CPA / Accountant: Best Referral Sources
Who should be sending you clients, and the rooms they are already sitting in.
Get the networking events worth showing up to
Tell us where you are. We will send you the best rooms for CPAs and the next meeting dates. Add a ZIP and this page will also show your local chapters and which seats are open.
Most business owners network where their competitors are, not where their referral partners are.
Your own trade group is for learning. Your partners' groups are where the work comes from. Everything below starts with one question. When something happens that makes people need CPAs, who else gets a call that same week?
CPAs sell to both individuals and businesses, and most of the work starts when somebody starts a company. People take their time deciding, so a recommendation carries most of the weight. Clients come back, which makes one good introduction worth years.
- Business formationwhen somebody starts a company
- Tax notice or auditwhen a letter shows up from the IRS
- Sale of a businesswhen an owner sells the company
- Death / probatewhen somebody dies and an estate has to be settled
- Financing or refinancewhen somebody needs a loan closed
- First hire / payrollwhen a business puts its first employee on payroll
- Divorcewhen a marriage ends
- Retirementwhen somebody retires
Who should be sending you clients
Who you should be sending clients to
Ranked by what starts the job, not by who sounds close to your trade.
The same list, turned around. Give first and the rest follows.
- 01
Attorney Business & Corporate
Two-way70Trigger: somebody starts a company
You and business attorneys both get the call when somebody starts a company, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 02
Financial Advisor
Two-way66Trigger: an owner sells the company
You and financial advisors both get the call when an owner sells the company, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 03
Bookkeeper
You send them work65Trigger: somebody starts a company
You hear about it when somebody starts a company, before bookkeepers do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 04
Business Banker
Two-way65Trigger: somebody starts a company
You and business bankers both get the call when somebody starts a company, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 05
Business Broker
Two-way64Trigger: an owner sells the company
You and business brokers both get the call when an owner sells the company, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 06
Insurance Health & Benefits
Two-way61Trigger: somebody starts a company
You and health and benefits brokers both get the call when somebody starts a company, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 07
Attorney Estate Planning & Probate
Two-way60Trigger: somebody dies and an estate has to be settled
You and estate planning attorneys both get the call when somebody dies and an estate has to be settled, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 08
Mortgage Broker / Loan Officer
Two-way57Trigger: somebody needs a loan closed
You and mortgage brokers both get the call when somebody needs a loan closed, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 09
Business Coach
You send them work56Trigger: somebody starts a company
You hear about it when somebody starts a company, before business coaches do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 10
Commercial Lender
You send them work55Trigger: an owner sells the company
You hear about it when an owner sells the company, before commercial lenders do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 01
Bookkeeper
You send them work78Trigger: somebody starts a company
You hear about it when somebody starts a company, before bookkeepers do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 02
Financial Advisor
Two-way78Trigger: an owner sells the company
You and financial advisors both get the call when an owner sells the company, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 03
Business Broker
Two-way74Trigger: an owner sells the company
You and business brokers both get the call when an owner sells the company, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 04
Attorney Business & Corporate
Two-way74Trigger: somebody starts a company
You and business attorneys both get the call when somebody starts a company, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
- 05
Business Consultant
You send them work74Trigger: an owner sells the company
You hear about it when an owner sells the company, before business consultants do. Expect to give more than you get back here.
- 06
Business Banker
Two-way73Trigger: somebody starts a company
You and business bankers both get the call when somebody starts a company, usually the same week. This one goes both ways.
Where those people actually are
Ranked by how many of your best partners are in the room, and how much work each one can send you.
Vistage
Your partners are in this room: business attorneys, financial advisors, and business bankers.
Run CEO peer groups. You are buying advice, not leads, but the group turns into a warm list over time.
Find your local chapter →Give someone nine choices and they pick none. If you do one thing from this page, do this.
- 01
Vistage
Paid peer groupYour partners are in this room: business attorneys, financial advisors, and business bankers.
Run CEO peer groups. You are buying advice, not leads, but the group turns into a warm list over time.
Chapter finder → - 02
Your city or county chamber of commerce
Chamber of commerceYour partners are in this room: business attorneys, financial advisors, and business bankers.
Too big and too broad on its own. The value is in one committee. Pick one and go every time. The same fifteen people show up, and they get to know you.
Chapter finder → - 03
EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization)
Paid peer groupYour partners are in this room: business attorneys, financial advisors, and business brokers.
Owners above a revenue bar, meeting in private. Few referrals, but the ones that happen are big and close fast.
Chapter finder → - 04
LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities
Online communityYour partners are in this room: business attorneys, business bankers, and bookkeepers.
Works when your buyer has a job title. Useful comments on your partners' posts beat posting your own.
Chapter finder → - 05
BNI
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
The biggest referral group in the world. You meet every week. Only one person per job. They expect you to show up.
Chapter finder → - 06
LeTip International
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
Weekly referral chapters. One person per job. Strong with trades and home services.
Chapter finder → - 07
Network In Action
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
Referral groups that meet once a month. Good if you cannot give up a morning every week.
Chapter finder → - 08
Master Networks
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
Weekly chapters with one person per job. They spend more time teaching than most.
Chapter finder →
Vistage
Your partners are in this room: business attorneys, financial advisors, and business bankers.
Run CEO peer groups. You are buying advice, not leads, but the group turns into a warm list over time.
Find your local chapter →Give someone nine choices and they pick none. If you do one thing from this page, do this.
- 01
Vistage
Paid peer groupYour partners are in this room: business attorneys, financial advisors, and business bankers.
Run CEO peer groups. You are buying advice, not leads, but the group turns into a warm list over time.
Chapter finder → - 02
Your city or county chamber of commerce
Chamber of commerceYour partners are in this room: business attorneys, financial advisors, and business bankers.
Too big and too broad on its own. The value is in one committee. Pick one and go every time. The same fifteen people show up, and they get to know you.
Chapter finder → - 03
EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization)
Paid peer groupYour partners are in this room: business attorneys, financial advisors, and business brokers.
Owners above a revenue bar, meeting in private. Few referrals, but the ones that happen are big and close fast.
Chapter finder → - 04
LinkedIn groups & local B2B communities
Online communityYour partners are in this room: business attorneys, business bankers, and bookkeepers.
Works when your buyer has a job title. Useful comments on your partners' posts beat posting your own.
Chapter finder → - 05
Prime Time Business Network
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
A South Florida referral group. Only one person per job in each chapter. So your competitors are kept out, and your referral partners have the other seats.
See chapters → - 06
An independent local leads group
Structured referral groupOne seat per category, so your competitors are excluded by rule and the seats around you are the partners above.
Most cities have small leads groups you will never find online. A realtor or insurance agent usually starts them. Ask three people in your trade who they meet with.
- 07
State bar practice sections
Your partners' associationYour partners are in this room: business attorneys and estate planning attorneys.
Classes, standards, and lawyers who share cases. The exception is across practice areas. Estate and family lawyers refer to each other all the time.
Chapter finder → - 08
Local mortgage bankers or brokers association
Your partners' associationYour partners are in this room: mortgage brokers and commercial lenders.
Loan officers know a house is selling 30 to 60 days before anyone else does.
Chapter finder →
State CPA society
Most CPAs join this room first. It is also the one most likely to be the wrong pick. A CPA is the person most business owners trust most. Sponsors can go to chapter meetings and classes. Everyone in it does what you do. Join it for the training, the licences, and the ties to manufacturers. Do not join it for referrals, and do not join it instead of the rooms above.
State CPA society →Let us be straight with you. For CPAs, a weekly referral group is not the best pick. Your partners gather in professional groups instead, so spend your time there. We would rather say that than sell you a seat you do not need.
Is your seat open?
Prime Time takes one cpa / accountant per chapter. Put in a South Florida ZIP above and we will show you which seats are open.
Add a ZIP code at the top of the page to see which seats are open.
Prime Time doesn't operate where you are yet.
We have fifteen chapters in South Florida and none near you. Telling you to join would be bad advice. The rooms above are the real answer where you are. We can email you the one page version and let you know if we open near you.
Send me those roomsHave the next meetings sent to you
The rooms above are the answer. This is when they meet. Tell us where to send it and we will email you the next dates for CPAs, with the one page plan.
We already know your trade and your area from this page, so there is nothing else to fill in. We do not ask for a phone number. Every email we send has an unsubscribe link.
Your one-page action plan
Five partners, five things to say, three rooms. Print it and keep it in the car.
Networking plan: CPA / Accountant
The five people who should be sending you clients
- Attorney Business & Corporate (Two-way)
Shared trigger: somebody starts a company - Financial Advisor (Two-way)
Shared trigger: an owner sells the company - Bookkeeper (You send them work)
Shared trigger: somebody starts a company - Business Banker (Two-way)
Shared trigger: somebody starts a company - Business Broker (Two-way)
Shared trigger: an owner sells the company
The three rooms to be in
- Vistage: Your partners are in this room: business attorneys, financial advisors, and business bankers.
- Your city or county chamber of commerce: Your partners are in this room: business attorneys, financial advisors, and business bankers.
- EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization): Your partners are in this room: business attorneys, financial advisors, and business brokers.
- Vistage: Your partners are in this room: business attorneys, financial advisors, and business bankers.
- Your city or county chamber of commerce: Your partners are in this room: business attorneys, financial advisors, and business bankers.
- EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization): Your partners are in this room: business attorneys, financial advisors, and business brokers.
Don't confuse this with networking: State CPA society. Learning and supplier access, not referrals.