From the Mouths of Referral Sources

It's not only CPA firm marketing professionals and consultants who encourage CPAs to ask their referral sources for leads. Referral sources themselves expect to be asked for leads. Recently, I moderated a panel of referral sources for a client's training program. They described good referral sources as those:

• who reciprocate leads
• who provide value for fees paid
• who are reponsive to both the client and the referral source
• who are team players and take an active interest in the client and the community
• who evaluate the chemistry between the client and the potential referral source

Their additional advice?

• Develop a specialty and be the "go to" person for that specialty.
• Allocate time for face-to-face meetings.
• Get out there and become known.

What I've learned so far is that working your network is both a professional and effective way to generate new business leads. Learn how to ask, reward your referral sources, and watch your firm grow.

2008 Best Accounting Firms to Work for

Congratulations to the 60 accounting firms named the 2008 Best Accounting Firms to Work for in the first annual program created by The Accountants Media Group, publishers of Accounting Today, Accounting Technology, CPA Wealth Provider, Practical Accountant and host of WebCPA.com and Best Companies Group.

2008 Best Accounting Firms to Work for (alphabetical order, no ranking)

· Anchin, Block & Anchin LLP
· BARFIELD MURPHY SHANK & SMITH
· Bartolomei Pucciarelli, LLC
· Berlin, Ramos & Company, P.A.
· Bernard Robinson & Company, LLP
· Berntson Porter & Company, PLLC
· Biscotti, Toback & Company, CPA's P.C.
· BKD, LLP
· Bland, Garvey, Eads, Medlock + Deppe, PC
· Bond Beebe
· Boyer & Ritter, CPAs and Consultants
· Briggs & Veselka Co.
· Brown Schultz Sheridan & Fritz
· Brown Smith Wallace, LLC
· Burr, Pilger and Mayer, LLP
· Citrin Cooperman & Co.
· Clifton Gunderson LLP
· Cohen & Company
· Cowan, Gunteski & Co., P.A.
· Daszkal Bolton LLP
· DiCicco, Gulman & Company LLP
· DiGiovine Hnilo Jordan + Johnson Ltd.
· Ernst & Young
· Frazier & Deeter, LLC
· Friedman LLP
· GALLINA LLP
· Garcia, Espinosa, Miyares & Company, LLP
· Glenn M. Gelman & Associates, Certified Public Accountants and Business Consultants
· Heinfeld, Meech & Co., P.C.
· Henry & Horne, LLP
· Johnson Lambert & Co. LLP
· Kaufman, Rossin & Co.
· KPMG LLP
· KraftCPAs PLLC
· Kreinces Rollins & Shanker, LLC
· Lanigan, Ryan, Malcolm & Doyle, P.C.
· LaPorte Sehrt Romig Hand
· Mahoney, Ulbrich, Christiansen & Russ PA
· Mark Bailey & Company
· Martin Starnes & Associates, CPAs, P.A.
· McKonly & Asbury, LLP
· PETRINOVICH PUGH & CO, LLP
· PKF Texas
· Porter Keadle Moore, LLP
· Presser, Lahnen & Edelman, PA
· Rothstein Kass
· RSM McGladrey/McGladrey & Pullen
· SAS 70 Solutions
· Sharrard, McGee & Co., P.A.
· SingerLewak
· Swindoll, Janzen, Hawk & Loyd, LLC
· The Rehmann Group
· Wall, Einhorn & Chernitzer, P.C.
· Whitley Penn LLP
· WHITLOCK, SELIM & KEEHN, LLP
· Wilkin & Guttenplan, P.C.
· William Vaughan Company
· Windham Brannon
· Wipfli LLP
· WithumSmith+Brown, P.C.


The ranking of the Best Accounting Firms to Work for will be unveiled and published in the January 5, 2009 issue of Accounting Today.


This survey and award program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in the accounting industry, benefiting the nation's economy, its workforce and businesses. The Best Accounting Firms to Work for list is made up of 60 companies split into three groups: 5 small-sized companies (15-24 employees), 40 medium-sized companies (25-249 employees) 15 large-sized companies (more than 250 employees).


Firms from across the country entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Accounting Firms to Work for. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration, survey and analysis process and determined the final rankings.


For more information on the Best Accounting Firms to Work for program, visit www.BestAccountingFirmstoWorkfor.com.