Accounting firm mergers: Challenges, rewards, and strategies

It’s no secret: mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and private equity investments are taking over the accounting profession. In fact, over half (57%) of accounting firm leaders are pursuing expansion in the next 12 months.

And for good reason. Public accounting firms that broaden their geographic and client base through M&As see a 20% revenue boost within 2 years.

While M&As are a key growth driver, they’re also complex.

If you’re considering an accounting firm merger, here’s what to expect, including strategies for a smooth, profitable merge.

The challenges of accounting firm mergers

Mergers and acquisitions offer big growth potential for accounting firms. But they’re not without challenges.

It’s like merging two orchestras, each with its own style, tempo, and conductor. Getting them to play in-sync takes coordination and practice.

Here are key challenges to consider.

Cultural challenges

One of the main hurdles in an accounting firm merger is aligning distinct corporate cultures.

Each firm brings its own workplace values, vision, and practices and when these clash, it can lead to confusion, low morale, and even staff turnover.

To avoid this, leaders must prioritize open communication, strong leadership, and a shared commitment to building a unified culture that honors the best of both firms.

Practice Marketplace by Karbon is a platform specifically tailored for bookkeeping and accounting firm owners to connect and initiate mergers in a secure environment. They can list their businesses for sale, and potential buyers can browse, filter, and connect based on various criteria, one of them being cultural fit.

Organizational challenges

Merging two firms often requires top-to-bottom organizational restructuring. Leadership roles may need to be redefined, and teams reorganized to eliminate redundancies. 

Equally important is aligning workflow systems. If one firm uses a project management tool and the other relies on email chains, those processes need to be fully integrated.

Accounting practice management software can be the difference between a smooth merge, and one rife with hurdles. And if both firms are already using the same tool, then the merge will reach unprecedented levels of ease.

Client trust and retention

Mergers bring change not just for your team, but for your clients too. Disrupted services and working relationships can have real consequences for their businesses, so they need to feel secure in your decision.

Be prepared to have open conversations with your clients about what to expect, including timelines, a point of contact, and reassurance that their needs will continue to be met, and exceeded.

Tip: Your client portal will be invaluable during this process, helping you to centralize your client data and maintain clear lines of communication, as well as fostering trust and satisfaction.

Team transition

Mergers naturally create some anxiety about job security and role changes.

Easing this anxiety requires crystal clear communication. Be upfront about how the merger will affect each team member. Offer training for new systems and support for new responsibilities. 

Most importantly, invite your team into the decision-making process. Let them know you value their feedback and their needs too. 

The rewards of accounting firm mergers

There’s a reason firms take on the complexity of mergers: they mean growth. In talent, reach, revenue, and in other ways you might not expect.

Here are some key benefits to a successful merger.

Increased revenue

By combining resources, client bases, and expertise, merged firms can achieve economies of scale, reduce costs, and enhance service offerings. 

Post-merger, many firms see a 20-30% increase in revenue within the first 2 years, driven by new cross-selling opportunities, and a stronger team that’s more equipped to capitalize on them.

Diversification

Merging accounting firms brings the best of what each business has to offer, which may mean a larger and more broad service offering or client base. 

For example, merging a tax firm with a firm specializing in advisory services will result in a larger firm that has a more complete service offering. Or a firm that serves plumbers may want to broaden their client portfolio and reach new markets, merging with a firm that specializes in other trades, like electricians and carpenters.

Geographic coverage

Mergers can help smaller firms grow their reach by entering new geographic markets. 

They create opportunities to open regional offices, tap into local expertise, and build a stronger brand strategy that highlights the maturity and appeal of a multiregional accounting firm.

Strategies for a successful accounting firm merger

Here are some strategies to use as a guide to make your merger a success.

Set clear goals

Start by defining exactly what you want to achieve with a merger.

Are you aiming to expand your services, increase efficiency, or grow your market share? Build a roadmap around your desired outcome, including short- and long-term goals and KPIs to track your progress. 

Look for the right partners

The success of a merger often comes down to the partner you choose. Seek firms that complement your strengths and align with your values and cultures. 

For Wilson Pateras, who has led his firm through more than ten acquisitions, ethics and personality fit come first. “We look for the right personality fit to begin with,” he says. “Truthfully, the metrics often come secondarily.”

A compatibility assessment is essential to ensuring cultural alignment, strategic fit, and mutual benefit. This is where Practice Marketplace by Karbon can play a critical role.

Hire transition advisors 

A transition advisor with experience in accounting firm mergers can guide you through the legal, financial, and operational hurdles, facilitating a smooth, successful integration. These consulting services are invaluable, especially for small firms considering consolidation.

You can connect with these people via Practice Marketplace by Karbon too.

Do your due diligence

Before signing anything, make sure the merger is a strategic financial decision. You absolutely should seek legal counsel when merging your firm with another.

M&A due diligence should involve a thorough review of the deal structure, and your target firm’s finances, operations, legal standing and market position. The goal is to gauge the long-term viability of the deal, and facilitate a graceful merger.

Create a succession plan

Leadership changes are common in mergers, so it’s important to prepare for them to ensure you:

• Retain key staff

• Provide leadership clarity

• Develop junior talent

• Preserve values and culture

• Don’t disrupt client service

And don’t forget your own plan. What do the next 5-10 years look like for you? Spend some time visualizing your future, and then make a plan for it.

Create an integration plan

Integration is one of the biggest challenges in any accounting firm merger. And it’s one of the most important to get right. A solid integration plan can help you navigate the complexities of a merge. 

It should include two key areas: 

1. Human resources. Staff culture, operations, communication channels, training, and remuneration need to be unified. That takes careful planning and collaboration with your new partner.

2. Technology. Your tools need to work together. The ideal tech stack will consolidate your  document management, communication, client management, analytics, billing, and  workflows.

Help employees transition smoothly

Mergers can have huge impacts on your employees. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to provide reassurance, clarity, and a support system that sets them up to succeed during this transition. 

As well as open communication, some tactics to consider are:

• Regular check-ins and feedback sessions

• Training and mentorship programs

• A policy of transparency, such as letting your team see the financials like Kenji Kuramoto from Acuity does

• Team-building exercises 

• Recognition and rewards, celebrating small wins, milestones, and your hardworking employees

Prioritize client retention

According to Forbes, an increase in client retention by 5% can lead to a company’s profits growing by 25% to around 95% over a period of time. Holding onto your clients during a merge is crucial.

Remember to:

• Communicate proactively. Keep them informed, invite collaboration, and commit to being curious about their needs. Show them that what’s most important to them, is most important to you.

• Invest in client management tools. You can retain clients at scale with software that centralizes client data and streamlines common tasks, like data collection and onboarding, so that client relationships continue to feel personalized and uninterrupted during the changeover.

How practice management software helps with accounting firm mergers

Accounting practice management tools are purpose-built to provide a single, unified platform for your firm to operate in, which is especially advantageous during a merger.   

Here are a few reasons to consider adopting one of these tools:

Increased visibility

By securing your data in one, easy-to-access location, practice management tools mean your team can see everything from client records and client communication, to documents and work statuses, keeping everyone on the same page.  

Enhanced client communication

Your practice management tool should make communicating with your clients simple. It should offer a client portal that reduces the client chase, automates client communication, and enables secure document sharing.

Improved team collaboration

Practice management tools like Karbon offer features like shared inboxes, and the ability to turn emails into tasks, and comment on emails and @mention colleagues so you can collaborate without needing to forward emails internally, helping to eviscerate the challenges of inbox silos. 

Simplified client onboarding

Practice management tools drive efficiency by standardizing tasks, like client onboarding, with structured, repeatable workflows. Firms like Gauvreau and Envolta retained 99% of their clients during their merge thanks, in part, to Karbon’s integration with Ignition and onboarding templates.

Popular app integrations

Ecosystem integrations make merging firms and tech stacks a less taxing process. Chris Williams, who acquired System Six, believes that “getting all those systems to talk to each other a little bit better” is key to how accounting firms “stay leading edge.”

Successful mergers & acquisitions

If done correctly, a merger can drive tremendous growth, without losing the trust of your team or clients.

It’s important to understand the challenges, rewards, and success strategies of a professional services merger, and use your own judgement about what’s best for your firm to decide the best steps forward.

Book a demo to learn about how Karbon can help prepare your firm for a successful merge.