News and Articles


The Role of Equity Participation in Retaining Talent and Productivity

Equity participation - whether through full partnership or employee share schemes - emerges as a crucial strategy for "locking in" key team members and adding deeper meaning to their professional endeavours.

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The Strategic Advantage of Off-Market Mergers for Small Practices

For small practices, off-market opportunities – strategic mergers with larger firms - offer a pathway not just to expansion but to a redefinition of what small practices can achieve when they leverage the right partnerships.

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Pragmatic Strategies for Successful Client Transition in Accounting and Planning Practices

These strategies aim to preserve the relationships you've meticulously built and seek to enhance the practice's growth and continuity post-transition. The focus: keep the client's best interest at heart.

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Exploring Flexible Succession Strategies in the Accounting and Planning Marketplaces

In today's dynamic accounting marketplace, vendors contemplating retirement or looking to scale down their involvement face a landscape rich with opportunities.

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The Importance of Allocating Time for Navigating Client Relationships Post-Sale

Client relationships within an accounting practice portfolio are anchored on mutual respect, trust and understanding. They can take a professional lifetime to build. As you near retirement, the onus is on you to ensure a smooth transfer of these relationships to guarantee continued success for the practice.

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Timing is Everything: Guarding Your Practice's Value at Retirement

Retirement, while a celebratory milestone, presents unique challenges for accountants. Successful transition demands a precise strategy to secure the value built up over a lifetime of professional practice.

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Partnerships in the New Era: Navigating the Future with Toffler's Timeless Insights

Beneath the warm glow of a Zoom call, two business partners lock eyes, or rather cursors, and prepare for a brave new world. Their partnership, formed during the great pandemic, has been forged in the crucible of COVID-19. Now, as they brace for an AI-enabled future, they turn to the prophetic wisdom of futurist Alvin Toffler for guidance.

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Expanding Horizons: How Joining an Accounting Partnership Can Transform Your Sole Practice

As an accountant, you've likely experienced the challenges of managing a sole practice, from juggling multiple clients to staying on top of industry trends. Merging with an established accounting partnership can allow you to streamline your operations, expand your client base and boost your professional growth.

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Leveraging AI: Revolutionising Client Business Advice and Embracing Gerber's Insights

As I sat in my Accounting 101 lecture back in the early 80s armed with a Casio calculator, a fundamental premise was etched into my mind: accountants produce information for decision making. Fast forward to today, this precept still holds, but the landscape around it has drastically changed. Artificial Intelligence (AI), for one, has emerged as a pivotal technology driving profound shifts in the accounting profession.

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The Surprising Link Between Rising Interest Rates and Accounting Firm M&A

While higher interest rates are often perceived as a deterrent to mergers and acquisitions (M&A), there are several reasons why they may actually drive M&A activity in certain circumstances. This article will explore various factors that could contribute to an uptick in M&A transactions as interest rates rise in Australia.

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Cultural Fit - What Is It and Why Is It Important in a Successful Accounting Practice Sale or Merger

I have observed that one of the most critical factors for a successful accounting practice sale or merger is cultural fit. This elusive yet essential concept can be the difference between a thriving, synergistic partnership and a disappointing, unproductive alliance.

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Capital Partners Versus Banks: A New Paradigm for Financing Expansion in Accounting & Fin Planning

Capital partners are emerging as a potent alternative to banks for financing expansion via acquisition, especially within accounting and financial planning practices.

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COVID-19 and Australian Accounting: Adapting to Industry Changes and M&A Trends

Covid-19 has provided challenges to every sector of our economy, and indeed every aspect of our lives. We’d like to take a look at the various ways in which Covid-19 has impacted Australian accounting practices and some of the strategies implemented to surmount these challenges.

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Funding Options for Partner Equity Loans: What Accounting Firms Need to Know

The ability to acquire and transition equity within the accounting practice is an ongoing challenge. This is often a result of having to navigate the different financial position and career stage of each partner (and future partners). The more partners in the practice, the more difficult this can become.

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Maximize the Value of Your Accounting Practice: Why Selling to a Doorknock is Not Recommended

Today’s hypothetical for accounting practice owners: Imagine you are seeking to sell your house. Somebody knocks on your door and makes you an offer. It seems legitimate, the buyer has the funds, the terms pass your first inspection. Do you sign on the dotted line?

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Changing Business Brokering - the Business Exchange Network

The sun is fast setting on the old way of business brokering. The privileged position of a business broker as a gatekeeper to information and connection is under threat in a world where clients can now find each other via searches on smartphones, and that means the most fundamental adage of business survival applies: adapt, or die.

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About Business Exchange's Private Broker Network™ (PBN)

The Private Broker Network™ (PBN) is a members-only walled garden marketplace for business brokering and succession transactions. It is intended to be used by large networks of member businesses such as financial planning dealer groups and franchises.

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Partner Level Candidates Are Now More Available - Is Your Offer Right?

Appointing a new equity partner can be an effective way to underpin the continued growth of a firm, particularly when they bring an existing fee base with them. This can mean increased profitability, increased stability or increased problems, if you do not pay attention to the terms.

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Increasing Dealer Group Charges Drive Financial Planning Book Sales

In the first quarter of 2020 we've seen a material increase in enquiry from vendors of small financial planning books seeking to sell. And it's not just Covid-19 or FASEA driving this trend.

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Merging to Retire - Is this an Option for You?

Succession can take many forms depending on your situation and goals. Considering a merger can give you options beyond a simple all-or-nothing sale.

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Greater Expectations - How to Not Sabotage Your Sale

Selling your business is a high-complexity high-stakes process. Some transactions take months to complete. Some never complete at all.

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Selling Your Accounting Practice - Items affecting Price

Ever since we commenced selling accounting practices in 2001 the normal range of price for accounting fee parcels hasn't varied much from where it sits today which is 70 cent to $1.10 of expected recurring turnover.

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Quest for the Perennial Long Weekend

A long weekend is a welcome break from the weekly routine, a chance to rejuvenate and reconnect with family. Maybe a short trip away from home, fishing trip, weekender or just a chance to put your feet up and forget the schedule for a day. What if this were the norm, not the exception?

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Appointing an equity partner: is it the right succession move for you?

There are many pathways to succession. Many practitioners in the accounting space are choosing to broaden their succession options by appointing an equity partner. But how do you find the right one?

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Selling Your Financial Planning Business in Uncertain Times - When Is The Best Time to Sell?

With the pending FASEA requirements and predicted changes as a result of the Hayne Royal Commission into the Financial Services industry we are certain to see planners exiting the industry in increasing numbers. Should you go? And if so, when?

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Accounting Succession - Asking the Right Questions

When I bring up the topic of succession with accountants there is a common theme: "I want to improve my work/life balance and maybe take some equity off the table, but I don't want to retire yet."

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Downsizing Your Accounting Practice (And Getting Paid For It)

One of the most disappointing things I see is when an overworked practitioner writes to some of their long-time clients to say that they can't represent them anymore. It's the business goodwill equivalent to burning cash.

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