Feeling like your practice is disorganized, inefficient, or harder than it should be? You're not alone. 

Whether you've been running your CPA firm for a few years or are newly independent, there comes a point when things start to feel...clunky. You're constantly in reactive mode, you're juggling too many systems, and your "quick fixes" have turned into long-term problems.

The good news? You don't need to blow it all up and start over.

You can streamline your practice without a full reset - by taking small, intentional steps that make a big difference.

Here's how to do it.

#1 Identify Where You're Leaking Time

Before you overhaul anything, step back and figure out what's actually slowing you down.

• Is it chasing down client documents?
• Recreating the same emails over and over?
• Manually updating your to-do list in three different places?

Try This: 

Track your time for one week. Not perfectly - just not where your time is going. You'll start to see patterns:

• Tasks that could be delegated
• Processes that could be templated
• Systems that need to be replaced

Pro Tip: Even 20 minutes a day of manual admin work adds up to over 80 hours a year.

#2 Pick One Process to Simplify First

You don't have to fix everything at once. In fact, you shouldn't. The fastest path to efficiency is choosing one high-friction area and streamlining it before you move on.

Start with something that happens often - like client onboarding, monthly close, or tax return prep.

Try This: 

• Write down the current process step-by-step
• Remove anything that doesn't add value
• Turn it into a checklist or template you can reuse

Pro Tip: If it's something you repeat more than once a month, it deserves a system.

#3 Standardize Before You Automate

Automation only works well if the process is already clean. If you automate a messy process, all you get is a faster mess.

Before you dive into software tools, start by creating standard operating procedures (SOPs) for key workflows. This makes delegation, onboarding, and automation much smoother.

Examples of What to Standardize:

• Your monthly close process
• How you communicate deadlines to clients
• What happens each time you sign a new engagement

Pro Tip: Record a Loom video walking through each process, so future hires can follow along.

#4 Consolidate Your Tools

Too many CPAs are bouncing between six platforms to complete one task. If you're using one tool for email, another for task management, another for document storage - and none of them are talking to each other - you're burning hours.

Try This: 

• List every tool you're using
• Ask: Is this still necessary? Is it the best option for this job?
• Consolidate where possible:
  • Use Karbon or Jetpack Workflow for task + client + email management
  • Use Canopy for documents, signatures, and client communication
  • Use QuickBooks Online for accounting and invoicing

Pro Tip: Fewer tools = fewer passwords, fewer logins, and way more focus.

#5 Use Templates Everywhere You Can

If you're writing the same email, creating the same spreadsheet, or repeating the same checklist from memory - you're wasting mental energy.

Templates don't make you robotic. They make you efficient.

Where to Use Templates:

• Client welcome emails
• Engagement letters
• Monthly reports
• Audit checklists
• FAQ responses

Pro Tip: Use TextExpander or Google Docs to store and quickly access these.

#6 Don't Wait for "Down Time" to Make Improvements

Spoiler alert: there is no magical "slow season" when everything will feel calm enough to rebuild your systems from scratch.

The best time to start streamlining is now - a little at a time.

• Take one hour a week to review a process
• Set up one automation per month
• Replace one outdated tool this quarter

Small steps lead to big changes, without disrupting client work or overwhelming your team.

A Better Firm Starts One Step at a Time

You don't need a clean slate to make your firm more efficient. 

You just need a commitment to start refining what you already have.

• Look for bottlenecks.
• Streamline one thing at a time.
• Focus on repeatable, fixable processes.

When you do that, you'll create more space, reduce your stress, and build a firm that works for you - not the other way around.