Partnering with PAA

PAA works as a partner with firms to help them make choices that are in their best interest for the positive growth of their business. With this in mind, rather than dictate service expansion menus or business models, we consult with you on the most viable options so you can understand, compare, and choose among them.

While there are many different business model variations, most fall into three basic categories.

Three Basic Business Models

Business Model How It Works What You Should Know Best Suited For…
Referral
  • Your firm and an Alliance Partner provide cross-referrals to clients
  • Simplest and most casual model
  • Few requirements
  • Your firm cannot share in commissions or fee-based revenues without proper licenses
  • Ability to offer certain products or services may be restricted
 Any CPA Firm
In-house
  • Your firm or partners get licensed/registered in securities, insurance, or as Investment Advisors or Investment Advisor Representatives
  • You then offer range of financial products and services, and receive the resulting compensation
  • You may wish to enlist a partner (e.g. insurance or estate planning expert) to help close complex cases
  • No obligation to share cases, clients, or revenue
 Larger CPA firms with adequate staff and resources for their own financial services units
Partnership
  • Your firm and an Alliance Partner sign a written agreement to set up new joint venture
  • Your firm and Alliance Partner specify how you’ll share costs, allocate manpower, and split revenues
  • CPA firm refers clients to onsite unit for financial services
  • Unit has own Profit/Loss statement and usually its own marketing name (“Doing Business As” or DBA) or brand
 Small CPA firms that need technical support and proven service-delivery infrastructure but don’t wish to “start from scratch”

Entering into a partnership model offers numerous benefits.

Read about the Benefits of Partnership.