable to participate in the MAPCast and sends written notice to info@cpafma.org 48 hours prior to the session, a credit will be provided for a future MAPCast. Alert the CPAFMA staff member monitoring the MAPCast if technical difficulties are encountered and technical support will be provided to eliminate problems with future MAPCasts.

Additional Information

Live participation is required for CPE credit and polling questions must be answered to show active participation. All registrants will receive an email following the session with links to the slides and/or handouts, and a link to the MAPCast recording (unless otherwise stated). If you are unable to participate in the live session, you can still watch the recorded session, but you will not be eligible for CPE credits.

For more information regarding CPAFMA MAPCasts or administrative policies such as complaint and refund, contact the CPAFMA Headquarters at 937-222-0030, or info@cpafma.org.