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People & TalentPeople & Talent
The delegation matrix that transformed flinder

The delegation matrix that transformed flinder

Delegating is a challenge, but it has to be done. This is the exercise we used at flinder to step away from the day-to-day and deliver business value.

Alastair Barlow
Alastair Barlow
Strategy & GrowthStrategy & Growth
Why the best goals only last 90 days (an intro to OKRs)

Why the best goals only last 90 days (an intro to OKRs)

It might sound counterintuitive. But limit your goals in terms of scope and timeframe, and you might find you achieve more thanks to focus and accountability. That’s the logic and value of using OKRs.

Alastair Barlow
Alastair Barlow
Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence
Is AI forcing accountants into the role of ‘system designer’?

Is AI forcing accountants into the role of ‘system designer’?

As firms adopt AI, some become ‘builders’ while others simply ‘buy’. But is it just a matter of time before all accountants have to know how to build systems with AI?

Alastair Barlow
Alastair Barlow
Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence
+1+1
From AI-curious to AI-centric: where’s the value for firms that are serious about AI?

From AI-curious to AI-centric: where’s the value for firms that are serious about AI?

Apparently, 70% of firms are using AI, according to AccountancyAge. But how many of these firms have an AI strategy, rather than a scattergun approach? Strategy = returns. So let’s talk about how firms can get serious about AI.

Alastair Barlow
Alastair Barlow
Strategy & GrowthStrategy & Growth
Okay, you’ve built a firm. But did you build a business?

Okay, you’ve built a firm. But did you build a business?

Firms need to operate - and earn - like businesses, but many of them don’t. Here’s what the industry’s leading accountants would do to fix that.

Alastair Barlow
Alastair Barlow
Strategy & GrowthStrategy & Growth
Vending machine or butler: how should a ‘firm of the future’ serve its clients?

Vending machine or butler: how should a ‘firm of the future’ serve its clients?

Accounting is changing. New tech. New ICPs. And new service models. But do firms face a fork in the road — and a decision to make about how they serve clients in the future?

Alastair Barlow
Alastair Barlow
Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence
+1+1
The business case for advisory as AI adoption grows

The business case for advisory as AI adoption grows

If AI is a “threat” to traditional accounting. What next? Advisory relies on human intelligence, but AI can help support and improve your delivery.

Alastair Barlow
Alastair Barlow
Strategy & GrowthStrategy & Growth
Looking to grow existing clients? These are the exercises I rate

Looking to grow existing clients? These are the exercises I rate

1 workshop, 2 hours, 3 exercises: an Account Planning Workshop might be one of the fastest and most powerful ways to expand revenue within existing clients. These are the APW exercises I use, and how to run them well.

Alastair Barlow
Alastair Barlow
Strategy & GrowthStrategy & Growth
The one workshop you need to deepen your understanding of clients and help grow the firm

The one workshop you need to deepen your understanding of clients and help grow the firm

A deep understanding of what clients want and need, today and in the future, is crucial for retention. As is having the proposition(s) to match. Enter: the Account Planning Workshop.

Alastair Barlow
Alastair Barlow
Strategy & GrowthStrategy & Growth
How we built flinder’s advisory-first offer

How we built flinder’s advisory-first offer

Advisory was a clear, logical fit for flinder from the start. But building it right took time. We had to learn about clients and earn their trust. So let’s take it back to the beginning: what did we prioritise and why?

Alastair Barlow
Alastair Barlow
Operating modelOperating model
Everyone’s talking about advisory. But is there risk becoming an advisory-only firm?

Everyone’s talking about advisory. But is there risk becoming an advisory-only firm?

There’s a strong argument for building an advisory-first firm. It certainly worked for us at flinder. But is advisory the only future-proofed route forward, or will compliance always have some value?

Alastair Barlow
Alastair Barlow
Artificial IntelligenceArtificial Intelligence
12 AI tools and how accountants are using them today (part 2)

12 AI tools and how accountants are using them today (part 2)

Frustrated by the lack of AI in accounting software? Here’s a list of other AI tools to use in your practice instead, and an example use case for each.

Alastair Barlow
Alastair Barlow
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A series of ramblings on how we built flinder and the lessons along the way.

The Naked Accountant

A series of ramblings on how we built flinder and the lessons along the way.

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