Episode 401: The Disruptors: New Padgett COO Amanda Aguillard Explains How to Scale

CPA Trendlines Podcasts

“Process, process, process” and other lessons in scaling an accounting business.

With Liz Farr
More here: https://cpatrendlines.com/2022/01/13/the-disruptors-new-padgett-coo-amanda-aguillard-explains-how-to-scale/

To beat the staffing shortage, tax and accounting firms will need to rank technology skills as important as accounting skills, Padgett COO Amanda Aguillard says in this episode of The Disruptors, a new CPA Trendlines series of conversations between special contributor Liz Farr and leading change-makers in the profession. This is the first of the series.
“We will have to be creative about who we hire,” Aguillard says. “Knowledge of accounting is important, but it’s not the only thing… Being tech-curious is just as important.”
Take-Aways

1. We will have to be creative about who we hire. Knowledge of accounting is important, but it’s not the only thing. Being tech-curious is just as important.
2. Specialization isn’t just vertical niches, but we can gate a practice around particular services. Building practices around services like outsourced controllership, tax resolution, or monthly accounting can make hiring easier because the candidates don’t have to be good at all of the different things.
3. Process is the key to scale. Build and document processes around the idea that you will scale, even when the firm is just one person. Don’t be the bottleneck. Add technology on top of the process so that when the technology changes, you can find another one to take its place.
4. A key skill for the future will be tracking data flow. Understanding where the data is coming in, and where the data will end up will help with developing processes and choosing technology.
5. Ask for what you’re worth. Clients engage you in a business relationship, so they anticipate having to pay you. This is not charity.
6. What firms are doing now is working well enough, but the people coming behind us aren’t interested in good enough. They want to work to live. They want to work just enough to do the things they love.
7. The next big thing will be high-touch client relationships. We need to stop using technology as a shield, and use it to provide value to our clients. How can we help our clients, shoulder to shoulder?

About Aguillard
Aguillard

Amanda Aguillard was only 16 years old when she realized she wanted to become a CPA, and she’s used that passion ever since to encourage innovation in the industry she loves. That commitment lives on through her work as the Chief Operating Officer of Padgett Business Services, one of North America’s largest accounting service and business consulting providers.
Amanda is responsible for providing operational and logistical guidance for the company’s network of franchisees. This includes identifying and incorporating the latest cloud technologies into the Padgett firm operating model. She also is focused on developing and facilitating the necessary training to ensure these platforms and tools are successfully implemented by Padgett firms.
Amanda, who was named one of the Top 50 Women in Accounting in 2018 and 2019, is the author of Xero: A Comprehensive Guide for Accountants and Bookkeepers. She was the Xero Evangelist of the Year in 2016 and used her experience as a Xero Certification instructor to co-found Elefant, a continuing education company for accountants and bookkeepers.
Prior to joining the executive team at Padgett, she ran Aguillard Accounting LLC, focusing her efforts on providing unparalleled client support service through a cloud-based practice that could be done anywhere in the world. Amanda also is the founder of Accounting Salon, a think tank of cloud accounting experts, and its virtual offshoot, SALON.
Amanda, who holds a Master’s Degree in Taxation from the University of Denver, regularly speaks at state CPA societies and industry technology conferences, including Accountex, Engage, Clio Could Conference, and Xerocon. She also is a Certified Instructional Systems Designer.
When she’s not advocating for her industry, she spends her free time cooking for her two children, reading historical fiction, and backcountry hiking.