If I could rewind time back 10 years ago to when I was a 20-something year old first time firm owner, I’d probably say something like this:
“Ryan, stop being so darn stubborn, and get yourself a coach!”
When I started Xen Accounting, one of the earliest online accounting firms in North America in 2013, I had a ton of great ideas.
Problem is:
I knew diddly squat about running a business.
And as a result, I made every single mistake in the book.
After hitting a lot of walls, I was able to build systems and develop strategies that allowed me to bring my firm to seven figures…
Without working nights or weekends. 🙂
After I sold the firm, I had a new goal:
To become the resource I wish I always had when I was running Xen Accounting.
That’s when Future Firm Accelerate was born.
What Is Future Firm Accelerate?
When you started your firm, you dreamed of enjoying stress-free workweeks…
Not working weekends…
And maybe even multiple weeks of vacation where you don’t check in on your firm at all.
You were prepared to face the challenges and figure a lot of things out on your own…
Because you wanted freedom.
But instead of getting freedom, you ended up working more.
Now, you’re not only doing accounting work…
You’re also constantly thinking about sales, marketing, and managing your own team members…
All while dealing with clients who pile on to all of that stress.
You’ve tried all the latest tools and the fanciest automations…
You’ve hired a lot of team members…
But your work still keeps piling up somehow.
How do I know all of this?
Because I’ve been where you are before.
If we haven’t met…
I’m Ryan Lazanis, CPA.
I started Xen Accounting, one of the first fully cloud-based accounting firms in North America, in 2013.
And like you, I wasn’t trained to run a business.
I lost a lot of sleep, wasted a lot of money, and dug myself into a hole.
But I didn’t give up.
I put in a lot of hours and spent even more money researching and testing strategies that could transform my accounting firm and give me the freedom I wanted.
Eventually, I developed a system that allowed my firm to run without my involvement…
I stopped working overtime and removed myself from client work — all while enjoying strong revenues.
I later realized that my passion wasn’t in running an accounting firm…
It was in helping the accounting industry move forward.
So, after receiving offers from corporations to buy my firm, I sold Xen Accounting in 2018 for a nice payout.
I then took all of the strategies I developed and my hard-earned (and expensive) experiences…
And focused on a single goal:
To help other accounting firm owners unlock freedom and growth in their firms.
That’s when Future Firm was born.
Future Firm Accelerate is a business coaching program and community that helps accounting firm owners unlock freedom and growth.
Here’s what firms get in the program:
- The same proven systems I used to grow a seven-figure accounting firm from scratch
- Expert coaching when they need help
- A like-minded community of hundreds peers to learn from
Many firm owners (like Jim below) have used Future Firm Accelerate to build the firm they’ve always wanted.
And just like them…
You can too. 🙂
What Do You Get in Future Firm Accelerate?
Future Firm Accelerate is everything I wish I’d had when I was struggling to build my first firm…
And everything I’ve learned from working with hundreds of firm owners since then.
Future Firm Accelerate gives you a clear, six-step autopilot system that works regardless of what kind of your firm you have.
You’ll get hundreds of hours of content with a definitive starting point and clear next steps…
So you can start making an impact on your firm right away…
And get continuous guidance as your firm grows.
Group Coaching and Direct Access to My Expertise
Here’s the thing about running an accounting firm that nobody tells you:
You think your problems are special and unique to your situation.
They’re not.
Not getting paid what you’re worth?
Issues with you being the bottleneck?
Lacking focus and direction?
Trouble finding or keeping A-players?
Classic!
(I’ve seen these same things play out hundreds of times with the firm owners I’ve worked with.)
But here’s the good news:
These problems have been solved before.
And Future Firm Accelerate gives you direct access to guidance when you need it most.
I’m actively hanging out in our member forums answering questions and helping you work through these challenges as they come up.
Some members even provide private coaching to fellow firm owners.
Plus, I hold regular Ask Me Anything calls where you can pick my brain about whatever’s keeping you up at night.
Whether it’s a client trying to negotiate your fees down…
Or a team member who’s struggling with their role in the firm…
Chances are there’s someone in the community who’s already dealt with it before. 🙂
Proven Systems to Build an Autopilot Firm (The Future Firm Playbook)
Right now, your firm probably feels like a demanding toddler that never sleeps.
It needs constant attention and throws tantrums when you try to take time off.
Every vacation gets interrupted by “urgent” client emails.
Every weekend gets hijacked by work that “couldn’t wait until Monday.”
Every attempt to step back results in something falling apart.
If this sounds familiar…
There’s a solution to this.
(And it’s not just a band-aid fix.)
Remember how I mentioned building a system that let my firm run without my constant involvement?
That system is called the Firm Freedom System, and it’s the backbone of everything I teach in Future Firm Accelerate.
You’ll get full access to that in the Future Firm Playbook:
Future Firm Accelerate teaches you how to:
- Properly price your services and multiply your revenue
- Build service packages that lead to repeatable deliverables and protect your firm’s capacity
- Improve your sales process to close high-quality clients
- Implement effective marketing so your ideal prospects find your firm
- Find and recruit highly skilled professionals with good attitudes
- Manage and support your team members to bring out their best
- Leverage technology like AI to improve your firm’s efficiency
- Finally eliminate overwork (even during tax season)
With the Playbook, you can fast-forward your firm’s growth by months (if not years).
But what makes it different from all the advice you’ve heard before?
I’ll let this one speak for itself!
A Community of Fellow Firm Owners
One of the most frustrating parts of running an accounting firm is feeling like you’re the only one dealing with these problems.
Your friends don’t get why you’re stressed about employee retention.
Your family doesn’t understand why you can’t just “hire someone” to fix everything.
And other business owners…
Well, they’re not dealing with the challenges of running a professional service firm.
That’s what the Future Firm Accelerate forums are for.
Our forums are filled with active, engaged firm owners who actually want to help each other succeed.
They share wins, troubleshoot team building challenges, swap marketing strategies, and even refer clients to each other.
You can ask them about specific tools, hiring recommendations, and feedback about your prices.
Plus, they’ll keep you accountable throughout your firm’s growth journey!
RyanBot AI Chat Coaching
Sometimes you need an answer at 11 PM on a Sunday when everyone else is sleeping.
Maybe you’re dealing with a difficult client situation and need to bounce ideas off someone…
Or, you want my thoughts about a pricing strategy but don’t want to wait for our next coaching call. 🙂
That’s where RyanBot comes in!
It’s an AI chatbot…
Trained on all of Future Firm Accelerate’s resources, strategies, and my experiences.
Here’s an example of RyanBot helping out with a tax pricing-related concern:
Think of it as having 24/7 access to everything I know about running a successful accounting firm.
Progress Pods: Your Built-In Accountability Team
Even with access to the right knowledge, many firms fail to transform their firm.
Why?
Two things:
Isolation and lack of accountability.
You get excited about a new strategy, plan to implement it…
But nothing happens.
Weeks turn into months, and that idea is still just an idea.
You’re way more likely to follow through when you have to report back to people who are counting on you…
And who you’re counting on in return.
That’s why Future Firm Accelerate includes Progress Pods.
Progress Pods are small groups of 4-5 firm owners who are matched based on similar revenue, team size, and goals.
You meet regularly, share what you’re working on, and hold each other accountable for implementing the program material.
Plus, you celebrate wins together when someone finally lets go of a nightmare client or takes their first real vacation in years!
Monthly Expert Workshops
Here’s something you might’ve heard many times before…
Every time someone mentions AI or “the future of accounting,” part of you wonders if your firm is going to become obsolete.
(Spoiler: It’s not.)
That said, the firms that stay ahead of trends like these are the ones that thrive.
These are the firms that are able to provide the most premium service to clients and find new ways to increase their firm’s efficiency.
Future Firm Accelerate includes monthly workshops on topics and trends that can make a significant impact on your firm, like:
- Using ChatGPT to streamline your firm’s processes
- Optimizing your client onboarding process with automations
- Hiring skilled, right-fit team members offshore
- Task delegation frameworks and templates
- A system to eliminate busy season stress
You’ll regularly learn practical strategies from myself and other experts in the accounting industry…
So you can stay sharp without spending hours figuring everything out yourself.
What Else Is Included in Future Firm Accelerate?
Discounts With Tools and Services
We’ve negotiated member discounts with tools like Karbon, Financial Cents, and Ignition.
You’ll also get discounts from service providers TeamUp, Botkeeper, and TaxProMarketer.
Industry Benchmarks
Tired of guessing if you’re charging your clients enough?
Members get access to detailed industry benchmarks showing average accounting firm revenues, profit margins, employee salaries, and more.
Member Directory
See Future Firm Accelerate members across the world on an interactive map. You can also access a list view.
Use it to connect with other firm owners, find partnership opportunities, refer clients to each other, or even share team member recommendations!
Scorecard
Before you can improve your firm, you need to know where you stand.
The Future Firm Scorecard helps you diagnose where your business needs the most help so you can take the right next steps.
Why Should You Join Future Firm Accelerate?
Here’s what I’ve learned after coaching hundreds of firm owners:
It doesn’t matter if you’re running a solo practice or managing a team of 20…
Or if you’re just starting out or you’ve been in business for years.
The strategies in Future Firm Accelerate are designed to work for any accounting firm owner who’s ready to start transforming their business.
Reason #1: You’re Tired of Working Too Many Hours
The accounting industry has normalized working 60+ hour weeks like it’s some kind of badge of honor.
Like many firm owners, you’ve probably eaten dinner at your desk during tax season…
Or even canceled weekend plans because the work has to get done.
You might have even felt guilty every time you tried to take a vacation.
(Guilty! For taking time off from your own business!)
But this truth has to be said:
Overwork isn’t a requirement of running a successful accounting firm.
It’s a symptom of running an inefficient one.
For most of my Future Firm Accelerate members, 35 to 40 work hours a week is the norm.
Some of them even work 30 hours a week.
(No, really. Just ask Laura below!)
They don’t work overtime even during tax season because they’ve built systems that handle the workload without requiring their constant presence.
Reason #2: You’re the Bottleneck
Everything feels stressful when everything runs through you, doesn’t it?
Your team can’t make decisions without asking you first.
Clients email you directly instead of going through proper channels.
Projects sit incomplete because they’re waiting for your review or approval.
…Aren’t you stressed enough already?
Here’s the worst part:
(Gulp.)
You created this situation by trying to maintain control over every little detail.
You’ve become the bottleneck.
Nothing can progress without you.
But that’s not an achievement.
You’re stuck working in your business instead of working on it.
This doesn’t just hurt you…
It also hurts your entire operation and limits your firm’s potential.
Reason #3: You Want Real Profit Without Adding More Work
When accounting firms want higher profits, they take on more clients.
More clients, more money, right?
Wrong.
More clients equals longer hours…
And longer hours means burnout, poor service quality, and unhappy clients.
The problem is that their profit is directly tied to the number of hours they can personally work.
Hit your hour limit?
You just hit your profit ceiling too.
Future Firm Accelerate is for firm owners who want to break that cycle.
It’s for firm owners who want to be both profitable and scalable.
Because here’s what successful firm owners know: the goal isn’t to work more hours for more money.
It’s to work fewer hours for the same money…
Or work the same hours for more money.
(Or a mix of both, like Emily below.)
What People Say About Future Firm Accelerate
Hundreds of accounting firm owners have used Future Firm Accelerate to achieve things they didn’t think they could in their firm.
Miller, for instance, doubled his revenues in just four months after he joined the program…
Rob was able to hit seven figures while working less than 40 hours a week…
There’s also Tammy, who was kind enough to send me this handwritten thank you note!
And just like them, you can achieve profits you thought were impossible…
Take real vacations…
And finally put an end to late nights and weekend work. 🙂
Start Building a Profitable Firm That Runs Without You
I hope to see you there, but if you’re not ready to join yet…
You can still get free, actionable tips that will save you hours every week by joining my Future Firm newsletter!
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I achieve with Future Firm Accelerate?
With Future Firm Accelerate, you can finally achieve what you set out to do when you started your firm: unlock freedom and growth.
You’ll get a step-by-step system that will help you work fewer hours, build a team that doesn’t need constant supervision, price your services profitably, and create a firm that runs without you being the bottleneck for everything.
When can I expect to see results?
You’ll see results when you apply the lessons in the program. 🙂
Many members report growing past six figures within a year…
While others feel changes in their firm in less than a week.
The timeframe may be different for you (as is the case for each firm owner), but if you follow and apply the teachings in the Future Firm Playbook, you will see results.
Is one-on-one coaching included in Future Firm Accelerate?
Yes, you can access my expertise with unlimited direct messaging in the Premium+ plan.
There are private coaching offered by other coaches as well.
Want to see the full inclusions in each plan? Check out our pricing page.
What topics does Future Firm Accelerate help with?
Future Firm Accelerate helps you with:
- Pricing and packaging your services
- Finding and landing ideal clients with effective sales and marketing strategies
- Building a skilled team that can function without your involvement
- Improving your systems and processes with tools and automations
- Maintaining good relationships with your clients
You’ll also get new workshops on new trends and technologies every month so your firm stays competitive and profitable.
What firm size is this designed for?
Future Firm Accelerate works for all firm sizes!
Our sweet spot is with 6 and 7-figure firms, though we have many startup firms join. We have 8-figure firms as well.
You’ll see results whether you’re a solo practitioner who wants to work 15 hours a week or a 50-person team who wants to boost your firm’s growth.
What if I’m too busy right now?
If you’re too busy, now might be the best time to join Future Firm Accelerate.
You’re probably because your firm lacks the systems to handle that work without consuming all your time. This is what Future Firm Accelerate was designed to help you with.
The lessons are in-depth, but they’re bite-sized. Even if you’ve only got an extra hour in your day, you’ll be able to learn the systems over time.
Future Firm Accelerate also has community forums and monthly AMA calls that let you get quick answers to your current roadblocks.
You’ll get practical guidance from other firm owners and me without needing to carve out hours you don’t have. Even if you can only spare a few minutes per week, you’ll still move forward.
What if I’m not ready for Future Firm Accelerate?
You can still receive strategies and resources (for free) by subscribing to my Future Firm newsletter!
And when you are ready to join, we’ll be right here. 🙂
