This electronic newsletter is prepared especially for public practitioners and is sent bimonthly to members of the Indiana CPA Society. This e-newsletter features regular commentary from Bill Reeb, a CPA firm consultant based in Austin, Texas.

In this article, Bill continues the discussion on mergers. In this part of this series, he highlights some issues that firms heading in the direction of merging ought to consider. The following article discusses these scenarios and asks you to consider certain circumstances before following through with a merge. Read Reeb's Commentary.

So You Want to Audit Government Grants?
Before you get too excited about the opportunity, Leita Hart-Fanta wants to share a few observations about auditing in the government environment. Through a series of articles, she will discuss the pros and cons of doing this sort of work. In the first article, Hart-Fanta introduces the nature of the work, the nature of the clients and talks about the special requirements necessary to perform audits for government programs. Read the Article.

How to Get Choosy with New Clients
Before you get too excited about the opportunity, Leita Hart-Fanta wants to share a few observations about auditing in the government environment. Through a series of articles, she will discuss the pros and cons of doing this sort of work. In the first article, Hart-Fanta introduces the nature of the work, the nature of the clients and talks about the special requirements necessary to perform audits for government programs. Read the Article.

CPAs, CFOs Pessimistic About Economy
According to the latest AICPA Economic Outlook Survey, chief financial officers, controllers, and CPAs in executive and senior management accounting roles are far less optimistic now about the direction of the U.S. economy than they were in the first quarter of 2011. Learn More. See the Survey.

Technology Raises the Bar: Four Things Accountants Must Do to Keep Up
While the principles of accounting remain constant, the changing landscape of technology impacts how accountants handle financial information and how they interact with their clients. Dustin Lubertazzi discusses four principles that accountants must consider in order to stay competitive in the future. Read the Article.

AICPA Launches CPA Horizons 2025 Survey
CPA Horizons 2025 is a unique, profession-wide initiative led by the AICPA to gather the insights of CPAs across the country in an effort to examine global trends and help predict and shape the CPA profession's future. From now until July 31, share your insights on how the world and the accounting profession may change by completing an interactive survey on the CPA Horizons 2025 website. Take the Survey. Visit the Web site.

Marketing Tip: Make Hay While the Sun Shines
Now that busy season is officially over, it's time to turn our attention to the "growing season." While it can be tempting to take a break after a long, sometimes-arduous tax season, this is the perfect time to focus on your business and eliminate some seasonality, too. In this article, Krista Remer from ConvergenceCoaching, LLC discusses the importance of scheduling client meetings during your “off season” as a way to show your true interest in your clients’ successes and challenges. Read the Article.