< PreviousA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL for the CONSULTING DISCIPLINES 50 JULY | AUGUST 2021 the value examiner Rod: Besides your phone and computer, what apps, gadgets, or tools can’t you work without? Andrew: I’ve used certain apps and gadgets the past few years. The two apps I currently find helpful are Grammarly and Voice Dream. Grammarly helps find grammatical mistakes in my writing and Voice Dream is an audio application that reads PDF files. My favorite gadgets are my two calculators—an HP 12C and a Sharp QS-2130 that have been tools for 25 years. Rod: What do you listen to while you work? Andrew: I listen to classical and jazz. Silence also works. Rod: How do you keep track of what you have to do? Andrew: I maintain a manual list of engagements, including deadlines, status, issues, and any other notes relevant to the job. My associates and I also actively communicate with each other so we generally have a good idea of the status of engagements. We typically end up discussing the issues and open items during the day, so the active communication and documentation with my team has been our system. Rod: What are your best cost-saving ideas? Andrew: My recommendation is investing in a good IT company, since so much of our work is computer-based and technology-dependent. In my first few years, I went through about five IT companies. One way to incur a significant amount of time and expense is poor IT. Good technology and support saves you those things. Andrew's workstation setup is a desktop computer with three monitors, speakers, wireless keyboard, mouse, calculator, telephone, and an iPad. Rod: How about your favorite productivity tip that saves you lots of time? Andrew: I prefer to start early and get as much done before 8:00 a.m. or 9:00 a.m., which is around the time when most phone calls and emails start and people get into the office. Rod: Early bird or night owl—what’s your sleep routine? Andrew: Early bird. Rod: Do you have any office/admin staff? Andrew: Yes, there are three profes- sionals and one administrative staff per- son in my firm. Rod: How do you stay technically current with changes in the profession? Andrew: I am active in my local professional chapter committees. The committees generally discuss new developments and trends in the industry, including technology trends. I also try to be active with organizations such as AICPA, NACVA, ACFE, and others by attending and being active at conferences, seminars, and events to keep current. In addition, I teach at a local educational institution and occasionally present various CPE topics at seminars and conferences. Rod: What non-BVFLS book have you read most recently or want to get to, and why? Andrew: I’m currently reading Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis. I read this book many years ago but have made a full circle back to rereading it after recently reading Counterfeit Gods, by Timothy Keller, since many references to it were made from this book. I enjoy this book because it adds a real-life and common-sense element to religion.A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL for the CONSULTING DISCIPLINES the value examiner JULY | AUGUST 2021 51 Rod: How do you recharge? What do you do when you want to forget about work? Andrew: During the weekdays, I meet a colleague or two for lunch or dinner. Sometimes, we attend a baseball or basketball game after work to clear our minds and recharge. During the weekends, I enjoy spending time with my children—especially playing golf, baseball, and tossing the football with them. We occasionally attend Yankees, Knicks, and Jets games. Rod: What are the biggest practice challenges you face as a sole practitioner? Andrew: My two largest challenges are business development and employee retention, development, and management. The business development is self-explanatory but remains a challenge every year. The employee aspect is also a challenge as I’m responsible for developing my associates. It’s a challenge to find good talent and even more so to develop and keep good talent on your team. Rod: What (or where) are the biggest practice opportunities for someone going solo now? Andrew: One of the biggest practice opportunities is in the information technology and digital currency arena. I’ve discussed this with many colleagues in the larger firms, and this seems to be a practice area they want to expand as digital currencies continue to grow exponentially. The government also seems to be allocating more of its resources to this practice area. Rod: What is the best work/life advice you have ever received? Andrew: When I started my practice, I was fortunate to have seasoned sole practitioners share their professional and personal experience and wisdom. The common theme was that time goes fast, so you should focus on what you can control and what is relevant, which is yourself and how you allocate your time. Trust God with your work and life. Therefore, as important as it is to develop a successful practice, it’s equally important to give back to the community and the profession and to spend as much time as possible with your family. I now find myself practicing this advice while at the same time advising my mentees and employees. It’s a blessing to have met great people who’ve invested their time and wisdom, which goes back to my earlier point of seizing your opportunity early. Rod: Finish this sentence: If I knew then what I know now, I would… Andrew: …probably change some employee and engagement management matters, but overall, not by much. I would also allocate more resources to technology, as it tends to be growing at a fast pace and it’s challenging for sole practitioners to keep up. Still, I wouldn’t change much because I know what I know now and got to where I am now because of my successes and mistakes. It’s exciting to learn from the opportunities and people encountered each day. Therefore, I’m grateful for what I’ve learned and where I am now. I thank God for the path I was provided and I'm excited about where I will be in the near future. That’s a wrap! Answers have been lightly edited. Do you have a Practicing Solo issue you would like me to address? Email me at rod@rodburkert.com. VE Rod P. Burkert, CPA, CVA, works with BVFLS practitioners who feel like they are working harder than they need to. Or who are not getting the results they feel they should be, given how hard they are working. 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