Presentation by Kim Fantaci, Executive Director of Association of Accounting Administartors to AICPA - CPA-SEA Interchange Conference on July 31, 2009 in Orlando, Florida

1. AICPA & CPA/SEAInterchange Conference What You Really Need to Know About CPA Firms Kim Fantaci, AAA Executive Director Dennis Lemieux, AAA Director of Professional Awareness and Director of Operations ofBerry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker July 30, 2009

3. Implementation of standards and market needs

4. Client service

5. Development of professionals

6. Attracting the next generation and succession

8. Some indicators are up while other economic indicators have worsened

9. AICPA polls indicate increased optimism

10. Accounting profession typically lags behind other industries making it more difficult to manage the firm

11. Clients are tightening belts and having difficulties

14. Marketing and practice growth

15. Protecting the CPA image and reputation

16. Developing and managing niches

17. Quality control

18. Accountability“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” – Charles Darwin

20. Under-developed skill sets (leadership, communication, time management and organization, analytical and technical skills)

21. Work-life balance

22. Developing and expanding networking opportunities and organizational memberships

23. Promoting the CPA exam and career (understand the “new exam”, track progress, support the swearing-in ceremony, create and reinforce a culture that celebrates CPAs)

25. Retaining staff and effectively communicating the challenges of the firm and clients

26. Striving to understand the next generation and creating a culture of learning, coaching, mentoring and nurturing

28. Explosion of digital data and information

29. Connection options

30. System access and resiliency requirements

31. Security issues

32. Economic factors driving firms towards optimizing efficiency and standardization“The technology used by firms both to directly provide service to clients and to manage the practice are essential to productivity.” – Isaac M. O’Bannon

34. responsible for the quality and profitability of their firm.

35. supervising and/or training staff in an accounting practice.

36. interested in developing a network of outstanding professionals.

37. ready to promote their firm in today’s marketplace.

38. responsible for their firm’s technology, automation, and productivity.

40. Association for Accounting Administration More than 930 professionals managing accounting practices are members of the Association for Accounting Administration. The AAA’s vision is to be the number one resource for best practices in the accounting profession providing member and firm value resulting in high quality management and administration.

42. AAA member firms are represented in all 50 states and nearly all Canadian provinces with 22 chapters throughout the United States and Canada.

43. AAA members have between 3 months and 32 years of experience with the average member having 7 years of experience in the accounting profession.

45. Arizona

46. Illinois

47. Ohio

48. Indiana

49. Massachusetts

50. Michigan

51. New Mexico

52. ColoradoWe’d love to develop active relationships and networking with all State CPA Societies!

55. Do you know who the firm experts are?

56. Does the State Society reach to the individual firm level with educational programs?

58. Training the firm’s administration professional can save time, money and resources for the State Society

60. Administration professionals have the attention of firm professionals and the authority to make decisions

61. Information overload causes less participation and will eventually harm retention rates

63. Remember if administration professionals are not members of the State Society – give them billing coordination abilities like usernames and passwords

65. CPE tracking will be easier for the firm and therefore the State Society

67. Do you charge for this membership classification?

68. What does your Society offer to these members?

70. Industry news and hot issues

71. Relationships with State Society staff members

72. Communication tools

74. Well planned programs andeducational offerings

75. Local and regional networks

77. Well planned programs and educational offerings

78. Ability to host webinars to connect effectively and efficiently with administration professionals

80. State CPA Societies are invited to send their Executive Directorsor Presidents to the AAA National Practice Management Conferencewith the registration fee on us!

81. Thank you! Association for Accounting Administration136 South Keowee Street Dayton, Ohio 45402(937) 222-0030 | Fax (937) 222-5794 aaainfo@cpaadmin.org | www.cpaadmin.org