Masterclass session overview

Below are full details on each section and session in the Firm Growth Masterclass. When you take the full course and pass the quiz at the end, you will qualify for 19.0 CPE credits as well as a Firm Growth Masterclass certification badge to share on LinkedIn and other channels. The quiz includes 98 questions, the required amount by NASBA for a program of this size.

To start the masterclass log into your console, click on Training and then Advanced.

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Click on "Start the BILL Certification Training."

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The BILL Academy will open. Select "Firm Growth Master Class" to begin.

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Session 1 - Principles & tools

Jason introduces the Firm Growth Masterclass, how to navigate the course and the tools that have been built as part of this program to help you understand growth and leading and running your own firm.

What do you want to become? What do you want in your firm? This isn't about prescribing growth, it's intimate to each firm and relational based. We use the word intimate to describe how growth is done through relationships -- team, clients and even yourself as a firm entrepreneur. This program is based on your goals and what you want for your firm.

Session 2 - Documenting firm growth goals

In this session, Jason walks you through how to document and assess your firm's growth goals with the course's helpful checklist.

Session 3 - Introduction to the journey to a modern accounting firm map

What makes an accounting firm ready for today's world? In this session, Jason discusses the strategic building blocks and map for modern accounting firms, including organizational and service leadership and movement lanes. He'll walk through how these concepts empower firm growth and what it looks like to apply them to all phases of a firm's growth.

Session 4 - Firm growth ceilings

Every firm focused on growth will hit a growth ceiling - a place where momentum is stalled, profitability halts, and confusion abounds. How can you avoid a growth ceiling? In this session, Jason outlines the seven contributing factors to a growth ceiling, how to "pre-anticipate" them, and what you can do to move beyond them.

Session 5 - Identifying your firm on the journey map

Now that you've learned about growth ceilings, how can you discover which ones your firm will be facing soon? Jason explains how this session's homework will prepare you for potential growth roadblocks.

Session 6 - The strategy to change your firm's business model

You've identified where you are on your journey to a modern accounting firm. Now, Jason shifts the conversation to how to restructure business strategy. He discusses the intentionality of strategy, how to set up your time to accommodate strategic thinking, and how principles like the uncommon sense differentiates your firm from others. He also introduces the Stan Shih Smiling Curve and how it applies to accounting firms, which will play a fundamental role in the next homework session.

Session 7 - Identifying your firm on the smile curve (homework module)

This homework session guides you through strategic self-assessments using the Accounting Firm Smile Curve and the Uncommon Sense module to identify where your firm adds the most value and to discover your firm's competitive advantages.

Session 8 - Efficient creation of firm roles

You have roles in your firm. And you have people filling the roles. To cultivate efficiency within your firm, you should understand the differences and what's needed to create great leadership and encourage great teams. In this section, Jason covers nine things leaders can do to create efficient firm roles and discusses how scope seep and creep can undermine efficiency.

Session 9 - Assessing your team on the data alignment matrix (homework module)

Changing your firm's business model and building efficient teams means you must assess your team's ability to be efficient. For this segment of homework, Jason introduces you to the Team Data Alignment Matrix checklist. He will walk you through how to use this tool, starting from listing each team member and rating them against four team parameters. Ultimately, you'll be able to use the results of this exercise and its assessment tool to learn from your team and even identify areas of struggles.

Session 10 - Strategy, training and deployment of a tech stack

Your tech stack is an essential part of your firm's growth, since it enables efficiency, clarity, and more. Jason will explore understanding technology and how it fits into your firm in this session. He'll also break down technology myths, steps to take before you adopt technology, how to prepare employees, and the principles to guide your technology journey.

Session 11 - Establishing BILL / tech into your sales and services (homework module - link)

In this homework session, Jason will walk you through building a tech stack, using BILL as an example for client/firm participatory models. You'll also be introduced to the course's tool that will play an important role in this session and other homework sessions to come for choosing and prioritizing technology, setting services, and offering guidance for pricing the services.

Session 12 - Leveraging and launching into CAS

Client advisory services (CAS) is one of the fastest-growing areas of service for accounting firms, which is why this session focuses on leveraging and launching it. Jason will walk you through the theory and purpose of CAS, benchmarks from the AICPA, and examples of how to staff for CAS and position it for clients. He'll also outline helpful steps to begin CAS for your clients and your firm.

Session 13 - Package and program breakdowns in selling CAS (homework - link)

The last homework assignment focused on establishing, rating, and committing to your tech stack. This homework session takes you to the next level: creating packages for CAS. Using the spreadsheet introduced in session 11, you'll find eight categories of services you could include in your firm's CAS services and prompts to create service titles for as many services in that category as you think your firm can offer.

Session 14 - Pricing principles, part I

Welcome to the first of two sessions focused on the power of pricing innovations. Jason dives into the ecosystem of pricing and the links between capturing value and delivering value, and then walks you through scenarios that illustrate the thoughts and actions that support value and pricing. With this session, you'll start to learn how you can balance value and pricing for your clients.

Session 15 - Pricing principles, part II

Pricing is a simple concept, but often a difficult competency to master. While accountants favor a scientific calculation, that approach doesn't necessarily lend itself to creating accurate, value-based pricing. In this session, Jason delves into more practical aspects of pricing like capacity and the four key competencies of pricing.

Session 16 - Pricing pitching practice (homework)

The last two sessions introduced you to theories on pricing. Now, this session will focus on some of the actual templates Jason and his firm use to pitch clients. He will walk you through proposal fundamentals, word choices, and the psychology of constructing a successful pitch.

Session 17: Naming and selling your new services (homework)

In this session, you will find the tool you need to begin to build your pricing options. Jason breaks down the types of pricing and billing, how they differ, how they are calculated, and what resources they require. The homework for this session will help you start building out three option pitches for your clients and calculate and create your monthly options.

Session 18 - How leaders lead change in firms

Session 18 of this series focuses on leadership and how leaders can bring growth to their organizations. Jason introduces the Prototype Components Models for Growth, which outlines the order and steps needed to grow your firm and find where unintentional decisions may have set you off course. He closes the session out by sharing the idea of leadership alley and the 9 principles of firm leaders.

Session 19 - Mapping steps to becoming a new firm

Congratulations! You have reached the final session of the Accounting Firm Growth Masterclass featuring Jason Blumer and supported by Bill.com. In this session, Jason will help you through mapping your firm's growth, including providing three different matrices to guide your journey, and provide you with inspirational quotes to add fuel to your fire.