Jason On Firms Podcast

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! [email protected] this episode, I break down real data from 700+ accounting firms on how they’re actually choosing and switching practice management systems, and what most firms get wrong in that process. I share key lessons around sales demos, implementation mistakes, and why peer insights matter more than vendor promises. Then I zoom out to how AI could reshape compliance and what that means for the future role of accounting firms. We close with a mailbag on niching, pricing confidence, side hustles, and how to think about your firm as you grow.🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps📌 If you’ve never used my PM recommendation tool: https://www.jasononfirms.com/pmrec💿 Grab my IRS hold music here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1oyQ8y9-3WkGk3FggMQiADvVO1aY40P4S?usp=drive_link💰 Today's SponsorsTeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jasonSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Verito: https://verito.com/Makershub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsFinancial Cents: https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0 Use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.Cloud Accountant Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidates// Chapters:00:00 - Choosing practice management the wrong way02:30 - What data from 700+ firms actually shows06:30 - How to evaluate and pick the right tool09:00 - Why implementation matters more than the software11:30 - Where general tools break for accounting firms14:30 - Community and peer insights vs vendor messaging20:30 - AI and the future of compliance work28:30 - How AI changes the role of accountants40:30 - How to choose a niche that actually works44:30 - Outgrowing your clients as your firm scales48:30 - Side hustle vs committing to a firm🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! [email protected] this episode, I break down how to actually set a minimum price in your firm without anchoring your entire client base to it. I share mistakes I made running my own firm, why minimums should be internal not external, and how focusing on higher value clients drives better margins and growth. I also walk through recent updates to my app recommendations and answer questions on AI, niching, and building a better firm.🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps📌 Check out our practice management system recommendations here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/pm-rec-1💰 Today's SponsorsTeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jasonSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Verito: https://verito.com/Makershub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsFinancial Cents: https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0 Use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.Cloud Accountant Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidates🖥️ All apps I mentioned in the episode:1. Delphi AI - https://www.delphi.ai/2. Claude Cowork - https://claude.com/product/cowork3. OpenClaw - https://openclaw.ai/4. Double (formerly Keeper) - https://doublehq.com/5. AutoAccru - https://www.autoaccru.com/6. ScopeKeeper - https://scopekeeper.com/7. TaxDome - https://taxdome.com/8. Socket - https://www.usesocket.com/9. Translucent - https://www.translucent.io/10. Filed - https://www.filed.com/11. Luminary - https://www.withluminary.com/11. Karbon - https://karbonhq.com/11. Canopy - https://www.getcanopy.com/11. Financial Cents - https://financial-cents.com/11. Truss - https://gettruss.io/11. Hazel - https://hazel.ai/12. BlueJ - https://www.bluej.com/13. Marble - https://marble.ai/14. TaxFigure - https://taxfigure.com/15. Accrual - https://accrual.com/16. SegStream - https://www.segstream.com/ // Chapters:00:00 - Minimum pricing and common mistakes02:00 - My firm background and pricing challenges06:00 - Price increases and why clients don’t leave11:00 - Why minimum pricing backfires14:00 - Identity, growth, and saying no to clients18:00 - Offshore hiring and leverage23:00 - How to position pricing and A clients27:00 - Profit math and better clients31:00 - Why minimums should stay internal33:00 - App recommendations and updates41:00 - Practice management tools and selection44:00 - New apps and AI tools overview52:00 - Mailbag and listener questions57:00 - AI assistants for client use01:01:00 - Niching and specialization strategy01:06:00 - Coaching vs community vs content01:08:00 - Local AI vs cloud AI01:11:00 - Future of accounting ledgers🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! [email protected] this episode, I break down the latest AI agent updates and why tools like Claude Cowork are getting dangerously close to doing real production work inside accounting firms. I walk through what’s actually possible today, where the security risks still are, and why firms need to start learning this now even if they can’t fully trust it yet. I also share details on my upcoming workshop tour and answer practical questions on pricing, websites, and using AI in real firm scenarios.🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps💰 Today's SponsorsSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Cloud Accountant Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesFinancial Cents: https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0 Use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.Verito: https://verito.com/TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jason// Chapters:00:00 - Intro and AI agent overview02:00 - What AI agents can do today and security risks10:50 - Claude Cowork vs ChatGPT17:00 - Real AI use cases and feature updates22:20 - Workshop tour and event details32:49 - Mailbag intro37:20 - Mailbag: marketing, pricing, and firm decisions52:10 - Mailbag: AI tools and operations🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/ 📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter ☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968! 📧 Email me! [email protected] In this episode, I share a practical framework to fix productivity in accounting firms, from planning your day and reducing distractions to structuring your team for better output. I walk through a real bookkeeping firm doing $800K and break down why they’re hitting a ceiling and how to restructure using pods and incentive pay. I also cover where AI actually fits in running a firm today, why most firms are focusing on the wrong things, and how to balance AI curiosity with building a profitable business. 🎤 I’m going live! We’ll announce new dates and cities. Stay tuned for the presale 🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps 💰 Today's Sponsors Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/ TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jason Financial Cents: Book a demo at https://hubs.li/Q03PYVrp0 or sign up at https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0 and use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users. Verito: https://verito.com/ MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaats // Chapters: 00:00 Intro and productivity framework setup 02:04 Why most accountants feel unproductive 02:25 Building a daily plan 03:50 Prioritizing your own work vs email 05:00 Structuring your day for energy levels 06:10 Managing distractions and focus 09:16 Maker vs manager schedules 12:56 Structuring meetings for productivity 16:57 Health, sleep, and performance basics 18:57 Starting hard tasks effectively 20:31 Firm culture and productivity 21:00 Roast a Firm: bookkeeping firm breakdown 24:37 Identifying the growth ceiling 26:07 Moving to pod structure 27:10 Contractors vs full-time employees28:50 Incentive-based compensation 31:05 Workflow and scaling challenges 34:00 Business model reflections 36:55 Mailbag: AI agents and software 41:00 Security and real-world AI limitations 44:40 AI vs running a firm 46:12 Business fundamentals vs AI focus 51:00 ChatGPT vs Claude discussion 55:00 Future of AI in accounting 57:30 Closing thoughts 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social! X https://twitter.com/jasononfirms LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! [email protected] this episode, I sit down with Logan Graff to break down what actually happened inside his firm over the last year after he shared his annual financials publicly. We talk about why revenue went down, why profit mostly held steady, and how splitting his focus across multiple businesses affected growth inside the accounting firm itself.🎤 I’m going live! We’ll announce new dates and cities. Stay tuned for the presale🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps📹 Check out Logan’s video here! https://youtu.be/VfkQZngRuKQ?si=rVMIVsbWVURK82hr💻 Follow him on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/logangraf/📌 Here’s his community https://countercommunity.co/🎤 And the live event he’s cohosting in May https://www.launch-your-firm.com/ 💰 Today's SponsorsCloud Accountant Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesVerito: https://verito.com/Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/Financial Cents: https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0Use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ usersMakersHub: https://makershub.ai/TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jason// Chapters:00:00 Intro00:53 Meet Logan Graff01:50 Revenue down, profit steady04:00 Why the firm contracted05:40 Selling bookkeeping vs tax12:04 How Logan prices clients now17:58 Pricing growth over time20:02 Why new firm owners get stuck23:48 Niche plans and 2026 goals25:00 Reading, systems, and tax scheduling36:01 Hiring a manager creatively37:01 Launch Your Firm event🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! [email protected] this episode, I break down why I think we’ve been focusing on the wrong AI agent and why OpenClaw might be the clearest model yet for how AI actually gets deployed inside accounting firms. I walk through what makes it different from tools like Claude Cowork, especially how it operates across an entire team and acts as shared infrastructure rather than just a personal assistant. I also do a website roast for a construction-focused firm, covering how to improve messaging, calls to action, and lead magnets. I close with a mailbag on desk setups, including practical takes on monitors, keyboards, and workspace decisions.🎤 I’m going live! We’ll announce new dates and cities. Stay tuned for the presale🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps💰 Today's SponsorsCloud Accountant Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesVerito: https://verito.com/Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/Financial Cents: https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0Use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ usersMakersHub: https://makershub.ai/TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jason// Chapters:00:00 — AI agents overview02:10 — Agents vs assistants04:15 — Firm-level AI infrastructure06:00 — System access and control08:30 — Security limitations today12:10 — Trust and client data16:36 — Hiring and staffing trends24:00 — OpenClaw breakdown27:20 — Website messaging critique28:10 — Calls to action issues30:00 — Simplifying conversions32:00 — Lead flow improvements35:00 — Tax workflow tools36:00 — Practice management evolution45:30 — Website roast51:01 — Accounts payable automation52:08 — Offshore hiring models1:01:05 — Live workshops announcement1:03:19 — Desk setup discussion🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! [email protected] this episode, I share my thoughts on building a better desk setup for accountants and why small changes to your workspace can have a big impact on productivity. Then I break down a $2.1M accounting firm where the owner clears about $600K a year and walk through what they’re doing well, where they’re stuck, and how they could improve their operations. Finally we get into the mailbag, covering topics like buying accounting firms, building trust with referral partners, security boundaries with AI tools like Claude, whether AI threatens accounting careers, handling client resistance to new tech, and how to think about pricing and value in your firm.🎤 I’m going live! We’ll announce new dates and cities. Stay tuned for the presale🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps💰 Today's SponsorsCloud Accountant Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Financial Cents: https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0Use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ usersVerito: https://verito.com/MakersHub: https://makershub.ai/TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jason// Chapters:00:00 Desk setup ideas for accountants01:00 Seven things every desk should have11:00 Optimizing the under-desk workspace20:15 Firm Roast introduction21:00 $2.1M firm breakdown and client mix24:00 Team structure and financials25:30 Pricing strategy and service mix26:00 Marketing approach and LinkedIn discussion28:00 Technology stack and workflow tools29:30 Accounting team challenges and hiring issues32:00 Owner background and firm growth33:30 Transitioning away from client work35:00 How to submit your firm for a roast38:30 Mailbag: buying accounting firms45:00 Cash flow and deal structure for acquisitions46:40 Building referral relationships with other firms48:00 AI security and using Claude with financials50:20 Future of accounting careers and AI55:20 Pricing ethics and charging more for services58:50 OpenAI, government work, and AI ethics01:00:20 Getting clients to adopt new tech tools01:04:00 TurboTax pricing debate and perception of value01:07:00 Expanding your professional network and mindset🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! [email protected] this episode, I share a supercut of Q&A from two live events we hosted in San Francisco and Los Angeles with accounting firm owners. We dig into real questions from the room covering marketing, AI adoption inside firms, pricing strategy, three tier proposals, managing client boundaries, and how to actually implement changes without blowing up your firm. I also talk through practical approaches to rolling out AI internally, raising prices on legacy clients, structuring advisory tiers, and where automation actually matters versus where people waste time chasing tech.🎤 I’m going live! We’ll announce new dates and cities. Stay tuned for the presale🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps💰 Today's SponsorsCloud Accountant Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Financial Cents: https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0Use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ usersVerito: https://verito.com/MakersHub: https://makershub.ai/TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/// Chapters:00:00 Live event Q&A introduction00:55 Marketing strategies for accounting firms06:20 Client facing AI tools and GPT assistants07:20 Capturing advisory knowledge with meeting transcripts13:10 Encouraging AI adoption across firm teams17:50 Raising prices on low paying legacy clients22:10 Clients receiving premium service at low prices27:50 Structuring three tier proposals31:00 What to include on invoices34:40 Renewal pricing strategy and client conversations39:30 Pricing models for high volume tax returns44:30 Automation tools vs ChatGPT use cases46:10 Document organization and file naming automation47:40 Managing tech fatigue in firms49:00 How AI may impact tax preparation work53:00 Work life balance and building a sustainable firm🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! [email protected] this episode, I break down what AI agents actually mean for accounting firms today and the real security risks behind the hype, including the risks highlighted by Palo Alto Networks and why weaker AI models may be the biggest overlooked issue. I also review the latest companies in the AICPA startup accelerator and share quick reactions on which ones actually matter for firms. I answer mailbag questions on pricing faster financial statement delivery, Intuit’s new AI announcement, LinkedIn visibility, and what AI can realistically automate in bookkeeping and tax work.📄 The excellent article from paloalto networks https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/network-security/why-moltbot-may-signal-ai-crisis/🎤 I’m going live! We’ll announce new dates and cities. Stay tuned for the presale🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps💰 Today's SponsorsCloud Accountant Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Financial Cents: https://hubs.li/Q03mLr_x0Use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ usersVerito: https://verito.com/MakersHub: https://makershub.ai/TeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/// Chapters:00:00 Introduction to AI Agents in Accounting01:15 Why AI Is Dominating the Conversation02:15 AI Agent Security Risks07:10 Top AI Agent Risks Explained19:31 Example of AI Agent Autonomy24:01 AI Model Security and Risk Management28:20 How Firms Should Approach AI Safely30:31 AICPA Startup Accelerator Overview33:00 Startup Accelerator Companies Review43:04 Mailbag Introduction43:30 Pricing Faster Financial Statement Delivery52:59 Intuit Intelligence Announcement56:54 AI and the Future of Tax Work1:07:06 Building Visibility on LinkedIn1:08:22 Perplexity Computer AI Agent1:09:05 AI Automation From Bank Statements to Tax Returns1:12:06 AI Anxiety in the Accounting Profession🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa