The most significant challenge facing CPA firms of all sizes across the nation today is client retention, an indication of how the economy is affecting business practices for accountants and other professional service providers, according to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' 2009 CPA Firm Top Issues Survey.

Bay Street Group LLC and Capstone Marketing, two leading marketing and market research firms to the CPA profession, have joined forces to conduct a ground-breaking and comprehensive investigation into the critical success factors for today's accounting firm.

AccountingWEB 2009 Scholarship award-winning essayBy Molly Klusek, The University of ScrantonEnvironmental responsibility is a prevailing issue among businesses in the modem age. With growing media scrutiny and investor expectations, in addition to deteriorating environmental conditions, it is necessary that corporations formulate methods of promoting green causes for the coming years. Regarding sustainability, companies must recognize that their actions impact the environment in the short- and long-term.

By Larry L. Perry, CPAHere are some practical questions accountants and auditors may wish to incorporate in the planning documentation of every audit and review engagement for the foreseeable future.Does the accountant's or auditor's understanding of the client's business and industry reveal any information contrary to the going-concern assumption?

Accounting firms with a growing mobile work force may be struggling to understand how best to manage the complexity of employees working from disparate locations – how to give workers the IT support they need, while getting the most from the technology for the good for the firm.It's a big question, and one that is growing in importance.

Tax season is over and the golf course and warm weather are calling your name. But in this economy, can you really afford to take time off work? Business advisors have said that clients are out there, you will just have to work harder to get them. Doesn't that mean you should be beating the bushes instead of playing golf? Whatever you do, don't let Debbie Waitkus hear you say that.

Currently some workflow and document management systems are designed to function independently of one another, making it necessary to run several different applications to perform two tasks that go hand-in-hand. Is it possible for workflow and document management to coexist? Here are some details to consider when combining a workflow and document management system. Document management has many known benefits relating to reducing overhead, but is going paperless enough in an effort to save costs for the small office? Having access to electronic documents is not the only way to save money.