Running a service-based business has a lot of moving parts: sales, marketing, talent acquisition, client retention, and more. But one of the most challenging parts is deciding how to charge for your services—even for accountants, whose work primarily involves financial information.

In a perfect world, all your new accounting clients would know exactly what they’re supposed to do and when, and who to talk to in your firm about certain items. Similarly, you would know who to contact on the client side when you have questions. Everyone would be clear about expectations from both sides.

Collaborating with people outside your organisation can present a challenge. You want to impress your clients and solidify your relationships by keeping projects on track and communicating clearly. And you want to ensure you and your vendors are on the same page by providing up-to-date, accurate information.

Any savvy leader knows that putting clients first is a key component of how to grow your accounting practice. That’s why your client relation skills—and the level of service quality you offer—matter. On both these fronts, there are things you can do to up your game.

In a perfect business world, only those authorised to access certain systems would be able to—without an intermediary. However, reality demands there be some sort of mechanism for the system to validate a login. Enter the password, a collection of characters that only one person—or a select few—knows.

Sharing files internally, whether with your team or across departments, is a fairly simple process. However, when it comes time to share files with clients, things get a little trickier.

Years ago, the only clouds on most professionals’ minds were the ones outside their office—where they longed to be instead of wading through mounds of paperwork at their desk.

What’s the difference between traditional and modern-day client portals? Simply put, firms that have modern portals can do more, in less time. They provide firms with a competitive advantage by making their job easier and improving their client’s experience.

Remote team collaboration can be challenging, especially if your organisation hasn’t done it on a large scale before. Letting a few employees work away from the office occasionally is one thing, but transitioning a large share of your workforce to remote work requires formal planning.

Ask any accounting professional about their top concerns and undoubtedly security will be near the top of the list. This shouldn’t be surprising given the sensitive nature of the information they consume and share every day.