Jason On Firms Podcast

Hosted by Jason Staats

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616

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Jun 2026

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About the show

I'm Jason Staats, and on this podcast we talk through practical tips to run more profitable, calm accounting firms

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June 16, 2026Episode 6171 hr 0 min

617 5 More AI Use Cases for Accounting Firms [Number three is incredible]

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! jason@jasononfirms.comIn this episode, I share five real AI workflows that accounting firms are already using in production, from reading handwritten checks and verifying tax transcripts to automating audit checklists, preparing spreadsheet workpapers, and building AI-powered email dashboards. I explain how firms should think about moving from AI assistants to AI-driven workflows and why documentation, goals, and process design matter more than prompts. Then I review an accounting firm built by a non-accountant, discuss pricing and niche strategy, and answer questions.🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps💰 Today's SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Canopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demoFinancial Cents: Book a demo here: https://hubs.li/Q03PYVrp0 and use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaats// Chapters:00:00 - Five AI Workflows Firms Use Today18:01 - AI-Powered Email Dashboards20:24 - Roast a Firm31:30 - Mailbag35:20 - Buying Legacy Firms in the AI Era49:45 - Mailbag 259:45 - Closing thoughts🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

June 12, 2026Episode 6161 hr 12 min

616 Your Accounting Firm Pricing Is Broken (Here’s how to fix it)

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! jason@jasononfirms.comIn this episode, I break down the six biggest pricing traps holding accounting firms back and explain practical ways to fix them. We talk about moving beyond hourly billing, improving proposal design, avoiding underpricing, and building pricing systems that actually support profitability. I also share my reaction to the latest AI developments, including why new models like Fable have me questioning just how quickly the landscape is changing. We discuss what AI means for accounting firms today, where it creates leverage, and why pricing becomes even more important as AI reduces the relationship between effort and value.🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps💰 Today's SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Canopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demoFinancial Cents: Book a demo here: https://hubs.li/Q03PYVrp0 and use code Jason10 to receive 10% off the Team or Scale annual plan for firms with 2+ users.MakersHub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaats// Chapters:00:00 - Pricing Traps Holding Firms Back19:00 - Fixing Your Pricing Strategy39:14 - Mailbag53:30 - Closing Thoughts🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

June 9, 2026Episode 61558 min

615 The First $1B Accounting Firm Rollup [What this means for small accounting firms]

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! jason@jasononfirms.comIn this episode, I break down Thrive Holdings’ $1B accounting firm rollup, why OpenAI has a stake in it, and what this could mean for small firms. I explain why traditional rollups often fail, why AI may change the economics, and why client relationships still matter most. Then I walk through how an accounting firm could build a niche around indie authors, including choke points, live events, software vendors, and influencers. I also answer questions on moving clients from owner to staff, AI tax prep disappointments, whether I’m paid by Claude, MCPs for practice management, speech-to-text tools, CPA value, and AI disclosure to clients.📹 Here’s that video to help build your service library https://youtu.be/T8rQzr3ogkM?si=aCzmb_rfp0FmNGvb🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps💰 Today's SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demo// Chapters:00:00 - The $1B AI accounting bet22:41 - Nerd Corner35:34 - Mailbag begins35:53 - Getting clients to trust your team38:22 - Why AI tax prep disappointed46:37 - MCPs and the future of firm tech55:00 - Do clients need AI disclosure?🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

June 5, 2026Episode 6141 hr 7 min

614 The Three Types of Accounting Firm AI [And where to deploy each in your accounting firm]

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! jason@jasononfirms.comIn this episode, I break down the three most likely AI futures for accounting firms, general-purpose AI assistants like Claude, AI assistants connected to software through MCPs, and AI embedded directly inside accounting software. I explain the pros, risks, and strategic implications of each approach, especially around security, software buying decisions, and vendor lock-in. I also share real-world AI use cases from firms around the country, answer questions about hiring AI specialists, security best practices, offshore staffing compliance, and helping teams navigate AI-related job fears. 📹 Here’s that video to help build your service library https://youtu.be/T8rQzr3ogkM?si=aCzmb_rfp0FmNGvb🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps💰 Today's SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demo// Chapters:00:00 - Three AI Futures for Accounting Firms09:04 - MCPs and the Future of Software24:25 - AI Built Into Accounting Software34:11 - Which AI Future Is Most Likely?35:54 - Nerd Corner44:31 - Mailbag44:31 - Escaping the Capacity and Hiring Cycle52:05 - Offshore Hiring and Cloud Accountant Staffing59:26 - AI Hiring, Security, and Team Concerns🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

June 2, 2026Episode 6131 hr 3 min

613 Stop Writing SOPs for Your Accounting Firm. Do This Instead [The NEW way to build your SOPs]

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! jason@jasononfirms.comIn this episode, I argue that AI has fundamentally changed how accounting firms should think about SOPs, documentation, and standardization. I walk through six common documentation traps and explain why many traditional best practices are already becoming obsolete as AI agents can create, maintain, improve, and even execute processes themselves. Then I answer questions on CRMs vs practice management systems, building a niche advisory service, creating culture in remote teams, QuickBooks Desktop vs modern AI workflows, software being replaced by Claude, AI security for small firms, and whether QuickBooks Desktop might oddly become relevant again in an AI-first world.📹 Here’s that video to help build your service library https://youtu.be/T8rQzr3ogkM?si=aCzmb_rfp0FmNGvb🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps💰 Today's SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demo// Chapters:00:00 - AI and the Future of SOPs05:25 - Six Documentation Traps17:11 - AI Agents and Process Management30:32 - Mailbag30:56 - Do Accounting Firms Need a CRM?37:18 - Finding Clients for a New Niche41:10 - Building Culture on Remote Teams43:24 - QuickBooks Desktop vs Enterprise Suite45:44 - How to Niche Your Accounting Firm47:28 - Software Being Replaced by AI51:24 - AI Security for Small Firms56:06 - Which AI Models Should Firms Use?57:48 - Is QuickBooks Desktop the Future?🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

May 29, 2026Episode 61233 min

612 The Accountant Desk Setup: A Guide [10 tips to dial in your battle station]

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! jason@jasononfirms.comIn this episode, I break down the 10 commandments of an accountant’s desk setup and why your office environment directly affects productivity. I cover monitor limits, desk wheels, underside mounting, monitor arms, eye level, cable management, keyboards, team hardware standardization, chairs, lighting, and CO2 levels. Then I play Hot or Not with office trends like standing desks, gaming chairs, glass desktops, L-shaped desks, and keyboard trays.🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps💰 Today's SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demo// Chapters:00:00 The accountant desk setup problem01:02 Why office setup affects productivity02:00 Commandment 1: know your limits05:23 Commandments 2–3: wheels + underside mounting08:55 Sponsors: hiring + tax workflow10:53 Commandments 4–8: monitors, cables, keyboards, hardware18:57 Sponsors: Canopy + Verito21:14 Commandments 9–10: chairs, lighting, and CO225:17 Hot or Not: office trends33:01 Final desk setup advice🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

May 26, 2026Episode 61154 min

611 The Most Important Software in your Accounting Firm [And the cost of getting it wrong]

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! jason@jasononfirms.comIn this episode, I break down why practice management systems become such a nightmare for accounting firms and the six biggest traps firms fall into when selecting, migrating, and rolling out a PM platform. I explain why there’s no perfect system, why demos are misleading, how firms overload their teams with change, and why client portals fail adoption. Then I speedrun listener questions on AI pricing, niching risk, automating client back offices, workflow bottlenecks, and whether AI threatens accounting firms. I also debut a new segment.🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps💰 Today's SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demo// Chapters:00:00 - Practice management systems are high-stakes01:21 - Dirty Dozen+ PM headaches02:01 - The 6 biggest PM traps14:17 - PM setup, migration, and adoption mistakes24:07 - Roast My Podcast Reviews31:24 - Mailbag32:02 - Human vs AI accounting work41:13 - Is AI replacing accounting firms?43:49 - Does AI make niching riskier?48:56 - AI automation opportunities in client workflows51:15 - Why more accountants are starting firms54:19 - Closing thoughts🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

May 22, 2026Episode 61058 min

610 Most Accounting Firms Are Using Claude Wrong [5 Steps To Automate Agentic Work]

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! jason@jasononfirms.comIn this episode, I break down how firms can move from live Claude conversations to AI workflows that run in the background. I walk through five levels of AI autonomy, from simple chats and scheduled tasks to hosted routines and managed agents. Then I roast a $700K bookkeeping/CFO firm dealing with operational heaviness, SOP sprawl, niche opportunities, and scaling pains. I also answer questions on custom AI tools, Claude for Small Business, referral partnerships, where to build agents first, email triage, and whether old-school firms are worth buying.🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps💰 Today's SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Verito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demo// Chapters:00:00 - AI in the walls02:12 - Five levels of AI autonomy06:17 - Claude Code routines + webhooks14:18 - Managed agents explained18:20 - Roast a $700K bookkeeping firm27:45 - SOPs, systems, and standardization33:07 - Local vs national niche strategy35:28 - Mailbag35:45 - Custom AI tools vs software46:03 - Where to build AI agents first48:25 - AI email management52:58 - Buying old-school firms56:09 - Closing thoughts🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

May 19, 2026Episode 60954 min

609 6 Blockers to Adopting AI In Accounting Firms [And how to build an AI native accounting firm]

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! jason@jasononfirms.comIn this episode, I break down the six biggest blockers keeping accounting firms from becoming AI native. I explain why Claude is the best starting point right now, why AI adoption needs daily team habits, and why incentives matter more than training. I also cover pricing fears, staff anxiety, AI replacing task-based work, and how firm owners should think about their responsibility to help teams adapt.🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps💰 Today's SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Makershub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demoVerito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesMissive: https://missiveapp.com/jason// Chapters:00:00 - Why firms are struggling with AI02:54 - The 6 blockers to becoming AI native10:02 - Why teams resist AI adoption17:30 - AI pricing fears + job replacement29:23 - Mailbag44:15 - Will AI kill accounting work?49:31 - Content strategy + scaling content53:36 - Closing thoughts🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa

May 15, 2026Episode 6081 hr 1 min

608 6 Claude Cowork Use-Cases for Accounting Firms [Accounting firms are actually doing this!]

🚀 Get smarter faster by learning with other firm owners: https://www.rlz.io/📩 Want a simple way to keep up with accounting firm and AI? I break it down every week in my newsletter: https://www.jasononfirms.com/newsletter☎️ Leave me a voicemail at (1)516-980-4968!📧 Email me! jason@jasononfirms.comIn this episode, I break down six real AI use cases accounting firms are actively using right now, from Claude creating SOPs from screen recordings and consolidating multi-entity financials, to tax checklist automation, document renaming, crypto dashboards, and AI-powered prospecting. I also explain where AI agents still break down, especially around month-end close document collection and browser automation. Then I answer questions on pricing confidence, niching, fast growth vs profitability, hallucinations, personal finance workflows, and whether firms should master app-specific AI or focus on cross-platform AI agents like Claude Cowork.🎤 I’m going live! Grab your tickets here: https://www.jasononfirms.com/events🔥 Here’s that Roast-My-Firm intake form: https://airtable.com/appZ7dtNz3oaTWWZT/shrybn5166E9t12ag📚 A curated list of the apps I actually use and recommend: https://www.jasononfirms.com/apps💰 Today's SponsorsCloud Accounting Staffing: https://portal.cloudaccountantstaffing.com/candidatesSoraban: https://www.soraban.com/Makershub: https://makershub.com/get-started?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=jasonstaatsCanopy: getcanopy.com/jason Schedule a demo to see for yourself, and receive a $75 gift card after your demoVerito: https://verito.com/jason?utm_campaign=42071442-Jason&utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Podcast&utm_content=show-notesMissive: https://missiveapp.com/jason// Chapters:00:00 - Six real AI use cases for firms07:40 - AI checklists + hallucination risks17:24 - AI prospecting + newsletter CTA21:14 - Nerd Corner: month-end close chaos35:34 - Mailbag35:55 - Pricing confidence + charging more42:28 - Fast growth vs profitability49:16 - Personal finance + Claude vs Digits54:18 - AI hallucinations explained59:42 - Learn Claude or app-specific AI01:01:17 - Closing thoughts🗣️ Continue the discussion on social!X https://twitter.com/jasononfirmsLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstaats/YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@jasoncpa