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These are the three key questions every CPA firm owner looking to achieve an eight-figure firm needs to ask themselves to make real progress in 2026.
1. What happens if you set goals that are too low?
Let’s say you grow 10-15 percent this year. Same approach, same grind, same structure.
You’ll make more revenue. But will anything actually change?
Will you work fewer hours?
Will you finally step out of the review bottleneck?
Will your firm be less dependent on you for decision-making?
Or will you just have a bigger practice that still can’t run without you holding it together?
The real issue with small incremental growth isn’t just the revenue you’re leaving on the table. It’s that it doesn’t always consider the bigger goal of having a firm that supports you, not one that overwhelms you.
So, what do you really want to change this year, in addition to the revenue increase you’re targeting?
2. How long will the current window last?
CPA firms have had it relatively good for the past several years. High demand, low supply, clients flowing in.
But that window is closing.
AI is getting sharper. Private equity is buying up practices left and right. And the firms that aren’t building real infrastructure – leadership, systems, top talent – are going to be left behind.
If you build the right structure, this is the year you can claim significantly more market share.
3. What happens to your team if you don’t grow?
If an internal succession plan is on your radar over the next few years – a firm that’s flat or growing 10-15 percent isn’t attractive for your team to want to become partners in it.
There aren’t enough margins to go around. There’s no excitement about the future. And your best people will see no reason to stay, let alone take any ownership stake.
The firms that successfully transition are the ones that grow sufficiently to create a future for the people who’ve built it with them. That means your key staff can step into leadership which also means the firm has a future that doesn’t depend on you.
If you truly care about your team, growth isn’t optional. It will be the way to secure a future for them that will encourage them to want to stay and contribute.
So, the real question heading into 2026 is:
Are you willing to do what it takes to break through – or are you settling for “business as usual” and hoping things work out?
