W-2 or 1099-NEC: Which Form Should Your SMB Use for Which Workers?

Filing annual wage reports is just one of the many end-of-year responsibilities expected of every business. But the task is not as straightforward as some would think. The reports get sent to the people who have received wages, and at the same time they get filed with the Social Security Administration (SSA) or the Internal […]

Beware: These Tax Return Red Flags Could Catch the Eye of the IRS

Tax time can be one of the most hated times of the year. Just preparing the forms is enough to be an irritant, and if you owe the government money there’s a good chance that you’re downright annoyed. But neither of those things compare to the feeling that accompanies an envelope bearing an IRS return […]

The 4 Myths of Managing Your Firm’s Finances

If you ask around, you’ll hear a lot of advice out there about how to run your business and handle your finances. And just armchair legal advice, most of it is wrong!  Here are the four biggest myths I hear all the time along with the truth you need to know: You can do your […]

Here’s What Happened in the World of Small Business in April 2021

Here are five things that happened this past month that affect your small business.   1. President Biden announced tax credits for COVID-19 vaccination paid time off. The President announced on April 21st “tax credits for certain businesses that pay employees who take time off to get COVID-19 shots, a new effort to involve corporate […]

Kpi framework: client acquisition

Acquisition In any industry, clients will come and go. Depending on what kind of law your practice, you may have long-term relationships with them and work with them for many years. Alternatively, your clients may be dealing with temporary problems and be on their way once they’re resolved. In either case, bringing in new clients […]

Law Firm KPI Framework: Tracking your profitability

If you’ve been around me for very long, you know how much I love profit! If you’re not making a profit, you’re not running a viable law firm and you won’t last very long.  In the simplest terms, profit is the difference between your revenue and your expenses, so you always want that number to […]

Law Firm KPI Framework: Evaluating Firm Culture

As firm owners, we can sometimes cringe at the mention of company culture. Ask us to track productivity, and we jump right on board. Customer satisfaction is a no-brainer. But mention the culture and satisfaction of our employees and a little piece of us dies inside, I think for two reasons. Number one, we know […]

Law Firm KPI Framework: Measuring Client Experience

When it comes to tracking metrics for your firm, you may be used to cold, objective numbers with dollar signs in front of them. But right here in the middle of our KPI framework, there’s a category that’s much more subjective and a little bit different from the rest: client experience.  We all want to […]

Law Firm KPI Framework: Tracking Client Development

If there’s one missing link that keeps most law firms from accomplishing their goals, it’s tracking KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). That’s why Silver Peaks Accounting uses a framework of KPIs with every client to identify strengths and weaknesses and fix any hidden problems. These KPIs are law firm specific and have been shown time and […]

3 things you MUST review when you get your law firm’s financial statements

Ok, so you’re working with an accountant and you’ve just gotten your monthly financial statements. What do you do?  Do you scour them for hours looking for hidden information?  Do you just file them away and hope there’s nothing there that you need to know?  Are you even sure what you’re looking at? Financial statements […]