Tax Professionals in the Workplace: How They Can Improve Employee Satisfaction

Take a deep breath, tax professionals! Your busy season is approaching. Say “see you later” to your spouse and kids. Cancel your plans for your leisurely Saturday morning walk with friends, and don’t plan on seeing the sun any time soon. Tax season is approaching, and you know you are going to be busy.

Before your busy season officially starts, let us give you some tips on how to improve your business. We will help you take steps to make your business more efficient. We will provide you with ideas on how to obtain new clients, and finally, we will discuss how to use your personal relationship capital.

Quick! Let’s get started with some of these techniques now, so you can hit the ground running with your clients this month.

How to Improve Efficiency

It’s time to become more efficient. Find ways for accounts payable and accounts receivable to be automated for businesses. There’s plenty of AP/AR automation software on the market but look for one that makes collecting any tax forms and payments easier. Or if you use an AP automation system, it can make paying individuals easier. Seek a program that allows you or your clients to make payments  from anywhere in the world quickly. Finally, look for one that instantly processes payment reconciliation.

Using such a system will allow you to increase business without adding more staff. Using such software will make your workplace more efficient while at the same time ensuring compliance with all the new anti-fraud laws.

Not only will you love using an efficient AP/AR system, but your clients and suppliers  will enjoy being able to track their payments.

Remember, your goal is not to work longer hours. Life is too short for that. Instead, try to increase efficiency in your workplace. Work smarter.

How to Increase Your Number of Clients

Do you want to turn your tax clients into year-long clients? Do so by showing the value of your expertise throughout the entire fiscal year. Don’t let your clients forget you between tax seasons.

Using your social media accounts, publish original, timely pieces that your local clients would value. Write about scam alerts, new deductions they may want to take advantage of, a list of things that they may not have known were tax-deductible, and other such topics that will verify that you are knowledgeable about the current tax code and other financial strategies.

End each article with a call for action, which details how your staff could save the company money, make sure the company is compliant with industry laws, or help their business run more efficiently.

Are you worried that your articles will be buried in the flood of information each business owner receives? Why not schedule a mid-year meeting with each of your clients? Research their industry before they arrive so you can understand how your firm can assist them in achieving their aims. Ask about the current challenges they are facing. Learn about your client’s goals and objectives.

Even if this meeting does achieve your goal of obtaining a year-long client, it will hopefully solidify the relationship you enjoy during tax season. Happy customers are loyal customers. Make sure your clients know that you care about their success.

How to Use Your Personal Relationship Capital

What does a successful business in 2020 have in common with a successful business from 1960? No matter the decade, business owners who are masters of developing personal relationships do better than those who isolate themselves. This is true across most industries. Restaurant owners who make themselves known to their diners enjoy better Yelp reviews. Owners of boutiques who are active in their local communities enjoy more customers.

And yes, you, as a tax preparer, need to become active on LinkedIn. You need to develop a deep network of individuals that you can tap into to find potential new clients. Send personal messages to friends of friends. Ask for introductions from current clients. Attend networking events in your local area. Ask to speak at a local business luncheon.

As an accountant, you understand the definition of capital. It’s time for you to realize that developing business relationships can improve the bottom line of your business.

Don’t approach tax season with dread. Yes, you will be busy, but look at this season as a golden opportunity.

Look for ways to improve your efficiency, so you can add more clients without adding costly staff. Figure out how to turn your tax clients into year-long customers. Enjoy branching out to new contacts within your community.

Make 2020 a banner year for your business!

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