http://www.msiglobal.org/news/practice-management/Access the latest practice management focused articles from MSI's wide circle of strategic alliance partners.en-UK? Copyright 2013 MSI GlobalMSI RSS Generatorhttp://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/9/fully-integrated-practice-management-tools-%E2%80%93-can-you-have-it-all-templeton/http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/9/fully-integrated-practice-management-tools-%E2%80%93-can-you-have-it-all-templeton/pmcpatempletonIt took an accounting firm to develop a solution for … accounting firms. We know that many accounting firms are juggling multiple software systems to manage their practice. It’s frustrating, expensive and time-consuming. According to a recent survey by Harris & Associates (Accounting Today, 2/15/2010),Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +01002012-09-26T00:00:00+01:00http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/9/what%E2%80%99s-next-how-to-move-forward-in-business-the-whetstone-group/http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/9/what%E2%80%99s-next-how-to-move-forward-in-business-the-whetstone-group/pmSteffenwhetstonePerhaps one of the most telling characteristics of a successful business owner is the “what’s next” attitude. The understanding that you can’t just sit back and enjoy the spurt of growth you happen to be experiencing right now; the knowledge that unless you’re always moving forward, you’ll soon be movingWed, 26 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +01002012-09-26T00:00:00+01:00http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/9/small-but-mighty-how-to-market-your-small-firm-by-ross-fishman/http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/9/small-but-mighty-how-to-market-your-small-firm-by-ross-fishman/pmmarketingFishmanBig firms seem to have a marketing advantage - big budgets, unlimited resources, and international reputations.  Their marketing departments are full of specialized marketing and business-development professionals churning out tailored new-business proposals produced by full-time in-house designers. Wed, 26 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +01002012-09-26T00:00:00+01:00http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/9/building-a-%E2%80%9Ccool%E2%80%9D-culture-by-jennifer-wilson/http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/9/building-a-%E2%80%9Ccool%E2%80%9D-culture-by-jennifer-wilson/pmsmarter practiceswilsonConvergenceCoachingYour firm’s best and brightest young leaders always have career options. That’s why it’s important to create a cool firm culture where your firm becomes a place where team members can envision building their careers. Your firm’s culture is the essence of its being and the way it feels to be a part ofTue, 25 Sep 2012 00:00:00 +01002012-09-25T00:00:00+01:00http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/6/david-turner-10-tips-using-trust-to-grow-your-business/http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/6/david-turner-10-tips-using-trust-to-grow-your-business/pmturnerDavid Turner, director of Questas Consulting and a recent speaker at the EMEA Regional Meeting in Lisbon, provides 10 tips on the importance of building trust in growing your business. 1. Deliver as promisedNever make promises that you know you cannot deliver on. Strive for excellence in the way youWed, 13 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +01002012-06-13T00:00:00+01:00http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/6/heather-townsend-to-tweet-or-not-to-tweet,-that-is-the-question/http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/6/heather-townsend-to-tweet-or-not-to-tweet,-that-is-the-question/pmtownsendTo tweet or not to tweet, that is the question? With apologies to Shakespeare, that is the question, which many accountants and lawyers are pondering. Is Twitter a waste of time or a serious business marketing tool? In my opinion, and the managing partner’s opinion, whom I was lunching with recently,Wed, 13 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +01002012-06-13T00:00:00+01:00http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/6/ingenuity-cross-selling-is-an-internal-sell-first/http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/6/ingenuity-cross-selling-is-an-internal-sell-first/pmIngenuityWagenaarThe failed programs were often too much about selling and not enough about service. But that’s not the only way to look at this business development tactic differently. The more services that clients buy from you, the more loyalty you build with them. If you think about your services as solutions toTue, 12 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +01002012-06-12T00:00:00+01:00http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/6/xcentric-article-considering-the-cloud/http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/6/xcentric-article-considering-the-cloud/XcentricpmkeelyAsking the right questions about how the Cloud affects the variety of stakeholders at your firm or the bottom line is an important exercise for your firm to take part in so you can reduce the amount of unknowns. That said, this article is designed to help you get a start on your analysis. Cost of theTue, 12 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +01002012-06-12T00:00:00+01:00http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/6/ross-fishman-i-have-a-linkedin-account-but-i-don%E2%80%99t-know-where-it-is/http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/6/ross-fishman-i-have-a-linkedin-account-but-i-don%E2%80%99t-know-where-it-is/pmLinkedInFishmanThe bulk of the recent queries seem to involve LinkedIn. There’s a lot of conversation in the market about this, but not a lot of real information.People who don't understand it proclaim that they don't need it.   When Social Media was just gaining steam, there were a variety of marketing consultantsMon, 11 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +01002012-06-11T00:00:00+01:00http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/2/twitter-is-not-just-for-pop-singers-or-hollywood-stars/http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/2/twitter-is-not-just-for-pop-singers-or-hollywood-stars/globalpmsocial mediaLoerzeltwitterconvergenceIn this article, Tamera Loerzel of Convergence Coaching shares three business benefits that you can realize by engaging on Twitter - and they don't take a lot of time either: Accessing news and information - Twitter is a free platform that provides access to a broad variety of industry associationsWed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Z2012-02-15T00:00:00Zhttp://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/2/growth-through-accountability/http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/2/growth-through-accountability/pmbildsteinsalescpaaccountabilitywhetstone Many firms set an annual revenue goal, measure total revenue vs. the goal regularly, but once the goal is established they wait and hope for favorable results. And while most offer some form of reward to individuals who bring in new clients, there are risks to this minimal approach to measurementFri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Z2012-02-10T00:00:00Zhttp://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/2/ingenuity-marketing-business-development-differences/http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/2/ingenuity-marketing-business-development-differences/pmGrowthIngenuity "Maggie just isn't working out. She does a great job on the newsletter, but we're not getting any business." The opposite can also occur when a salesperson suddenly has marketing added to his or her job expectations. We hear: "We need to place an ad. Tell Sam the sales guy to do that for us." ThereFri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Z2012-02-10T00:00:00Zhttp://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/2/the-business-discipline-of-practice-growth/http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/2/the-business-discipline-of-practice-growth/pmCrosleyMarket IntelligenceGrowth Our yard was inundated with bird food-eating squirrels and we were desperate.  So we did what desperate people do.  We fell for a shiny advertisement promoting a highly specialized (read "expensive") squirrel-defying bird feeder. The squirrel spies the contraption, thinking he's discoveredFri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Z2012-02-10T00:00:00Zhttp://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/2/leveraging-linkedin-to-develop-business/http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2012/2/leveraging-linkedin-to-develop-business/pmsocial mediaLinkedInJohnson Increase Your Visibility LinkedIn boasts a global membership of more than 135 million members. In addition to the opportunity to connect with this staggering number of professionals and key decision makers, your LinkedIn profile offers another benefit: Many LinkedIn profiles are listed well aboveThu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 Z2012-02-09T00:00:00Zhttp://www.msiglobal.org/news/2011/9/organizing-your-firm-for-growth/http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2011/9/organizing-your-firm-for-growth/pmbildsteinwhetstonesalesculture Sales management - that is, the function of coaching, accountability, measurement and evaluation relative to business development-is critical in creating a growth culture for CPA firms and law firms. One of the sales manager's (usually the Managing Partner's) most difficult challenges in leadingFri, 23 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +01002011-09-23T00:00:00+01:00http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2011/9/blogging-social-media-for-business-development/http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2011/9/blogging-social-media-for-business-development/pmo'keefelexblogsocial media Professionals have always received their best work by virtue of relationships and word of mouth. The Internet did not change this. The Internet, when used properly, accelerates relationships and word of mouth. Imagine an engagement continuum where on the left side we have broadcast, one-way, and talkTue, 06 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +01002011-09-06T00:00:00+01:00http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2011/9/building-a-strong-culture-in-your-firm-of-the-future/http://www.msiglobal.org/news/2011/9/building-a-strong-culture-in-your-firm-of-the-future/pmculture Unless you've been sleeping under a rock, you're aware of giant shifts taking place in our knowledge economy. One massive shift is that employees now own the means of production-their brains. We take for granted that employees are inspired to work to their full potential, giving us the discretionaryMon, 05 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +01002011-09-05T00:00:00+01:00