International business development in public accounting is no longer just a specialty niche practiced by a select few. 
Rapidly advancing communication technologies and increased global competition have resulted in a smaller world when it comes to doing international business.
CPAmerica International launched its own International Group amid growing international opportunities and a need for association members to look farther outside the box for firm growth.
While everyone can acknowledge the state of international opportunities, not all firms, even the most successful, are confident about how to get started in such unfamiliar territory.
Hesitation can range from not knowing what international business exists in a market and a misunderstanding of what services translate to global business, to a fear of language barriers preventing effective communication.
Beginning this past summer, CPAmerica gauged interest in participation from members on international business topics and conducted its first international group sharing call. Gale Crosley, CPA, of Crosley + Company, facilitated the call, telling members that the key to beginning an international practice is to get rid of “border thinking.”
Being a U.S. business, with what seem like U.S. clients, does not necessarily mean opportunities are limited to the United States. As Crosley pointed out, according to the Small Business Administration, four out of ten small businesses are engaged in some degree of international commerce.
Associations with international reach, like CPAmerica, can facilitate this new venture for many firms. As momentum on the initiative continues to build, CPAmerica International will host a live International Group meeting in Atlanta on Dec. 5.
The all-day meeting will bring together members from CPAmerica and Crowe Horwath International to discuss identifying, marketing and growing business relationships and opportunities.
The agenda is designed to give delegates an understanding of the state of the international market and a firm grasp on the next steps in growing this niche within their firms. Attendees will include firm partners, business development professionals and marketing professionals.
With CPAmerica president Alan Deichler facilitating, Perry Barnett, partner with Georgia CPAmerica member Rushton & Company, and Frank Arford, former CEO of Crowe Horwath International are co-chairing this inagural meeting.
The agenda will include sessions on measuring the risk of investing time and resources in developing an international business niche, to an overview of the international business market.
The overview will be presented by Donald Nay, Director of the Atlanta U.S. Export Assistance Center, along with presenters from The Small Business Administration, U.S. Export-Import Bank and the University of Georgia’s International Trade Center.
Representatives from Crowe Horwath International, including new CEO Kevin McGrath, will discuss leveraging the relationship between the two organizations in providing services to clients here and abroad.
A panel of internationally-seasoned CPAmerica members will discuss what services they are delivering to multinational corporations and help identify what other services exist in the membership of CPAmerica that can be sold to an internationally-engaged market.
Sean King of Align Global Consulting will address international tax issues and help firms strategize their global expansion.
Attendees will leave this meeting with a “how-to” action plan for implementing their international expansion plans.
Want to participate in this meeting? Contact our member services department for more information.
Grace Horvath is the Director of Services for CPAmerica International. She manages all member-driven departments within CPAmerica including publications, events, marketing and member services.
Prior to joining CPAmerica, Grace supported associations through sales and marketing at Naylor Publications, a media and event solutions company for a wide variety of association clients. Grace also served as director of marketing and leasing for a high-end community development corporation. Grace holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Florida International University.
