Inside the Operations of Today’s Fastest Growing Accounting Firms

Описание: Guest:
Dheeraj Pandey, Co-founder & CEO of Credfino
Supports 100+ accounting and tax firms with offshore staffing, marketing, and technology consulting.
LinkedIn:   / pandey-dheeraj  

What we talk about:
• The origin of Credfino during COVID
• Scaling to 70 employees in five years
• What firms get wrong when buying tools
• How automations reduce busywork and keep client counts clean
• SOPs and workflows that help firms handle huge return volumes
• Why most accounting firm marketing fails
• How AI will impact bookkeeping, tax prep, and advisory roles
• What firms must prioritize to stay competitive

Why this matters:
Whether you’re growing a firm, optimizing operations, or trying to attract better clients, Dheeraj offers a practical blueprint for building a more efficient, tech-enabled practice.


Chapters:

00:45 Getting to Know Dheeraj
Quick welcome from Dheeraj and KC’s opening question about his background and how he found this opportunity.

01:07 How Credfino Started During COVID
Dheeraj shares the origin story: pandemic timing, early business ideas with his co-founder, his wife’s work with a CPA firm, and how that led to launching Credfino’s first client.

02:30 Making the Leap Without Being a CPA
KC relates as a non-CPA, talks about wanting to start a firm, and Dheeraj admits how scary that leap really is.

03:05 Growing to a 70 Person Team
How Credfino scaled over four and a half to five years, year over year growth, and gearing up for the next phase of industry change.

03:55 LinkedIn Tags and Discovering Credfino
KC explains how they first noticed Credfino on LinkedIn and realized they were supporting many Canopy-using firms.

04:34 Under the Hood of Accounting Firms
KC asks what Dheeraj sees inside so many firms and what simple fixes could make firm owners’ lives easier.

04:58 Common Software Mistakes and Tool Overload
Dheeraj outlines typical missteps: buying tools based on word of mouth, not vetting needs, getting stuck on tax tools, and layering unnecessary apps instead of fully using what they already have.

07:31 The Challenge of Vetting Software in a Seasonal World
KC connects this to the broader struggle of software selection, deadlines, and why it is so hard for accounting firms to slow down in order to speed up.

08:40 Smart Automations and Process Driven Workflows
Dheeraj shares specific examples of custom automations with Calendly and Canopy, keeping client counts clean, and how strong SOPs and role clarity help firms handle huge return volumes.

11:28 Beyond the Tech Stack Process Still Matters
KC emphasizes operational buy in, cross team coordination, and the power of regular process reviews.

12:29 Dheeraj’s Unusual Background
Dheeraj walks through his path from software engineering to FP and A, investment banking operations, program management, and marketing, and how that mix helps him solve firm problems holistically.

14:09 Spotting the Marketing Gap in Accounting Firms
KC talks about Dheeraj and his wife as a power combo and sets up the conversation around why accounting firms struggle with marketing.

14:37 Why Marketing Fails For Most Firms
Dheeraj dives into missing customer research, unclear buyer journeys, misaligned content, preconceived channel ideas, and the mismatch between firm stage and marketing tactics.

18:42 Why Accounting Firms Need Marketing At All
After KC’s big head nod moment, Dheeraj explains churn, the need for consistent lead flow, why short term thinking kills marketing, and how goals differ for growth focused firms versus lifestyle focused firms.

22:48 Ideal Clients, Niches, and Shared Ops Marketing Roles
KC connects marketing and operations around ICP, niching, profitability, and the idea of having a non CPA who owns both operations and marketing.

24:30 Using AI In Marketing Without Losing Authenticity
KC and Dheeraj talk about AI generated content, authenticity, the long game of brand awareness, and how niching makes both marketing and operations easier.