Practice Management Conference
       Invest One Day, Transform Your Firm  
Come Away With Actionable Strategies To Help Keep Your
 Firm Secure and Thriving in Today's Environment

Tuesday, December 14, 2010
FAE Conference Center  3 Park Avenue, at 34th Street 19th Floor
New York, NY  10016   8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

8:00 am  
Check-in, Networking, Continental Breakfast

8:30 a.m.
Welcome and Introduction
Committee and Conference Chair:
Philip J. Whitman, CPA, Whitman Business Advisors LLC 

8:40 a.m.
7 Trends Firms Must Reverse to Improve Profitability
Steve Erickson, CPA, Steve Erikson, LLP
Profit margins in many firms have been decreasing for the past five years, as salary and benefits costs have soared.  Utilization has decreased, and many more clients have requested and received fixed fees for their engagements.  These negative trends and solid realistic recommendations for profitability improvement will be addressed, including:
·       How to lower the need for working capital
·       Controlling salary and benefits costs
·       Reversing the downward utilization trend
·       Why you must change your service delivery model
·       Get paid by every client
·       How to institutionalize the value of your practice

10:20 a.m.
Break

10:40 a.m.
Protecting the Computer-Age Employer from Disloyal Employees

Joel Greenwald, Esq., Managing Partner, Greenwald Doherty LLP

Should you engage in surveillance of all employee e-mails, text messages, phone calls, social media, etc., to see if an employee is engaging in violating your firm's or company's policies?
·       Are your employees your future competitors?
·       What makes an enforceable non-compete agreement?
·       Can you monitor employees' movements using GPS or other devices?
·       Do employees have privacy rights regarding their communications such as text messages and e-mails?

11:30 a.m.
What CPA Firms Should Know About Today's Cyber Security Laws and How to Protect Themselves
Alan Heyman, Managing Director, Strategema Consulting LLC
Arthur Krulish, Principal/Chief Security Officer, Strategema Consulting LLC
Accounting firms are major repositories of personal and corporate data, making them prime targets for criminal hackers and identity thieves on a major scale. The exposure to such dangers is major, on both state and federal levels.  Learn what you must do to protect your firm and your clients.
12:20 p.m.
Lunchtime Topic Roundtable Sessions

Select an area of practice management for a facilitated discussion.  Choose from Human Resources, Information Technology, Marketing, and Leadership Development.

(Participation in this, and all other sessions, is required to earn 8 CPE credits.)

1:30 p.m.
Practice Growth Through Mergers and Acquisitions
Moderator:
Robert S. Fligel, CPA, Founder and President, RF Resources LLC
Panelists:
·       Thomas Bonadio, CPA, CEO, Managing Partner, The Bonadio Group
·       Louis C. Grassi, CPA, Managing Partner, Grassi & Co., CPAs, P.C.
·       William R. Hagaman, Jr., CPA, Managing Partner and CEO, WithumSmith + Brown, PC
·       Jeffrey Resnick, CPA, Managing Partner, The Resnick Druckman Group

Is bigger better?  What is the reason for all the activity we have seen in 2010? Prominent speakers will give an update on the importance of practice continuity, succession and transition, and growth through mergers and acquisitions.

3:10 p.m.
Break

3:30 p.m.
Developing Your Partners and the Next Generation of Leaders
Moderator:
Marsha Leest, Acquisitions Editor, Strategic Initiatives, CCH, a Wolters Kluwer Business

·       David Wolfskehl, President, The Practice Building Team
·       Christopher J. Perrino, Principal, Business Development, Title, Barnes, Dennig & Co., Ltd.
·       Kayte Steinert-Threlkeld, Chief Marketing Officer, Anchin, Block & Anchin LLP

4:30 p.m.
Closing Remarks

Tthe Monmouth/Ocean Chapter Golf Outing, scheduled for May 17, at Jumping Brook CC.   The golf outing is one of the most enjoyable events on the chapter calendar.  Please let every CPA or other professional you speak with know about it and give them the attached flyer.  I know, with tax season upon us, this outing is not the most important thing on anyone’s mind, but at least it can be something to look forward to along with warm weather!!  
 Please contact Pat at 732-410-9815.