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 the accounting conferences and industry events that are actually worth attending, including how to use client-facing events. 🐝 We talk in Niche of the Week on how to become more visible in a specific industry. I also share a simple lighting upgrade that can dramatically improve how you look on video, then answer 📫 Mailbag questions about industry-specific credentials, Mercury launching an accounting ledger, earning potential for accounting firm owners, AI-backed firm rollups, practice management platforms expanding into close automation, and whether joining a PE-backed platform really gives firm owners a meaningful seat at the table.📄 Here’s that list of over 1,000 events https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1alr-NMmUWXUK4nC-JK-Nnr7R8Kg9BIJXSsLFqEQOU1s/edit?usp=sharing🔦 And here’s that video light https://amarancreators.com/pages/amaran-verge-max💰 Today's SponsorsVerito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesSoraban: https://hubs.ly/Q04cNLF80MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsCanopy: https://www.getcanopy.com/jason complete your demo for a $75 gift card// Chapters:00:00 - The Best Accounting Events02:05 - 1,100 Upcoming Events03:00 - Intuit Connect03:45 - Scaling New Heights04:45 - AICPA Conferences05:35 - Bridging the Gap06:25 - Reframe07:20 - Customer Conferences08:15 - Skip Technical Training09:00 - State Society Events09:35 - Client Industry Events10:06 - 🐝 Niche of the Week10:15 - Why In-Person Matters11:25 - Industry User Conferences15:05 - Certification Events15:55 - Association Meetings16:35 - Trade Shows17:20 - Local Chapters17:50 - Golf Fundraisers18:30 - Member Alliances20:15 - Virtual Events20:50 - Mastermind Groups21:00 - Events to Avoid21:30 - Compliance Events22:35 - Better Video Lighting24:10 - Amaran Verge Max27:48 - 📫 Mailbag28:13 - Industry Credentials30:33 - Favorite Star Trek Episode30:48 - Mercury’s Accounting Ledger32:00 - Replacing Traditional Ledgers34:13 - Accounting Firm Income35:13 - Selling Outcomes, Not Hours36:33 - Finding Expensive Problems38:18 - Moving Beyond Hourly Rates41:03 - AI Accounting Rollups43:48 - Built-In Close Automation45:03 - Best-of-Breed vs. All-in-One46:13 - PE Shareholder Seats48:13 - Alternatives to PE49:37 - Closing Thoughts🗣️ 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 compress a full year of accounting tech updates into one deep dive to help firms lock in their software decisions before year-end. I break down what changed across accounting ledgers, practice management, month-end close, tax workflow, tax software, proposal tools, meeting assistants, and generalist AI, including which tools moved into my leader categories and which AI features are actually worth paying attention to. I also explain why MCPs, AI agents, and computer use are becoming the biggest trends in accounting tech, while making the case that firms should still build next year’s stack around proven software instead of unreleased promises.💰 Today's SponsorsVerito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesSoraban: https://hubs.ly/Q04cNLF80Financial Cents: 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.Karbon: https://karbonhq.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=jason-staats// Chapters:00:00 - The 2026 Tech Update01:20 - Cutting Through AI Hype02:05 - The App Categories03:10 - Accounting Ledgers04:00 - New Ledger Leaders04:55 - QuickBooks Online Updates06:05 - Intuit Accountant Suite07:20 - Books Close08:10 - Digits Updates09:35 - Kik and MCP11:45 - Practice Management12:15 - The Four PM Leaders13:00 - Canopy Updates16:45 - Canopy Tax Workflow17:15 - TaxDome Updates19:20 - Financial Cents Updates20:30 - Karbon Updates23:50 - Month-End Close Automation24:10 - Double Updates26:20 - Ramp Stack28:50 - Tax Workflow29:00 - New Tax Workflow Leaders29:10 - TallyFor32:20 - Filed33:20 - Filed Pro Work35:05 - Stanford Tax35:35 - Soraban36:30 - Truss37:45 - Tax Software38:45 - ProConnect Updates39:15 - Drake Smart Extract40:15 - UltraTax Updates41:55 - Proposal Tools42:35 - Anchor Updates43:40 - Ignition Updates44:20 - Meeting Assistants44:50 - Ping45:45 - Abacore and Vinyl46:15 - Better Client Meetings49:40 - Generalist AI Assistants50:45 - Claude Updates52:00 - ChatGPT’s Comeback52:35 - Computer Use AI54:30 - AI Using Your Apps55:05 - Grokbot57:00 - What Actually Changed57:35 - Lock In Your Tech Stack58:50 - Closing Thoughts🗣️ 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 the current market for accounting firms is telling us about valuation, including which firms are commanding higher multiples, why size alone does not appear to drive value, and what makes virtual and niche firms more attractive to buyers. I also highlight a bizarre new office gadget, discuss how accounting firms should evaluate their IT support for the AI era, and answer 📫 Mailbag questions about AI readiness, acquisitions, three-tier proposals for simple services, and whether firms should grow organically or through acquisition.💰 Today's SponsorsVerito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesSoraban: https://hubs.ly/Q04cNLF80MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsCanopy: Go to https://www.getcanopy.com/jason and schedule a demo to see for yourself, and Canopy will send you a $75 gift card after your demoFinancial Cents: 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.Karbon: https://karbonhq.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=jason-staats📄 Grab the firm listing data set here https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1HHxl5KGG-3zApXRbpok8Hkacvn4vE6D_/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=101670352005046800441&rtpof=true&sd=true🪑 Butt cushion https://www.xpolar-tech.com/pages/xpolar-c1🎙️ The podcast episode with video advice https://youtu.be/xBitNWRIQeg?si=iDxnhxIlVWrMFHi9// Chapters:00:00 - Accounting Firm Valuations01:40 - 449 Firms for Sale02:30 - Typical Firm Size03:25 - Fractional Acquisitions03:50 - Size vs. Multiple04:45 - CPA Credentials05:35 - Premium Firm Characteristics06:40 - Where Firms Are Listed07:15 - Private Firm Sales08:35 - Reasons for Sale09:05 - Time on Market11:55 - Valuation Outliers13:25 - Premium Firm Examples15:00 - Highly Profitable Firms15:55 - The Coolest Office Gadget16:05 - X Polar C117:05 - 8 Sleep Comparison18:00 - Remote Workforce Monitoring21:34 - 📫 Mailbag21:59 - Choosing an AI-Savvy IT Provider22:29 - ChatGPT and Claude23:19 - AI Due Diligence27:00 - Getting Started With Video27:19 - Make 100 Videos28:14 - Reduce Production Friction28:39 - Invest in Lighting29:04 - AI Video Editing29:29 - Video as a Competitive Advantage30:14 - Organic Growth vs. Acquisition30:49 - Acquisition Efficiencies31:24 - Firm Size and Valuation31:44 - Industry vs. Geography32:14 - Avoiding Capacity Problems32:49 - AI and Diversification33:49 - Work Yourself Out of the Firm34:09 - Three-Tier 1040 Proposals34:19 - Pricing Simple Services35:29 - Premium Delivery Tiers36:29 - Better Than Doing More37:04 - Scoping Availability37:44 - Bronze Client Economics38:04 - Opinionated Proposal Design40:34 - Firm360 and Intake41:19 - Choosing the Right Workflow43:04 - Practice Management Options43:39 - Acquiring a Small Client Book44:09 - Building a Side Hustle Firm44:49 - Seller-Financed Acquisitions45:14 - Finding A Clients45:54 - Acquisition as a Launchpad46:19 - Evolving Your Client List47:24 - Closing Thoughts🗣️ 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 accounting firms can make their sales and discovery process less painful by moving repetitive information upstream, introducing pricing earlier, setting better expectations, and using AI meeting transcripts to continuously improve the process. I also launch a new segment, 🫖 Hot Tea, covering Xero drama, Drake’s new extraction tool, the Puzzle acquisition, practice management consolidation, and the growing tension between all-in-one platforms and open ecosystems. Then I answer 📫 Mailbag questions about remote staff accessing U.S. bank accounts, file management, accountant perfectionism, practice management for larger firms, K-1 and 1099 extraction, and building a tax planning and advisory practice.💰 Today's SponsorsVerito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesSoraban: https://hubs.ly/Q04cNLF80MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsCanopy: Go to https://www.getcanopy.com/jason and schedule a demo to see for yourself, and Canopy will send you a $75 gift card after your demoFinancial Cents: 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.Karbon: https://karbonhq.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=jason-staats// Chapters:00:00 - Fixing Your Sales Process01:50 - The Sales Process Problem02:47 - Stop Calling Everyone Tire Kickers07:57 - Move Information Upstream13:06 - Talk Price Earlier14:00 - Better Discovery Meetings17:30 - The Monthly Sales Review21:10 - 🫖 Hot Tea21:42 - Xero Backlash24:45 - Drake Smart Extract24:45 - Puzzle and Accrual26:50 - Carbon Updates28:28 - The App Ecosystem War32:42 - All-in-One vs. Best of Breed35:15 - Double Updates36:07 - Testing Instead38:37 - 📫 Mailbag39:00 - Remote Bank Access43:07 - Accounting File Management48:07 - Accountant Perfectionism53:16 - Practice Management for Big Firms55:37 - K-1 and 1099 Extraction57:29 - Building a Tax Advisory Practice01:03:16 - Closing Thoughts🗣️ 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 biggest AI developments of the last two weeks and what they could mean for accounting firms, especially the shift toward AI that can actually operate a computer instead of simply chatting with you. I explain why computer-use AI could be especially powerful in accounting, where firms are constantly stitching together disconnected software, and why security and due diligence become even more important as AI agents gain more autonomy. I also go through 🔥 Roast My Tech Stack and answer to some of your questions in 📞 Accountant Support.💰 Today's SponsorsVerito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesSoraban: https://hubs.ly/Q04cNLF80MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsCanopy: Go to https://www.getcanopy.com/jason and schedule a demo to see for yourself, and Canopy will send you a $75 gift card after your demoFinancial Cents: 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.Karbon: https://karbonhq.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=jason-staats// Chapters:00:00 - The AGI Era01:20 - Artificial General Intelligence02:30 - Fable 5.104:45 - AI Benchmarks06:10 - GPT6 Astra07:55 - AI That Uses Your Computer09:25 - Automating Accounting Work10:40 - AI Inside Your Apps12:15 - What Do I Do With My Hands?13:05 - ChatGPT vs. Claude13:49 - AI Security Risks15:59 - Trusting AI Agents18:00 - Sandboxing AI19:45 - The Four-Monitor Accountant21:15 - Talking to Your Computer22:25 - Learning AI23:25 - AI Due Diligence25:35 - 🔥 Roast My Tech Stack26:25 - The 3.5-Person Firm27:54 - Practice Management28:44 - Month-End Close Automation32:24 - Drake Tax Hosting34:09 - Filed vs. GruntWorx34:49 - GoHighLevel35:24 - Document Management36:09 - Digits or Zero?36:29 - Upfront Pricing38:03 - Stop Building Software38:38 - AI and the Tech Stack40:44 - Submit Your Tech Stack40:59 - 📞 Accountant Support41:19 - Acquisition Fatigue43:14 - When to Acquire Firms43:59 - Starting With Small Acquisitions44:04 - Leaving Intuit45:19 - The Case for AI46:04 - Moving Beyond QuickBooks48:59 - Raising Your Prices49:44 - Migrating Existing Clients51:19 - Outsourcing Bookkeeping52:59 - Offshore Bookkeeping53:58 - AI Bookkeeping54:43 - Business Valuation Credentials55:38 - Building a Valuation Practice56:38 - Is an Accounting Degree Still Worth It?57:28 - Accounting Beyond Bookkeeping58:18 - AI Watermarks59:08 - Talking to Clients About AI01:00:14 - Closing Thoughts🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa