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. 2D AGO

    597 5 Ways to Speed Up REVIEW in your Accounting Firm [Solving your most expensive logjam]

    🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events 🚀 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 review is still the biggest bottleneck in most accounting firms and how to actually fix it. I walk through five practical ways to reduce the load, including separating detail vs technical review, using difficulty levels, and systematizing work so you rely less on scarce senior talent. Then I shift into AI, covering leaked Co-Work features, what’s coming next with agents, and how to think about security, email, and automation without getting ahead of what’s actually safe to deploy. 🎤 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 SponsorsTeamUp: https://www.hireteamup.com/jasonCanopy: g[etcanopy.com/jason](http://getcanopy.com/jason) Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demoSoraban: 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 - Why review is the biggest bottleneck02:30 - How firms structure review today04:50 - How to fix review (structure + delegation)07:20 - Using difficulty levels to scale11:00 - Systemizing review so it scales15:00 - Hiring vs restructuring review teams18:45 - What’s actually happening with AI agents25:00 - AI agents vs assistants explained31:30 - AI risks and security reality check33:00 - Practice management + system gaps41:20 - Where current tools break down46:30 - Where AI is actually going (agents vs tools) 🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

    1h 1m
  2. 6D AGO

    713 Accounting Firms Said To Use THIS TECH [”It cost us $1.5M in writeoffs”]

    🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events 🚀 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 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

    1h 6m
  3. MAR 31

    595 A Guide To Setting Minimum Prices in your Accounting Firm [The mistake that nearly cost me my accounting firm]

    🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events 🚀 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 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

    1h 16m
  4. MAR 27

    594 6 Recent Can’t Miss AI Agent Updates for Accounting Firms [New releases you must have on your radar]

    🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events 🚀 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 IIn 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

    1h 4m
  5. MAR 25

    593 THIS Drives Better Accounting Firm Workflow [How modern firms have found a better workflow approach]

    🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events 🚀 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 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

    59 min
  6. MAR 19

    592 His One Employee Accounting Firm Made $224k Last Year [How he built a profitable tax accounting firm]

    🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events 🚀 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 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

    38 min
  7. MAR 18

    591 First Impressions: OpenClaw for Accounting Firms [Exactly how and when this will impact firms]

    🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events 🚀 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 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

    1h 6m
  8. MAR 10

    590 The 7 Things Your DESK Needs: An Accountant’s Guide [The most important workspace decision for accountants]

    🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events 🚀 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 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

    1h 11m
4.7
out of 5
65 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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