Your 2022 to-do list

January 6, 2022 9:00 AM

Just when you’ve finally finished one year, a brand-new one comes along to ruin your day. To help you get through yet another twelve months, we’ve assembled a dozen tasks that should make 2022 a least a little better than 2021.

January

Identify the most important employees in your firm — the ones who really make things tick. (If you have a very small firm, try identifying your most important relationships — referral sources, for instance, and major clients). Then start coming up with a specific retention plan for each.

February

Does your firm have a mission statement? Go around the office and give $10 to anyone who can quote it (or summarize it, if it’s long). If you don’t have one, write one, and reward staff for learning it.

March

Add five to 10 minutes to each tax engagement to ask the client what they’re most concerned about for the rest of the year, and what their plans are. If appropriate, set a post-tax season appointment with them to discuss it further.

April

We always like to make April easy, so this time around, why not binge “Ted Lasso” — or rewatch it, if you’ve already seen it once. It’s hilarious, and full of great management lessons.

May

Review (or create) and document your onboarding process. What do new employees need to know? Who do they need to meet? How are you introducing them to and inculcating them with your culture? How has your process changed since the pandemic, and how are you making up for any in-person activities that the pandemic has made more difficult?

June

Review your firm’s boilerplate engagement letters (or create them, if you don’t have any). Go through your top handful of clients and see how far those engagements have strayed from the boilerplate. Look particularly for areas where you may have started providing brand-new services that are far outside the original scope of the agreement.

July

Close your firm every Friday between now and Labor Day. (This applies to virtual firms, too — the point is to make sure all staff feel comfortable not working those days.)

August

Happy men handshaking with helpful psychologist and applauding colleagues near by

Between now and the end of the year, ask each of your top 10 clients for referrals, and offer them a boilerplate email that they can send out recommending you, so they don’t have to write it themselves.

September

Put a box next to your desk or by the entrance to your work area, and start filling it with things you don’t need. Don’t stop until the box is full — then throw it out.

October

Each day, visit one page of your website (you have one, right?) and check to make sure it’s up to date, interesting, and provides a way for clients and potential clients to reach you.

November

Watching a webinar online - online CPE - online learning

Check your CPE requirements, and if you have some due by the end of the year, complete them this month, rather than at the last minute.

December:

Review your tax season plan. Are your client communications ready? Extra staff lined up? Everyone on the same page regarding new processes, training, software and tax regs? If you can, hold an all-staff Zoom meeting and encourage questions.