Looking Forward from 30 Years in Business

Today, October 14, marks the 30th anniversary of the founding of Kirsch CPA Group in 1991. Looking back over 30 years is gratifying, knowing we have helped other organizations grow and reach their own milestones.

When your business is providing accounting and advisory services, your success contributes to the success of other businesses.

As we celebrate today, we are especially grateful for the opportunity to work with hundreds of business owners, share in the longevity of clients, and to help take their strategic business planning from reluctance to inspiration to execution – and, increasingly now, to the next generation.

That’s not something that happens overnight, no matter how good of an idea you have. It’s built on hard work, tenacity, some smarts, and a bit of luck.

Founder John Kirsch had all of this going for him when Kirsch CPA Group was started in 1991, along with an evolving and uniquely entrepreneurial approach to the business of accounting.

A Growth Mindset Keeps Kirsch Looking Forward

In a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study of businesses started in 1994, only 20% survived to 2020. While we understand what a rare and fortunate circumstance it is to be able to look back on three successful decades in business, we didn’t get here by looking back.

From its first location in Oxford, Ohio, the firm grew – from one employee to five, then 10, to almost 50 –by building relationships with entrepreneurial clients seeking the personal attention of a small firm with the knowledge and resources of a larger one. It was a perfect fit for the mindset Kirsch brought to the accounting business.

“When I was a one-person business, I was always trying to think like a 50-person business,” Kirsch says. “That enabled us to grow with our clients.”

Along the way, Kirsch adopted leading-edge practices and technology decades before they would become industry standard: hiring a remote employee 20 years ago, moving to a paperless office over a decade ago, and offering payroll services in response to clients desperate for a higher quality service.

The question now stands, what will it take for the next generation of businesses to reach a 30th anniversary?

Tackling Strategy to Avert a Crisis (Not in Response to It)

While Kirsch believes that luck, tenacity, and a willingness to learn are a strong combination, a forward-thinking approach requires strategy. He says, “for most organizations, it’s not something that happens automatically -as the urgent matters of the day usually take precedence. Too many businesses tackle strategic planning only in response to a crisis, when their options are more limited and costly.”

“With the vast majority of businesses, it’s not a process that happens without some structure,” he says. “It’s the reason why strategic planning is our core service offering – taking the time and effort to think strategically, to step out of the fray and see what’s over the next hill.”

3 Trends Business Owners Should Consider

Among the trends Kirsch sees for today’s entrepreneurs:

• Retiring Baby Boomers will continue to result in business transitions on a massive scale, heightening the importance of succession planning. It’s no longer a foregone conclusion that the next generation will follow its elders into the family business.
• Artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies will continue automating routine work, giving those who embrace it a competitive advantage, whether small or large.
• Talent acquisition and retention, fueled by culture, will be a differentiating core competence of any successful organization. Simply put, top performers will continue to have plenty of options. Your top performers are your competitor’s top prospective team members.

Here’s to You & the Next 30 Years

One thing that hasn’t changed is the extent to which the success of any business is built on the loyalty of its clients. For that, we are profoundly grateful to you. You are the reason we are celebrating 30 years in business this month and we look forward to serving you for the next 30.

Thank you from all of us at Kirsch CPA Group.

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