Starting a new CPA firm is never easy, but the rewards are great when it gets off the ground. Trying to make it in the big cities is a much harder challenge than trying to get rooted in a small city or town.
Most big cities have massive firms that are well-established and work with large volumes. Small city firms do not have this problem as you only need to find a spot that is not overcrowded with CPA firms.
Define your target audience
The great thing about small firms is that they can be highly specialized and in small cities, this counts for a lot. In this case, you must do a bit of research and see which firms are tackling which fields. Some firms target individuals and are focused on tax services for households, whereas other firms might focus on small businesses.
When you have your niche pegged, all that is left to do is to invest in time and billing software to optimize your profits. ImagineTime is the perfect suite for a CPA firm as you will be able to track where all your time is focussed and streamline your operations. It allows you to keep track of your entire team and see where time is wasted or where help is needed.
Advertise locally
Small towns are great areas to use social networks to run advertising campaigns. The key is to get your SEO right and make sure you feature at the top of any search. You could attempt doing this yourself or you could hire an SEO expert to get your business noticed.
Most small towns have community groups where you could also post your adverts. The key is to get into as many of the advertising lanes as possible, anything from the local newspaper to public bulletin boards. Here you must tackle both digital and traditional advertising campaign strategies to get the word out.
Create a commercial
Creating a radio commercial for your CPA firm might sound old-fashioned, but in a small town, it is worth a lot. Small towns are known for having close-knit communities and having a feeling of patriotism. This means that the folks that live there will support local over mainstream any day.
The local radio station is a main source of information, and most folks tune into it daily. When you book your commercial in a popular time slot, you are sure to get ample call-backs.
Network with established firms
Small towns rely on teamwork to make it. Therefore, you need to start networking and working together with the other firms. One hand washes the other so to say and as mentioned earlier, in a small town, CPA firms usually focus on certain niches.
When you do not pose a threat to another firm, they will be eager to help you out if you send some work their way as well. This will require that you build some trust upfront and be the first one to refer a client to their firm. The sooner you start to network, the sooner you can build trust and get referrals from other firms as well.
Sponsor local events
Small towns are more eager to support a business if they can see that the business does something for the community as well. If you want the people of the town on your side, you need to share the love and invest back into the community. When there is a visible presence of your business, there will also be a sense of loyalty towards your firm.