This one comes from fellow blogger Rick Telberg over at CPA Trendlines and features one of our very active members, Harry Ballman, MBA, CPA/PFS, a sole practitioner from Annapolis. Harry is pictured third from left outside the Senate Hearing room with myself, Les Mostow, and Allen DeLeon.
Rick writes about Harry's suggesstions for the most common problems facing sole practitioners:
- Get active. Harry is active in two state CPA societies (the MACPA and the Greater Washington Society of CPAs) and is a member of the AICPA Council. It builds his network and keeps him fresh. Did you know that Harry was instrumental in our recent success in Annapolis? He was critical in testiomy that disputed the opposition claim that sole practitioners did not file out of state tax returns and did not need mobility. Can you guess who the opposition was? The Maryland Society of Accountants.
- Get a room, join the club, make house calls, use a borrowed / part-time office — all solutions to “meeting clients in a professional setting.” I like these tips.
- Don't be shy in finding creative ways to find administrative help. From borrowing help from large firms to student interns, Harry has some great ideas here.
- Keep regular hours and resist the tempatation to work constantly. Harry keeps a disciplined schedule and closes with, “Remember to work to live and not live to work.”
Read the full post over at Rick's blog, titled, The Solo CPA's Top Work-at-Home Tips.
Great work, Harry and Rick! What do you think? Any more great ideas out there?