If you told me ten years ago that I’d get excited about processes, I probably would’ve laughed. But here we are.
At Accounting Therapy, building and maintaining strong internal processes has become one of the most important things we do—not just for ourselves, but for our clients, our team, and our ability to grow intentionally without losing the soul of a small business.
Because as you grow, you need structure. You need repeatable systems. And you need a way to make sure that what worked once will still work when five more people (team members or clients) are in the mix.
Why We Started Getting Serious About Processes
Our goal is to grow. But we want to grow well. That means staying authentic, keeping our team culture strong, and continuing to deliver top-notch services that are consistent.
But here’s the thing: you don’t get consistency by chance. You get it by building structure around your services, your communication, your onboarding, your hiring—you name it.
We’ve learned (many times) that it’s usually after something breaks that you realize, Oh, we need a process for that. And yes, that’s exactly why we create them—to capture what went wrong and ensure it doesn’t happen again. The challenge is remembering to revisit and refine those processes, so they evolve with your business.
A Note on Structure…
When we first started creating processes, we dug in a little too deep. We had too much information, too much detail, too much structure. Yes, you want your processes to pass the alien test, but also, we’re working with smart humans here and they know that the files aren’t physically “in the computer”. (If you’re lost on that reference, please immediately stop what you’re doing and go watch the 2001 classic, Zoolander.)
As most of you know, I had a baby last year—and he just turned one (how?! 🥹). But one of my favorite parenting books the only parenting book I read, introduced a philosophy that really pinpointed what the true issue is with over documenting a process. The book is called Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman and the concept is the French word cadre, meaning “frame” or “framework.” It’s the idea of setting firm limits (aka the frame) but allowing lots of freedom within those limits.
Your process doesn’t need to be a step-by-step script for how to click every button. Instead, it can be a framework that outlines:
- What needs to be done
- Who’s responsible
- What a successful outcome looks like
And then you give your team the flexibility to work within that structure. It allows for consistency and autonomy—and helps your processes scale without micromanaging every move. Bonus, they will also be less tedious to update when the time comes.
Creating Processes Is One Thing—Maintaining Them Is Another
This is where things get tricky. You build a great process, it solves a problem, and you move on. Then six months later, it’s outdated because your team has grown, or the software has changed, or you figure out there is a better way to do it.
What I’ve realized is that you need a process for maintaining your processes. I know—meta. But it’s true.
This year, one of my company goals is to create a full list of the processes we have, then start mapping out how often each one should be reviewed.
Not necessarily updated—just reviewed.
It will be a dedicated time and (mental) space to ask… Does it still make sense? Are there holes? What’s changed?
The idea is to catch the cracks before something falls through them. Plus, with this goal in mind, any new process that is being put into place from here on out is being wrapped up by answering a few questions:
- How often does this need to be reviewed?
- When is the best time of year to review it?
- Has it been added to the aggregate process list? 😉
You Can’t Wait Until Year-End for Everything
We’ve all done it. We push everything “back office” to year-end: budgets, handbooks, comp plans, pricing reviews, etc. But let’s be honest—December’s already packed.
So now I’m asking:
Why does everything have to be reviewed at year-end?
It doesn’t. And it shouldn’t.
Here’s an example of how I’m starting to reframe things:
- WISP (Working Information Security Plan)? Probably just needs a read-through once a year. Let’s schedule it for Q1.
- Compensation research and wage brackets? We need that before we finalize the budget in November. So, let’s back into that—maybe start it in September.
- App reviews? Apps change constantly, and if I updated our workflows every time they added a new module, my team would mutiny. So, we’re assigning app deep dives to specific months.
Example: Our Financial Cents Review Plan
We use Financial Cents for project management, time tracking, processes—basically everything… except accounting – do not fear, loyal reader, we still use QuickBooks for that!
Financial Cents is robust and powerful, but also constantly evolving. And that’s overwhelming.
So instead of chasing every update, I’ve blocked July on my calendar to do an annual review. That’s when I’ll:
- Review new features
- Evaluate which ones might be worth implementing
- Start building a plan if we decide to roll something out
That doesn’t mean I’m doing all the implementation in July. But it gives me a starting point and the brain space to think strategically.
Create a “Drop Zone” for Team Ideas
One of the best things we’ve added? A drop zone list.
Throughout the year, people on the team might say:
“Hey, this would be a great addition to the team handbook,”
or
“We should use that new integration in Financial Cents, it could replace [insert other app name here].”
Cool, cool. Add it to the list.
Psst… that list is in Financial Cents for us. Oh, the irony.😅
But honestly, unless it’s urgent, we don’t stop everything to make the update. Instead, we park the idea somewhere until it’s time to review that process. A good accounting firm colleague of ours actually calls this list “the parking lot” and that visual for me just really drives it home and simultaneously makes me smirk!
So, putting those ideas in the parking lot or drop zone keeps us from getting derailed and ensures we don’t forget good ideas. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to look at all the ideas collectively and discern how they can work together and what the best way is to implement them in planned cohesion.
How We’re Starting to Structure This
Here’s what’s working so far:
- Step 1: List all active processes. Not just client-facing ones. Think: onboarding, hiring, budgeting, pricing, software setup, team appreciation… everything.
- Step 2: Assign a review cadence. Some need annual reviews. Some quarterly. Some bi-annually.
- Step 3: Build a simple timeline. January = review WISP + team handbook. July = app deep dives. September = wage brackets.
- Step 4: Delegate. Not everything needs to fall on leadership. Involve your team—especially the folks closest to the work.
Bottom Line: You Don’t Need Fancy. You Need Consistent.
This doesn’t have to be a high-tech solution. An Excel Workbook or Google Sheet will do. What matters is:
- You know what needs to be reviewed
- You know when it needs to be reviewed
- You know where to capture ideas
- And you don’t try to do it all in December
Processes aren’t about rigidity—they’re about clarity. They give your team structure, your clients consistency, and your business scalability.
Build the framework. Communicate the expectations. Then let your people shine inside that structure. And, obviously, schedule time to review that structure on a rhythm that works for you!
You’ve got this.
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