Episode 105

Cash Flow Systems & Growth Strategies for Accounting Firms

Ron Saharyan is an expert in sales processes/systems, hiring, scaling, and operations. He started Profit First Professionals in 2014 with Mike Michalowicz. He has since certified and taught Profit First to hundreds of accounting, bookkeeping and coaching firms globally.

Whether a newer business or a 100-year-old firm, Ron has taught firm owners how to properly experience, practice, implement, monetize and share Profit First with their customers. He is an expert in value pricing and has created the Profit First Value Pricing Curriculum. Shownotes:

  • The Profit First methodology that came out of the 'envelope budget' approach
  • A behavioral cash flow system that goes against how businesses have been taught for years
  • Two reasons why profit is so important in a business
  • Why accountants and bookkeepers are in a very strong position right now
  • Two mistakes accounting firms make which stop them from growing
  • How accounting firm business models are changing and what's driving that change
  • Why most accounting firms growing on compliance are an algorithm away from being obselete
  • The reasons why accountants are good at learning but struggle with changing and being coachable
  • Breaking down the Profit First methodology of sales-profit=expenses
  • The difference between real revenue and top line revenue in running a business
  • What's wrong with the traditional sales-expenses=profit formula
  • The biggest challenge accountants have with cash flow management
  • The vital role of empathy in changing behaviors of accountants and business owners
  • What stops accountants and bookkeepers from being more 'relatable' to their clients
  • Why it's hard for clients to switch accountants and how to unseat the incumbent firm
  • The one question accountants can ask to be much more empathetic
  • How accountants can protect their time more and avoid 'over-servicing' their clients
  • The one thing accountants must protect to grow and scale their business
  • Practical examples of 3 tier pricing for accountants and bookkeepers
  • What it actually means to scale a business on a commercial and a personal level
  • The rule of '3 and 10' when hiring and growing and how business owners get it wrong
  • What being proactive actually looks like for accountants and bookkeepers
  • The critical questions clients ask themselves in deciding whether to switch from one accountant to another
  • Why change is good and why optimism is the only mindset of any value
  • The profit management blueprint and why accountants who want to add value to clients need to embrace it
  • What will happen to the accountants who can't or won't change

Ron Saharyan of Profit First on the Accounting Influencers podcast with BD Academy founder Rob Brown

Contact Ron:

Profit First website 

Rob on LinkedIn 

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About the Podcast

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Accounting Voices Podcast
Accounting Voices helps people in the accounting world stay relevant visible and vocal. Host Rob Brown interprets trends reshaping the profession and gives listeners insight to build authority influence and a stronger voice in firms and markets.

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About your host

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Rob Brown

Rob Brown is the founder and host of the Accounting Voices Podcast, the flagship solo show of the Accounting Voices Network. Each episode offers sharp analysis and commentary on the trends, ideas and people shaping the global accounting profession.

Through this Accounting Voices Podcast, Rob helps accounting firm leaders, decision makers and professionals stay relevant and make sense of disruption in areas like AI, automation, M&A, private equity and soft skills beyond the tech. His perspective blends clarity, insight and curiosity, making complex issues relevant and practical for professionals and decision makers across accounting and finance.

He also leads two monthly panel shows, Accounting M&A and Accounting AI, which bring together senior voices to explore consolidation, strategy and the impact of technology on firms and people.

Rob is the author of the bestselling book Build Your Reputation (Wiley) and a TEDx speaker whose talk The Personal Brand of You has more than 400,000 views. Over his career he has hosted and moderated more than 1,000 conversations with accounting and fintech leaders worldwide.

Based in Nottingham UK, Rob is a stroke survivor living with epilepsy, a black belt in kickboxing, a decent chess player and an average player of four musical instruments.