February 8, 2023

Episode 71: Sharon Hirsch of Argus Accounting

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The Story

It takes something special, don’t you think, to start up a brand-new accountancy firm only a couple of months after the start of a global pandemic.

It’s what Sharon Hirsch of Argus Accounting did in May 2020, and in this HumaniseTheNumbers podcast discussion with Sharon, you’ll hear her share a number of valuable insights:  the KPIs that matter most, what her emotional charges are and what it is that’s driving her to do what she does for her 74 clients, some of whom are paying between £1,500 and £2,500 per month.

She also shares how important it is for her to have a future perspective, to deliver genuine value to her clients and for her and her team to make a real difference.

I hope you can join Sharon and me on this Humanise The Numbers podcast discussion – there are some really important lessons to learn, and I could feel the passion that Sharon has for her business, for her team and for the importance of client relationships.

Please also scroll down this episode page to find the contact information for Sharon and additional, downloadable resources mentioned in this podcast.

The Solution:

One of my key measurements is touchpoints with clients. For me, it is an important thing.

All the team will keep a track of touchpoints with clients, not every email we send them, but human contact, a conversation.

I'm against just emailing clients things, because 90% of our clients will not read every word in our email. If we are lucky, they might read the first sentence, so the human contact for me is a huge KPI and that measurement is important.

There are clients who I would have daily contact with if they were going through a challenging period - that's not unusual.

What I feel it that we have a duty of care to our clients to be available to support them.

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SHOW NOTES

Connect with Sharon

Connect with Paul


Resources relating to this podcast:

Edgar Schein's book 'Helping', mentioned by Paul in the podcast, explains why you can only help the people who want to be helped, as well as the importance of partnership in your relationship with your client. Read the book by clicking on the button below.

If you want to know more about Argus and the reason for the mythological name, as well as Sharon's reasons for starting her business, click the link below. The 'About us' page is like no other...

Remarkable Practice Manager Programme.

Could your managers be more skilful, more motivated, or more engaged to deliver better results for your firm?

In your accountancy firm, it’s not just your financial and technical skills and knowledge that drive performance, it’s the quality of your managers.

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  • Profitability increases

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That is exactly why we created our Manager Development Programme — built specifically for the challenges and expectations of modern accountancy firms.

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Click the button below to read more about our Remarkable Manager Programme and if you want to discuss it further, please get in touch via the 'chat with us now' button on the website - it's a real person.

Remarkable Practice Client Manager Programme.

You secure your firm’s future growth and profitability when your clients are loyal, recommend you more, buy additional services and are open to regular price increases.

And what drives all of that?

Not just technical quality. Not just deadlines met.
It’s the behaviour and mindset of your client managers.

When your client managers improve how they engage and care for clients, your firm’s results improve.

So the question is: Could you be doing more to build your client managers’ skills and mindset?

That’s exactly what our Client Manager Programme is designed to do.

It helps client managers:

  • Build deeper client relationships
  • Deliver value beyond the numbers
  • Handle pricing conversations with confidence
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Great client care is no longer a soft skill. It is a strategic advantage.

Click the button below to read more about our Remarkable Client Manager Programme and if you want to discuss it further, please get in touch via the 'chat with us now' button on the website – it’s a real person.

Sharon and Paul talk about the importance of KPIs and measuring what matters most in your firm. Sharon is very clear on her KPIs, her most important one being the human connections with clients. She calls these touchpoints.

What is your most important KPI?

We know accountants love to track and measure – let’s make sure you track and measure the right things in your firm.

Click the link on the button below to read the Business Breakthrough report 'Sustainable Success with KPIs' and make sure you measure what matters most in your firm.

Your Firm’s Future - by Douglas Aitken and Paul Shrimpling of Remarkable Practice

In a world of constant change, uncertainty, and increasing client expectations, one thing separates ambitious firms from the rest: Strategic health.

In our book, ‘Your Firm’s Future’, we share a practical framework built around 8 essential questions that will help you assess and build your strategic health.

Why does strategic health matter so much? Because when your firm is strategically healthy it benefits your team, your clients, in fact everyone connected with your firm.

Strategic health isn’t just an internal metric. It delivers a better outcome for everyone connected to your firm.

Click the button below to take the strategic health of your firm seriously by completing our 'Strategic Health Diagnostic’

or

Click the button below that to buy the book.


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