Today, accounting and advisory firms face the dual challenge of staying ahead of professional trends while delivering unmatched value to their clients.

One strategy to address both challenges is leveraging communities and crowds. These networks provide access to expertise, peer insights, and collaborative opportunities that drive innovation and improve operations and client satisfaction.

Communities are made up of individuals who are aligned with your firm’s vision or “Massive Transformative Purpose.” These include current and former employees, clients and strategic partners. A thriving community fosters engagement, collaboration and trust, creating an ecosystem that fosters value creation.

Crowds, on the other hand, are broader groups outside your immediate community. They’re prospects, collaborators and thought leaders you can draw into your circle of influence with compelling offerings or shared goals.

Leaders who know how to harness both communities and crowds have several advantages, including:

• Insights and innovation. Crowdsourcing and peer discussions uncover fresh ideas and industry and professional trends.
• Expanded reach. Crowds help firms grow their audience and attract new clients.
• Operational excellence. Communities share best practices, tools and strategies to improve efficiency.
• Client satisfaction. Active communities foster a sense of belonging and trust, reinforcing loyalty.

The role of a peer community in driving value

Our Boomer Circles are a great example of the power of communities. They provide a unique structure where member firms harness the power of communities and crowds across several areas. The Circles cover technology, operations, talent, learning and development, client accounting and advisory services, marketing, and more, and they offer targeted forums for knowledge-sharing, problem-solving and innovation.

Boomer Circles allow our member firms to engage with subject-matter experts in specialized domains. For example, members of the Boomer Technology Circles learn how their peers use artificial intelligence-based analytics tools and the blockchain to improve audit accuracy and efficiency. Members of the Boomer Operations Circle share workflow optimization strategies, such as adopting agile project management or leveraging automation tools.

Many of our member firms have implemented innovations like robotic process automation and streamlined engagement tracking thanks to insights gained in these sessions.

Our Circle communities create a safe space for firm leaders to share lessons learned and practical solutions. For example, members of the Talent Circle address recruitment challenges by exploring gamifying professional development. In our Marketing and Business Development Circle, members share campaigns and lead-generation tactics they’ve used to successfully attract high-value clients.

One firm revamped its pricing strategy based on insights from peers in the Managing Partners Circle, resulting in improved revenue predictability and client satisfaction.

The Boomer Circles also incorporate external thought leaders, vendors and solution providers to expand the resource pool for CPA firms. For example, in the CIO Circle, vendors demonstrate innovative tools for data integration and cybersecurity, helping firms adopt best-in-class solutions.

Learning and Development Circle members partner with training organizations to upskill employees in advisory and consulting services, AI implementation and other high-demand areas.

Harnessing the power of crowds

In addition to communities, firms can tap into the power of crowds to enhance their capabilities.

Accounting firms can gather fresh ideas by hosting challenges or ideation sessions or inviting client input on new advisory services. Early adopters can test new service models or products, offering valuable feedback. Crowds also help with talent attraction and retention, as they serve as a talent pool where firms can identify and engage promising professionals.

For example, one of our member firms successfully expanded its virtual CFO offering after validating the concept with a broader audience and receiving feedback on pricing and delivery.

Of course, joining a peer community involves a financial outlay. That’s why we encourage our member firms to continually evaluate the success of community and crowd initiatives through:

• Engagement metrics: Participation in workshops, forums and Circle sessions.
• Operational improvements: Efficiency gains from process enhancements.
• Revenue growth: The success of new service lines or pricing models.
• Client retention: Feedback and satisfaction scores from engaged clients.

Firms that consistently measure and act on these metrics create a cycle of continuous improvement.
By leveraging communities and crowds, firm leaders can unlock exponential growth and deliver exceptional value to their clients. These networks provide access to expertise, foster innovation, and help firms remain agile in a competitive marketplace.

The future of the accounting profession is collaboration, adaptability, and a relentless focus on client experience. If your firm hasn’t yet tapped into the power of communities and crowds, now is the time to take the leap and lead with confidence.

Think — plan — grow!

House Republicans plan to raise more than $15 billion in revenue through increasing U.S. oil, gas and coal lease sales, as well as other measures, to help pay for President Donald Trump’s massive tax cut package, according to a document seen by Bloomberg News. 

The document, prepared by the House Natural Resources Committee, details plans to mandate at least four sales in the coastal plain of Alaska’s Arctic Arctic National Wildlife Refuge within the next 10 years, and resume lease sales in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Republicans also plan to resume quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales as well as mandate new offshore leases sales, according to the document. 

In addition, Republicans are planning to raise revenue through required sales of coal leases and also requiring the Forest Service to conduct timber sales, while rescinding unspecified funds for agencies like the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Park Service. 

In addition, the legislation, which is slated to receive a vote in by the committee next week, includes a measure streamlining the federal permitting process for big projects, with a goal of major environmental reviews being completed in one year. 

House Republicans are aiming for a total of $2 trillion in spending reductions paired with a $4.5 trillion in reduced revenue from tax cuts.

CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, a Top 10 Firm, has added Dembo Jones CPAs and Advisors, a firm with offices in North Bethesda and Columbia, Maryland, expanding CLA’s presence in the U.S. Capital region, effective May 1.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but CLA earned over $2 billion in revenue in 2024, while Dembo Jones earned $24 million. CLA has nearly 9,000 people and more than 130 U.S. locations, while Dembo Jones has over 80 team members and two locations. CLA ranked No. 10 on Accounting Today‘s 2025 list of the Top 100 Firms.

The deal is part of CLA’s plan to grow by $1 billion through the addition of new partner firms over the next five years.

“This is such a great time for us to embrace Dembo Jones into the CLA family,” said CLA chief development officer Scott Engelbrecht in a statement. “At CLA, we understand that independence is key to innovation and growth. Our unique partnership model allows firms to retain local identity while accessing our global resources and our exceptional professionals across the country. This approach ensures that the firms that join us can continue to thrive in their markets while benefiting from the strength of a larger firm. Our friends at Dembo Jones talk about how their clients get all of Dembo Jones when they are working together. That is exactly how CLA operates, bringing all of CLA to our clients.”

Dembo Jones has offered accounting, auditing, tax, and consulting services to businesses, government agencies, organizations and individuals for over 70 years. 

“Joining CLA presents an incredible opportunity for both our team at Dembo Jones and the numerous clients who depend on our specialized services,” said Dembo Jones managing partner Brent Croghan in a statement. “Our shared values and mutual dedication to serving individuals, businesses, government entities and nonprofit organizations make this partnership a natural fit. With access to CLA’s extensive national footprint, we are now better equipped to provide enhanced resources to our clients.”

Last year, CLA added Axiom CPAs & Business Advisors, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Engine B, a London-based AI company, and Ronald Blue and Co, a firm with offices in Atlanta; Tempe, Arizona; Knoxville, Tennessee; and Santa Ana, California. 

In 2023, CLA acquired Richard, Witt & Charles in Garden City, New York; Frost & Co. in Tacoma, Washington; and Gilmore Jasion Mahler in Toledo and Findlay, Ohio. In 2022, it did a number of mergers and acquisitions, including with Hayashi Wayland in Salinas, California, Concannon Miller in Florida and Pennsylvania, and Price CPAs in Nashville, Tennessee.