CPA Success Stories

Joe Troupe, CPA

Joe Troupe's practice in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, employs three accountants and an administrative assistant. It is a diversified practice with about 30% concentration on physicians. He's been at this location since 1992..

"I've been a Sterling client about two and a half years. I give management advisory services, telling other people how to run their businesses.

John Davis, CPA

I have been in public accounting for thirty years. During that time, I have received my CPA, CFP, PFS and CVA certifications. Those certifications help me provide the professional service my clients need, but did not give me the tools necessary to build a successful practice and achieve my personal goals.

I've Increased my Leisure Time by 20%

Joanne Rosenfeld, a CPA with an eight-employee firm in North Carolina, became a Sterling client in early March of 1998. She went to Sterling's offices for the Executive Booster training in late April. Joanne talks about her experience at Sterling and back in her practice.

"I wasn't accomplishing what I needed to accomplish in the time allotted. It seemed like I wasn't efficient.

My Billings Are up 55% and I Cut My Hours by More Than a Third

Yesterday was April 15th and everything was finished shortly after lunch. The day before I only worked half a day. Was business slow for me this year? No, in fact it was a far busier tax season than last year. The difference is that this year I became a Sterling client and learned the right way to run an accounting practice.

Sandra McIlvain, CPA

After years in the workforce, I decided to return to school to get my accounting degree. I liked accounting and the personal touch of working with clients. When I graduated, I opened my own CPA practice from scratch. Excited, the future looked bright. Little did I know the challenges that were ahead of me.

Marcia Fritz, CPA

I opened my own practice near Sacramento, CA in 1983. In addition to the usual tax returns, we conduct audits of small governmental districts and non-profits as well as helping small businesses with their accounting and QuickBooks setup. I also personally do quite a bit of consulting for the State of CA (when they have money), working on financially related special projects, usually under the State Auditor General.

Now We Know Where We Want to go and We Know How to Get There

We (my brother, sister and I—partners of Feldmann & Company CPAs, PC) went out together for Sterling's training in October of last year. While we were doing the training, we wanted to get everything we learned implemented right then. We were anxious to implement all the good things we learned. We've discovered since then that it is a process - it doesn't happen overnight. But it IS happening and we are very pleased with it.

This Year it was Much More Relaxed During Tax Season

Bette Demarest has had a practice in Olney, Maryland, just outside of Washington D.C., since 1991. She has been a CPA for 23 years.

"Most of my practice is individual taxation, some financial planning, and business for which we do monthly accounting. We also do some consulting with clients to help them improve their financial pictures: retirement planning, succession planning, and tax work for them. I have an office manager, one other CPA working for me and a part-time tax preparer.

A Recipe for Success

I have been in the accounting business since 1975, and over the years I had received fliers from Sterling Management several times. Whenever one would come through, I would think that the program looked interesting and maybe I would check them out some other time. Last year was that time.

Last year was a very difficult tax season. It was a record year for me; I had plenty of business, there was plenty of money flowing around, but I didn't seem to have control over the practice. I didn't have the right staff and didn't have the right procedures in place. It was very frustrating.

Charles Booth, CPA

Before I started my training with Sterling I was beginning to do some things "right." I wasn't working the long hours some of my colleagues were but problems with unproductive employees, marginal profits and cash flow were keeping me thinking about my practice twenty-four hours a day! I was so busy trying to figure out how to help everyone around me that no one was getting any real benefit. No one was happy, especially me.