Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
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20 November 2014 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com FEATURE S uc c e s s f u l e nt re pre ne u r s a re t hose t hat a re f i rst a nd foremost g reat leaders—the k ind of leader that openly shares his or her vision f irm-w ide and is dedicated to fol- low i ng t h rough w it h t hat v ision. Tese leaders are building sustain- able businesses, creating careers for sta f f (not just jobs), a nd of fer ing clients a rich experience every time. So, how do practitioners become great leaders and, ultimately, suc- cessful entrepreneurs? Te remainder of this article ofers core tips on how these individuals operate. Start with Your "Why," Embrace Change, and Educate Successf u l business ow ners must start by defning their "W hy." Tat is, why they do what they do; why they're in the business they are; why they ofer specifc services or prod- ucts; and why t hey've set cer ta in business goals? Defning your W hy always begins with creating a com- pany v ision. Your v ision out l ines everything you want for your busi- ness, ofering a roadmap of sorts as you build your enterprise. In simple terms, the vision for my payroll frm is: "To help other busi- ness owners be more successful by ofering much-needed payroll and workforce solutions to clients, and to stay connected in our business community." It's also important to note here that you must write your vision down. You'd be surprised at h o w m u c h m o r e e f f e c t i v e a n d accountable you will be in fulflling your vision if you have it recorded. C h a n g e i s t h e n e x t a r e a o f importance. Great leaders embrace c h a nge , bec au se w it hout it , ou r businesses would become obsolete. In our frm, we like to embrace the word "vitality" in place of change. Tough we know change is a neces- sity for growth, for some, it can be a n inti m idating word. Vita l it y in business means you see and embrace opportunity and fnd ways to suc- cessf ul ly implement new ideas to advance your enterprise. Companies that have vitality look at all the dif- ferent components of the business and resulting challenges in order to build a plan that staf can manage and implement. Vitalit y creates a Great Leadership Leads to Successful Entrepreneurship By R. Sean Manning, CPA L ately, a popular point of discussion for frm owners is talking about the transition from working as a "technician" in their business (a producer of product) to leading as an entrepreneur. True entrepreneurs are always working at a strategic level. For example: creating a vision, building the right staf, and ofering the right services for clients.