Future Firm Inc.

Future Firm provides free content, coaching, education, and community to busy, modern accountants who want to run a firm that allows them to earn more and work less.

For free content, head to: https://futurefirm.co/

To join thousands of others that get a free twice-weekly email with exclusive tips & tricks for your firm, head to: https://futurefirm.co/newsletter/

To quickly systematize your firm so that you're earning more and working less, head here: https://futurefirmaccelerate.com/

Chief Executive Officer

Botkeeper

Strategic Advisor

Xen Accounting

*Acquired by the Equiom Group on Nov. 1, 2018*

Xen Accounting is a 100% online professional accounting firm whose purpose is to provide easy, automated & paperless online accounting services to small businesses across Canada. Customers receive an all-inclusive plan that combines accounting services, cloud accounting apps and fast support from a team of tech-savvy accounting professionals.

Since 2013, Xen Accounting has been seen as a thought leader in the accounting space in Canada. Featured continuously in the press, selected to be on Intuit’s Accountant Council in 2015 and becoming the first accounting firm in Canada to accept bitcoins as payment, Xen Accounting is constantly looking to break the mold of what an accounting firm would look like in the digital age.

For more information, please check out www.xenaccounting.com or our Twitter handle @XenAccounting.

Founder & CEO

Techvibes.com

Writer

Minogue Medical Inc.

Assistant Controller

Reinblatt & Co. LLP

Senior Accountant

I scaled and sold a 7-figure accounting firm in 5 years. Now, through my Future Firm newsletter, I'm giving 9,500+ firm owners the tactics, templates, and frameworks I used to do it.

This is a screenshot of a planning document I wrote in 2018.

The past 7 years have played out almost exactly like I wrote them here:

1. I sold my firm (Xen Accounting).
2. I slowly transitioned out of the firm.
3. I started my Future Firm newsletter.
4. I started consulting with clients 1-on-1.
5. I turned what I learned consulting into a program – Future Firm Accelerate.

If you’re stuck or confused right now, stop stressing over the "how."

Start by figuring out the "what."

Then work backwards from there.

Ryan Lazanis, CPA

I give firm owners tactics & templates to work less + increase revenue at the same time

graphical user interface, text, application, email

Here’s a picture of myself and our (100% offshore) team at our retreat in The Philippines this month.

I make it a point to do a team retreat once a year...

Because here’s one thing I’ve realized:

The best investment is in your people.
 
Sure, running a business means you pay attention to profits, growth, KPIs, numbers…

But without them, the numbers mean nothing.

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There is talk about eliminating tax season through client scheduling.

I am HIGHLY skeptical that this is a viable solution.

Has this solved tax season for anyone?

In theory, it sounds like a great idea.

In practice, there are too many moving parts (ex: clients not following through, certain documents or work not receiving/completed in time, etc), rendering client scheduling infeasible.

For reference, I attempted this 10+ years ago at my firm.

We handled all bookkeeping.

This meant we controlled the data, allowing us to pre-schedule a full year's worth of compliance and advisory work and get all calls and responsibilities in the calendar.

It didn't work.

Could be for a variety of reasons.

But my belief is that busy season is simply a result of having too many clients and too little capacity.

That's all it is.

And no amount of scheduling is going to solve it.

Not all revenue is good revenue. 

Some clients pay well but drain your time. 

Some work looks profitable but stretches your team too thin. 

Some opportunities seem great until they pull you away from what actually matters. 

Saying yes to every potential client might bring in more revenue...

But at what cost?

The firms that scale don’t focus on taking on more work. 

They focus on their “sweet spot.”

Their ideal clients. 

The services they WANT to offer. 

Because from my experience, that’s one of the main components of scaling a firm. 

Find your sweet spot.

And stick to it while doing your best to ignore everything else.

Advisory services are overhyped.

Many in the industry say you need to offer them to stay relevant. 

I disagree.

Plenty of firms scale without offering advisory. 

Some owners love advisory. Others hate it. 

Some grow their revenue with compliance. Others with strategy. 

Advisory is great if it aligns with the firm you want to build. 

But forcing it just because everyone says you should?

In my opinion:

Not necessary. (In fact, actively detrimental.)

What do you think?

Don’t hate me for saying this.

But...

That new feature from your favorite software?

It’s actually not going to save you tons of hours.

It won’t change your business in the grand scheme of things.

It’s a shiny object.

Use it.

But don’t expect it to save you.

One of my new favorite quotes:

“The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say 'no' to almost everything." 

- Warren Buffett

This is a picture of myself and Alnol – our only team member in Indonesia.

We work together, but it’s always behind a screen.

Meeting in person?
 
Different energy. Different connection.

If you work remotely, it’s easy to stay in your bubble.

But take the time to meet and connect with others – whether they’re your team or your peers.

It matters more than you might think. 🙂

You realize that if you are using AI commenting on LinkedIn, you're hurting yourself, not helping yourself, right?

Your new hire is struggling.

Should you keep training them or cut your losses?

Here’s my take:

✅ First, build confidence. 

If they’re drowning in tasks, scale back. 

Let them build momentum before piling on more.

✅ Watch for progress. 

Are they improving? Do they take feedback well? 

If they’re showing effort and growth, they might just need more time. 

✅ Know when to let go. 

If they’ve never worked in a firm before, multi-tasking and fast-paced workflows can feel like a shock.

That’s normal, so give it time.  

But if, after a reasonable period, they’re still struggling with the same mistakes, resisting feedback, or constantly need hand-holding...

It’s probably not going to change. 

That’s when it may be time to let them go.

I’ve unfortunately been in this situation more times than I care to admit.

What about you?

If you struggle to hand off work or want to delegate more...

Here’s how to do it in 5 steps: 

1. Change your mindset. 
2. Identify where you bring value. 
3. Choose what to delegate. 
4. Set clear expectations. 
5. Create SOPs.

Don’t overcomplicate it.

—

♻️ Was this helpful? Repost it, so I can help more firm owners. And follow Ryan Lazanis, CPA for more.

⏰ Want to systematize your firm & work less hours? Join 9,497+ firm owners on my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/edg-g5T8

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You can be a great spouse / parent while building a great firm.

It’s not easy, but it’s possible.

The hardest part actually isn’t the work itself though.

It’s choosing where to focus. 

Because if you’re not clear on your priorities, your business will take over everything. 

So set your non-negotiables. 

Define your rocks. 

Know what matters most.

Then say no to everything that doesn’t fall into these categories. 

Because if everything is your priority... nothing really is.

On that note:

How do you balance work / family priorities?

This is a durian seller I bought from twice in Bali.

We literally went out of our way to be his repeat customers.

Not only because of how good the product was, but because of the service he provided. 

✅ He offered a satisfaction guarantee (not typical for fruit vendors)
✅ He replaced a rotten durian with a fresh one – no questions asked
✅ He provided a friendly service

Sometimes all you need are the basics (reasonableness, friendliness, etc.) to make customers keep coming back.

Whale clients:

Should you take them on or not?

Here are my thoughts:

The upside:

✅ Big revenue boost 
✅ Great referrals that can bring in more clients
✅ A chance to work with bigger businesses

The downside:

❌ They can take up too much of your time and energy
❌ If they leave, it’s a BIG hole in your revenue
❌ They might want things done their way – not yours 

Here’s what I suggest:

Instead of relying on one or two big clients...

Build a mix of “sweet spot” clients. 

Those that are easier to manage, reduce risk, and provide steady revenue. 

And before you say yes to a big client, ask yourself:

“Is this really how I want to run my firm?”

At the end of the day, landing a big client can be a great... 

But only if it fits the bigger picture of the firm you want to build.
 
What are your thoughts on whale clients? Take them or leave them?

Here’s my resignation letter from the Board of Directors at Xen (my old firm) shortly after the sale went through.

I was actually pretty sad about it.

Selling my firm was supposed to be a happy moment. 

But I knew how much I had poured into it over the years. 

Building something is one thing. 

Letting go of it?

That’s another story. 

Ultimately, I was happy with how things turned out.

Just sad about leaving something I’d worked so hard to build.

I never tracked time at my firm. And yet...

My team was still incredibly productive.

Here are 4 ways to set time expectations for your team – without micromanaging:

1️⃣ Plan Capacity First
2️⃣ Make It Collaborative
3️⃣ Give Ownership
4️⃣ Check In, Don’t Hover

—

♻️ Was this helpful? Repost it, so I can help more firm owners. And follow Ryan Lazanis, CPA for more.

⏰ Want to systematize your firm & work less hours? Join 9,497+ firm owners on my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/edg-g5T8

If you’re building a firm on the side of your 9-5 job...

And you want to quit, so you can run your firm full-time...

There are 3 things you should consider before making the leap:

1) Financial Readiness 

Can you cover your personal expenses for at least six months without a paycheck?

With no buffer – you’ll accept any and every client who comes your way.

Which makes streamlining your firm impossible.

Save up, and you’ll solve this problem before it starts.

2) Workload

Is your firm already demanding more time than your full-time job allows? 

If your firm is holding back its own growth because you’re juggling too much…

It could be a sign.

3) Commitment

Building a firm requires focus and energy – resources we all have in limited amounts.

If you’re giving your best energy to your 9-5 – you can’t direct it at growing your firm.

There’s always a risk to setting out on your own.

But waiting too long is a risk too.

If you started your firm while working full-time – how did you know when to leave your 9-5?

This is a screenshot of my AI coaching clone’s stats in Delphi.

Last month, it saved me an entire workday. Pretty neat!

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