Jason On Firms Podcast

Jason Staats

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

  1. 11h ago

    613 Stop Writing SOPs for Your Accounting Firm. Do This Instead [The NEW way to build your SOPs]

    🚀 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 argue that AI has fundamentally changed how accounting firms should think about SOPs, documentation, and standardization. I walk through six common documentation traps and explain why many traditional best practices are already becoming obsolete as AI agents can create, maintain, improve, and even execute processes themselves. Then I answer questions on CRMs vs practice management systems, building a niche advisory service, creating culture in remote teams, QuickBooks Desktop vs modern AI workflows, software being replaced by Claude, AI security for small firms, and whether QuickBooks Desktop might oddly become relevant again in an AI-first world. 📹 Here’s that video to help build your service library https://youtu.be/T8rQzr3ogkM?si=aCzmb_rfp0FmNGvb 🎤 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 SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demo // Chapters:00:00 - AI and the Future of SOPs05:25 - Six Documentation Traps17:11 - AI Agents and Process Management30:32 - Mailbag30:56 - Do Accounting Firms Need a CRM?37:18 - Finding Clients for a New Niche41:10 - Building Culture on Remote Teams43:24 - QuickBooks Desktop vs Enterprise Suite45:44 - How to Niche Your Accounting Firm47:28 - Software Being Replaced by AI51:24 - AI Security for Small Firms56:06 - Which AI Models Should Firms Use?57:48 - Is QuickBooks Desktop the Future? 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

    1h 4m
  2. 4d ago

    612 The Accountant Desk Setup: A Guide [10 tips to dial in your battle station]

    🚀 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 the 10 commandments of an accountant’s desk setup and why your office environment directly affects productivity. I cover monitor limits, desk wheels, underside mounting, monitor arms, eye level, cable management, keyboards, team hardware standardization, chairs, lighting, and CO2 levels. Then I play Hot or Not with office trends like standing desks, gaming chairs, glass desktops, L-shaped desks, and keyboard trays. 🎤 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 SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demo // Chapters:00:00 The accountant desk setup problem01:02 Why office setup affects productivity02:00 Commandment 1: know your limits05:23 Commandments 2–3: wheels + underside mounting08:55 Sponsors: hiring + tax workflow10:53 Commandments 4–8: monitors, cables, keyboards, hardware18:57 Sponsors: Canopy + Verito21:14 Commandments 9–10: chairs, lighting, and CO225:17 Hot or Not: office trends33:01 Final desk setup advice 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

    34 min
  3. May 26

    611 The Most Important Software in your Accounting Firm [And the cost of getting it wrong]

    🚀 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 why practice management systems become such a nightmare for accounting firms and the six biggest traps firms fall into when selecting, migrating, and rolling out a PM platform. I explain why there’s no perfect system, why demos are misleading, how firms overload their teams with change, and why client portals fail adoption. Then I speedrun listener questions on AI pricing, niching risk, automating client back offices, workflow bottlenecks, and whether AI threatens accounting firms. I also debut a new segment. 🎤 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 SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demo // Chapters:00:00 - Practice management systems are high-stakes01:21 - Dirty Dozen+ PM headaches02:01 - The 6 biggest PM traps14:17 - PM setup, migration, and adoption mistakes24:07 - Roast My Podcast Reviews31:24 - Mailbag32:02 - Human vs AI accounting work41:13 - Is AI replacing accounting firms?43:49 - Does AI make niching riskier?48:56 - AI automation opportunities in client workflows51:15 - Why more accountants are starting firms54:19 - Closing thoughts 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

    55 min
  4. May 22

    610 Most Accounting Firms Are Using Claude Wrong [5 Steps To Automate Agentic Work]

    🚀 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 how firms can move from live Claude conversations to AI workflows that run in the background. I walk through five levels of AI autonomy, from simple chats and scheduled tasks to hosted routines and managed agents. Then I roast a $700K bookkeeping/CFO firm dealing with operational heaviness, SOP sprawl, niche opportunities, and scaling pains. I also answer questions on custom AI tools, Claude for Small Business, referral partnerships, where to build agents first, email triage, and whether old-school firms are worth buying. 🎤 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 SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demo // Chapters:00:00 - AI in the walls02:12 - Five levels of AI autonomy06:17 - Claude Code routines + webhooks14:18 - Managed agents explained18:20 - Roast a $700K bookkeeping firm27:45 - SOPs, systems, and standardization33:07 - Local vs national niche strategy35:28 - Mailbag35:45 - Custom AI tools vs software46:03 - Where to build AI agents first48:25 - AI email management52:58 - Buying old-school firms56:09 - Closing thoughts 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

    58 min
  5. May 19

    609 6 Blockers to Adopting AI In Accounting Firms [And how to build an AI native accounting 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 break down the six biggest blockers keeping accounting firms from becoming AI native. I explain why Claude is the best starting point right now, why AI adoption needs daily team habits, and why incentives matter more than training. I also cover pricing fears, staff anxiety, AI replacing task-based work, and how firm owners should think about their responsibility to help teams adapt. 🎤 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 SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: 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-notesMissive: https://missiveapp.com/jason // Chapters:00:00 - Why firms are struggling with AI02:54 - The 6 blockers to becoming AI native10:02 - Why teams resist AI adoption17:30 - AI pricing fears + job replacement29:23 - Mailbag44:15 - Will AI kill accounting work?49:31 - Content strategy + scaling content53:36 - Closing thoughts 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

    55 min
  6. May 15

    608 6 Claude Cowork Use-Cases for Accounting Firms [Accounting firms are actually doing this!]

    🚀 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 six real AI use cases accounting firms are actively using right now, from Claude creating SOPs from screen recordings and consolidating multi-entity financials, to tax checklist automation, document renaming, crypto dashboards, and AI-powered prospecting. I also explain where AI agents still break down, especially around month-end close document collection and browser automation. Then I answer questions on pricing confidence, niching, fast growth vs profitability, hallucinations, personal finance workflows, and whether firms should master app-specific AI or focus on cross-platform AI agents like Claude Cowork. 🎤 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 SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: 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-notesMissive: https://missiveapp.com/jason // Chapters:00:00 - Six real AI use cases for firms07:40 - AI checklists + hallucination risks17:24 - AI prospecting + newsletter CTA21:14 - Nerd Corner: month-end close chaos35:34 - Mailbag35:55 - Pricing confidence + charging more42:28 - Fast growth vs profitability49:16 - Personal finance + Claude vs Digits54:18 - AI hallucinations explained59:42 - Learn Claude or app-specific AI01:01:17 - Closing thoughts 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

    1h 2m
  7. May 12

    607 Stop Trying To Land LEADS In Your Accounting Firm. Do This Instead. [This is putting accounting firms out of business]

    🚀 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 why accounting firms don’t just need more clients, they need better clients. I explain why referrals, low pricing, weak niche positioning, and poor proposal design can keep firms stuck with too much work and not enough profit. I also cover how to raise prices, cut bad-fit clients, build visibility with the right audience, and structure three-tier proposals around both scope and client access. 🎤 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 SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: 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-notesMissive: https://missiveapp.com/jason // Chapters:00:00 - Why firms need better clients01:57 - The Dirty Dozen: client quality03:17 - Better clients fix capacity05:08 - Cut low-margin clients08:18 - Word-of-mouth has limits16:20 - Why niching feels scary22:47 - Visibility creates better clients29:14 - Three-tier proposal problems35:45 - Mailbag40:46 - Should you discount pricing?44:59 - Catching scope creep49:16 - Better clients solve everything 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

    51 min
  8. May 8

    606 Is Now The Time To SELL Your Accounting Firm? [Timing the AI wave]

    🚀 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 unpack whether AI is a real reason to sell your accounting firm right now. I walk through both sides: why AI creates more risk than ever, but also why accountants may become more valuable as human advisors and integrators. Then I break down how accounting firm websites should shift from faceless service pages to founder-led expertise, especially for niche advisory firms. In the mailbag, I cover AI for cash flow and budgeting, practice management mistakes, accounting firm margins, career moves, CFO services, and tax workflow tools. 🎤 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 SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: 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-notesMissive: https://missiveapp.com/jason // Chapters:00:00 - Should you sell before AI changes accounting?01:31 - AI risk + firm value03:00 - Are you selling what AI replaces?06:44 - The case for selling now07:28 - Accountants as human integrators10:59 - The real asset is you16:39 - Founder-led accounting websites27:48 - Mailbag28:07 - AI for cash flow and budgets32:04 - No practice management software37:56 - Accounting firm margins explained39:55 - Career path into a better firm44:30 - CFO advisory vs bookkeeping46:29 - Tax workflow tools 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

    51 min
4.7
out of 5
69 Ratings

About

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

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