How one small firm drastically cut its busy-season hours

Johanna Sweaney Salt, CPA, CGMA, used to work 100 hours a week during busy season. As the founder and managing partner of Gray, Salt & Associates LLP, she believed it was her responsibility to put in the time needed to make her small firm a success. Today, Johanna remains a full-time partner at the firm, and her son, Dalton Sweaney, CPA, is now the managing partner. His desire a few years ago to spend more time with his young children prompted him to ask his mother if they could make changes to make busy season less crazy. She said yes, starting a multiyear journey that has freed Dalton up for more dinners with his family and has cut her busy-season hours almost in half. What changes did they make and how have they kept the firm running profitably? What you'll learn from this episode: ·         How the firm began a move to cut back on both total hours and hours worked in the office. ·         The remote work toolkit that assisted in the business transformation. ·         How a hard minimum set by the firm helped to maximize profits. ·         When, how, and why the firm fires clients. ·         The firm's ideas about four-day workweeks.