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CSCPA
  • Home
  • Accounting
  • Nonprofits
  • Advisory
  • About CSCPA
  • Memberships & Credentials
  • Privacy Policy

carol sonnenberg cpa

advisory services - business & nonprofit

At some point, organizations outgrow their systems. We come to realize our systems are no longer cutting edge, or efficient, or don't fit current services or products. Your team knows your business or mission, but while they are keeping things running in-house, they don't have the opportunity to see, use, evaluate, or learn other systems. Through my work as an auditor and CFO, I've had the chance to work with many organizations as they navigated changes in staff, operations, and systems.

Accounting environment

Accounting doesn't happen in a vacuum.  It's an integral part of business operations. The accounting environment includes banking, payroll, sales, purchasing, invoicing, billpaying, credit, collections, reporting, and more.  When the systems work, they provide accurate financials that are useful to the leadership, tell the story of the operations, and support informed decision making. When that is a struggle, it's time to evaluate and identify beneficial changes.

Evaluating your systems - An auditor mindset

An audit is not just about producing a set of financial statements. A valuable first step in an audit is understanding and evaluating the existing accounting processes and the internal controls. The evaluation requires meeting with leadership and the accounting team to document processes, hear what is working and not working, testing processes, and reporting back to management with examples, issues, and suggestions. This auditor mindset helps set the stage for an unbiased assessment of needs.

Evaluating your options - A learning mindset

Once we've identified where changes are needed, it's time to explore options.  Accounting systems and related applications are ever-evolving, becoming more integrated and automated, utilizing AI and virtual solutions.  Working with multiple companies each year, I learn what systems they have adopted or tried.  What worked and what didn't.  I'm constantly trying out and learning new systems, new features or trying "hidden" features.  And then sharing the knowledge as we go.

Independent viewpoint

As an auditor for over 25 years and 10+ years of CFO work, my goal is the success of the organization first.  When the organization runs well, the benefits are shared with the owners, leadership, staff, customers, and clients.  Being an independent outsider and free of the organizational history, a CPA advisor can bring in a fresh viewpoint and new solutions, while preserving the relationships within the organization. 

advisory process - brief overview

Listen & Learn - Meet with leadership and accounting team

Gather Information - Access current systems, reports, and outputs

Test & Observe- Sample transactions, outputs, observe staff usage of current systems

Report & Summarize - Share findings & recommendations

Refine & Adjust - With client input 

Research & Selection - Explore options for change in procedures or systems

Implement & Training - Bring new system online, integrate, train staff

Follow-up - Monitor for 30-60 days, adjust as needed

let's hear your story

Becoming a "CEO whisperer" is a common outcome in the career of an auditor or CFO.  Learning about the confidential concerns of the leadership and talking through those topics requires a high level of trust and empathy.  It's a privilege to be that trusted advisor.

If you'd like to get started on advisory services as outlined above, I'd love to hear your story.

Carol Sonnenberg CPA, A Professional Accountancy Corporation

  • Accounting
  • Nonprofits
  • Advisory

CSCPA

California & Utah

435 - 720 - 6160

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