Jason On Firms Podcast

Jason Staats
  • 4.7 (73)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Daily

I'm Jason Staats, and on this podcast we talk through practical tips to run more profitable, calm accounting firms

  1. 1d ago

    628 13 Ways An Admin Should Support Your Accounting Firm [Why your admin may be your most important hire]

    🚀 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! jason@jasononfirms.com In this episode, I explain why admins are the most underleveraged people inside accounting firms and share 13 practical ways to use them to increase capacity, improve client service, and free up your professional staff. I also count down my top 10 accounting conferences still happening in 2026, then wrap up with a rapid-fire “This or That” Mailbag covering firm growth, tech, AI, conferences, and practice management decisions. 🔥 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/candidatesFinancial Cents: Book a demo https://hubs.li/Q03PYVrp0 and use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.Karbon: https://karbonhq.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=jason-staatsSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notes // Chapters:00:00 - Why Admins Matter More Than Ever01:28 - The Power of Deskilling Work05:45 - #1 Information Gathering08:27 - #2 Client Tech Support09:52 - #3 Phone Triage & Client Service14:16 - Detail Review & Offshore Admins17:22 - Admins as Project Managers18:42 - Build Pods Around Admins20:42 - Let Admins Run Your Inbox22:29 - Grow Admins Into Accountants26:53 - 🤓 Nerd Corner — Top 10 Accounting Conferences37:14 - Mailbag 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

  2. 4d ago

    627 How Accountants Can Build A Personal Brand in 2026 [The best thing you can do for your career (and firm)]

    🚀 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! jason@jasononfirms.com In this episode, I make the case that your personal brand may become your greatest career insurance policy in an AI-first world. I explain why most accountants remain professionally invisible, how the internet has fundamentally changed the way opportunities are created, and why becoming known for something incredibly specific can unlock a level of leverage that wasn’t possible a decade ago. I also roast a real accounting firm that’s grown through acquisitions, share my thoughts on seasonal tax firms, niche positioning, and staffing, and answer Mailbag questions about building AI apps, AI security, accounting firm acquisitions, practice management software, automation, and what the future looks like if AI can do the accounting work for us. 🔥 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/MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demoVerito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notes // Chapters:00:00 - Why Personal Branding Matters More Than Ever01:37 - Welcome to the Podcast02:03 - Stop Being Professionally Invisible04:12 - The Real Meaning of Personal Branding06:01 - Why Visibility Creates Opportunity07:44 - Finding a Game You Can Win10:02 - Why Specificity Beats Reach12:09 - Finding Your Unique Voice13:06 - Turning Content Into Opportunity17:09 - Will AI Make Personal Brands More Valuable?20:00 - Escaping the Hour-for-Dollar Trap22:04 - The Easiest Way to Stand Out23:56 - Roast a Firm24:42 - The Story Behind This Firm29:49 - The Challenge of Buying Other Firms' Leftovers35:08 - Choosing Between Seasonal and Year-Round Work36:03 - Finding Seasonal Tax Talent39:08 - Going Deeper Into Your Niche41:59 - Mailbag42:34 - Building AI Apps Inside Your Firm48:00 - Buying an Accounting Firm50:20 - Replacing Sage Intacct52:03 - Building Your Own AI Reconciliation Tool53:22 - Is Claude Cowork Secure?54:42 - Can Instead Replace Traditional Tax Software?57:14 - Specialized AI Agents vs Claude1:00:00 - Do You Really Need More Automation?1:01:54 - Choosing Between Canopy and TaxDome1:04:20 - What Happens When AI Can Do Everything?1:05:56 - Closing Thoughts 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

  3. Jul 17

    626 From $100/mo to $500k/yr - How To Sell Big Accounting Proposals [The story of how I outgrew commodity pricing]

    🚀 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! jason@jasononfirms.com In this episode, I share the journey that took me from struggling to land $100/month bookkeeping clients to signing my firm’s first million-dollar engagement. I explain what actually separates firms that command premium fees from those stuck competing on bookkeeping, why the biggest opportunity is becoming an outsourced accounting department instead of selling accounting tasks, and how entrepreneurs think differently about value than accountants do. I also dive into the opportunities and risks of using AI to automate desktop and cloud applications, discuss where AI agents fit into accounting firms today, and answer Mailbag questions about capturing institutional knowledge, practice management, AI adoption, offshore teams, tax return reviews, and building a successful accounting career in the age of AI. 🔥 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 SponsorsFinancial Cents: Book a demo here: https://hubs.li/Q03PYVrp0 and use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demoKarbon: https://karbonhq.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=jason-staatsVerito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notes // Chapters:00:00 - From $100 Clients to $1M Engagements01:37 - Welcome to the Podcast03:03 - Why Businesses Pay $40K/Month04:50 - The Mindset Shift That Changed Everything10:03 - Becoming an Outsourced Accounting Department17:54 - Why Specialization Wins23:57 - Nerd Corner: AI Computer Use24:09 - OpenAI's Computer Use Models25:23 - The Risks of AI Agents27:20 - Claude vs. ChatGPT Computer Use28:28 - Deploying AI Agents Safely29:54 - Will AI Replace Automation Tools?32:11 - Browser vs. Desktop Automation41:29 - Let's Make a Hire43:35 - Mailbag43:53 - Capturing Institutional Knowledge46:13 - Getting Your Team to Adopt AI50:47 - Introducing AI to Offshore Teams51:40 - AI vs. Hiring More Staff53:06 - My Biggest Practice Management Mistake57:21 - Why I Built Realize59:56 - Coaching vs. Finding the Right Peer Group1:00:54 - Helping Staff Learn a Client Faster1:01:50 - AI for Checklists & Tax Reviews1:03:56 - Building Repeatable AI Workflows1:05:17 - Advice for New Accounting Graduates1:09:52 - Closing Thoughts 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

  4. Jul 14

    625 Should Accounting Firms Build Their Own Software? [Actually.. here’s where it makes sense]

    🚀 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! jason@jasononfirms.com In this episode, I break down what firms are actually creating, from custom integrations and reporting tools to trial balance workflows, and give my red-light/green-light take on what’s worth building. I also speedrun the latest AI releases, talk through whether small firms really need a practice management system, and answer questions about AI costs, offshoring, browser automation, and preparing your team for an AI-first accounting firm. 🔥 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 SponsorsFinancial Cents: Book a demo here: https://hubs.li/Q03PYVrp0 and use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demoKarbon: https://karbonhq.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=jason-staatsVerito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notes // Chapters:00:00 - Building Your Own Firm Software02:07 - How Firms Are Building Software04:08 - What Accounting Firms Are Building10:17 - What Should You Actually Build?18:13 - What Custom AI Apps Look Like25:26 - Nerd Corner: AI Updates26:00 - ChatGPT Work26:52 - Claude Combines Chat and Cowork29:17 - Grok Challenges Claude31:04 - GPT Live and Voice AI37:30 - OpenAI’s New AI Models45:29 - Mailbag45:53 - Getting AI Past Bot Restrictions49:03 - Do You Need a Practice Management System?54:42 - Building Referral Relationships57:32 - The Rising Cost of AI1:00:08 - Finding Time to Implement AI1:03:00 - What Happened When Clients Learned We Offshored1:07:48 - Automating Home Depot Receipts1:09:58 - Training Teams for an AI-First Firm1:15:16 - The Future of Accounting Firms 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

  5. Jul 10

    624 The Faster Client Onboarding Method [Where most firms waste time]

    🚀 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! jason@jasononfirms.com In this episode, I wrap up the Dirty Dozen series by tackling one of the highest-leverage areas in any accounting firm: client onboarding. I break down the four biggest onboarding mistakes, explain how the first 90 days shape the entire client relationship, and share ways to standardize the process without losing the human touch. Then I switch to hiring and career growth, how firms can attract ambitious people, how employees know when it’s time to leave, and why AI won’t replace great talent. Finally, I answer questions on pricing, AI tools, tax workflow automation, practice management software, IT providers, starting a firm, camera setups, and much more. 🔥 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 SponsorsFinancial Cents: Book a demo here: https://hubs.li/Q03PYVrp0 and use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demoKarbon: https://karbonhq.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=jason-staatsVerito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notes // Chapters:00:00 0 Client onboarding matters most01:55 - Dirty Dozen finale03:20 - Trap #1: Bad client filtering06:10 - Trap #2: Wrong onboarding owner11:20 - Trap #3: Chasing client documents16:40 - Trap #4: Standardize before automating21:05 - Hiring firms people won’t leave22:15 - When should you leave your firm?38:00 - Mailbag begins38:40 - Pricing and close rates41:50 - AI tax workflow & Filed47:10 - Starting your own bookkeeping firm50:15 - Most surprising AI use cases52:30 - Jason’s T-shirt recommendation54:20 - Self-hosting AI models55:45 - “Accounting department in a box”57:35 - Copilot vs Claude01:00:35 - Replacing Thomson Reuters File Cabinet01:02:50 - Camera, lighting & microphone setup01:05:25 - Closing thoughts 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

  6. Jul 7

    623 Why Claude in Slack is DANGEROUS To Accounting Firms [The beginning of a troubling AI era]

    🚀 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! jason@jasononfirms.com In this episode, I explore why Anthropic embedding Claude directly into Slack may be one of the biggest AI shifts we’ve seen yet—and why it makes me both excited and uncomfortable. I explain how goals, MCP connections, and Slack integration could eventually make AI the operating layer of an entire company. I also share three creative AI workflows accounting firms are already using, discuss whether QuickBooks and Xero are losing their grip on the market, answer questions about Claude, onboarding bookkeeping clients, hiring with AI, and explain why firms should rethink their workflow statuses for the AI era. 🔥 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 SponsorsFinancial Cents: Book a demo here: https://hubs.li/Q03PYVrp0 and use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demoKarbon: https://karbonhq.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=jason-staatsVerito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notes 📚 Here’s that service library resource: https://youtu.be/T8rQzr3ogkM?si=DRjYWbe-2LobQcuS📕The Alex Hormozi book I mentioned: https://www.amazon.com/100M-Offers-People-Stupid-Saying-ebook/dp/B099QVG1H8 // Chapters:00:00 - Claude’s Trojan Horse?01:32 - Goals Change Everything05:29 - Claude Inside Slack10:34 - Is AI Running the Firm?15:31 - Why Software Developers Matter17:35 - Why MCP Wins19:48 - 3 Wild AI Use Cases20:23 - AI Proposal Generator24:55 - AI Client Reporting28:57 - AI Trial Balance Builder36:30 - Mailbag Begins38:13 - Will QuickBooks & Xero Lose?41:18 - Claude Chat vs Cowork46:58 - Best Alex Hormozi Book48:16 - Claude Projects Best Practices50:05 - Is ChatGPT Dead?51:48 - Pricing Cleanup Work56:27 - AI Resume Screening59:38 - Rebuilding Workflow Statuses for AI 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

  7. Jul 3

    622 Accounting Firms: Watch This Before Selling Advisory [What The Industry Isn’t Saying About The Future]

    🚀 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! jason@jasononfirms.com In this episode, I explain why I think advisory is often positioned the wrong way inside accounting firms and share five common traps that stop firms from building higher value services. I also cover Claude Fable returning to Claude, what its new pricing means, how I’d build a bookkeeping practice from scratch today, AI powered bookkeeping and review workflows, choosing practice management software, meeting transcript tools, Copilot versus Claude, training the next generation of accountants, and whether Intuit is falling behind. 🔥 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 SponsorsFinancial Cents: Book a demo here: https://hubs.li/Q03PYVrp0 and use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demoKarbon: https://karbonhq.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=jason-staatsVerito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notes // Chapters:00:00 - Is Advisory Really the Future?01:43 - The Advisory Hype Problem04:05 - Trap #1: Imposter Syndrome09:31 - Trap #2: Giving Premium Work Away16:10 - Trap #3: Death by Deadlines19:07 - Trap #4: Selling Favors Instead of Products22:25 - Trap #5: Sell Outcomes, Not Coaching28:43 - Claude Fable Is Back38:31 - Mailbag38:58 - Best AI Meeting Transcript Tools41:44 - Which Accounting Ledger Would I Choose Today?44:10 - How Do You Avoid Buying the Wrong Software?49:58 - Do You Actually Use All These AI Tools?52:08 - Should Firms Standardize on Microsoft Copilot?53:43 - How Good Is AI at Reviewing Tax Returns?55:03 - Do File Naming Conventions Really Matter?56:39 - Will AI Create an Accounting Knowledge Gap?01:00:20 - Can Claude Help When Intuit Breaks? 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

  8. Jun 30

    621 The 9 Most Asked Questions About Accounting Firm AI [AI for accounting firms]

    🚀 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! jason@jasononfirms.com In this episode, I answer the nine AI questions I hear most often from accounting firms, covering how to securely use AI with client data, why I recommend Claude over ChatGPT and Copilot, where firms should start with AI, and practical workflows for QuickBooks, spreadsheets, email, and tax software. I also share my thoughts on the latest IRS AI guidance and why I disagree that AI savings should automatically lower client fees, then wrap up with a Mailbag on bank statement automation, QuickBooks MCPs, IT security, work papers, value pricing, and why I believe AI will make human expertise even more valuable. 🔥 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 SponsorsFinancial Cents: Book a demo here: https://hubs.li/Q03PYVrp0 and use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.Soraban: https://www.soraban.com/MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demo // Chapters:00:00 - The 9 Biggest AI Questions01:43 - AI & Client Data Security06:22 - Why Claude Beats Copilot08:04 - Should You Switch from ChatGPT?08:17 - Where Should You Start with AI?10:50 - Building Your First AI Agent14:49 - Best Beginner AI Use Cases17:00 - AI & QuickBooks Automation20:56 - Can AI Automate Tax Software?23:20 - Should Clients Know You Use AI?25:37 - IRS Says AI Should Lower Fees?32:23 - Mailbag32:48 - How Do I Automatically Fetch Bank Statements?38:09 - Secure Client Credentials Without Sharing Passwords40:44 - Are Traditional Work Papers Still Worth It?44:05 - How Do You Handle AI Discount Requests?47:22 - Can Claude Post Journal Entries to QuickBooks?52:04 - Is Thomson Reuters Falling Behind on AI?54:06 - IT Security for a New Fractional CFO Firm56:20 - Does AI Kill Creativity and Advisory?01:02:00 - Closing thoughts 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

See All (628)

4.7
out of 5
73 Ratings

About

I'm Jason Staats, and on this podcast we talk through practical tips to run more profitable, calm accounting firms

Information

  • Creator
    Jason Staats
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    628
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Mesa Media LLC
  • Show Website
    Jason On Firms Podcast

You Might Also Like