Your hiring playbook needs a makeover

From startup founders leaving traditional firms to the power of client testimonials, today’s edition is packed with insights to sharpen your strategy.

But before we dive into KPIs, hiring woes and the art of delegation, take a quick detour into the world of firm growth strategies, because your 2026 business development plan deserves better than simply winging it.

Small bites, big results: Why breaking projects into chunks saves your sanity

KPI bridge: How finance turns operations metrics into bottom-line wins

A penny. When the reconciliation is off by just one cent.  

Startup shift: Founders move away from traditional firms and toward niche tax and compliance pros 

Master delegation and escape the founder bottleneck

If you're still running every meeting and answering every Slack ping, it might be time to loosen your grip. In this episode of the "Earmark Podcast," host Blake Oliver chats with Chase Damiano of Human at Scale about escaping founder bottlenecks using a six-part delegation framework: responsibility, purpose, success, process, resources and decisions. You'll hear how to turn one-on-ones into leadership labs, create a team responsibility inventory and build a delegation roadmap. The kicker? Great delegation works a lot like great AI prompting: it needs to be clear, specific and actionable.

Why this matters: Accountants can't scale if they're bogged down in the details. Strong delegation frees up time for strategy and sanity. (Earmark Podcast)

Rethinking your accounting talent hiring playbook

Still posting job openings and hoping for the best? That won't cut it in today's competitive hiring market. Ryan Lazanis, CPA, founder of Future Firm, outlines how firms can refine their value proposition, target the right candidates and modernize outreach strategies beyond generic job boards. The takeaway? Recruiting is a process, not a gamble. The firms that systemize it have an edge.

Why this matters: If you're still waiting for resumes to roll in, you'll be waiting a while. A more innovative approach means identifying the talent you need to drive growth. (Future Firm)

90

The number of days it took agentic AI to go from zero adoption to CFO test runs at major U.S. firms. (PYMNTS)

• New outsourcing tax could complicate client costs and hiring strategies
• CFOs told to demand sharper insights from auditors using big tech
• AICPA and NASBA float updates that may reshape CPE rules
• Finance pros swap spreadsheets for passports in booming travel industry
• Older workers embrace upskilling to keep pace in evolving workplaces

Trust me, I'm an accountant (and here's proof) 

Credentials and service lists might look impressive, but when clients are weighing whether to hand over their business's books, it's not your well-crafted tagline that seals the deal. It's social proof: real stories and testimonials from clients who've been in their shoes. Case studies demonstrate how you've saved a client thousands of dollars on taxes or helped them clean up their financial chaos, while testimonials deliver the emotional impact of someone saying, "They actually solved my problem." Together, they reduce risk and help prospects see you're not just capable, you're proven.

Why this matters: For accountants, social proof is a growth strategy that builds trust faster than any credential list. In a profession where risk and reputation weigh heavily, case studies and testimonials can tip the scales and bring new clients to your door. (Kovacs Communications)

The Net Gains is your one-stop shop for fresh, FREE accounting insights. You can reach the newsletter team at thenetgains@mynewsletter.co. We enjoy hearing from you.

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The Net Gains is curated and written by Janet Berry-Johnson and edited by Bianca Prieto.