{"id":250067,"date":"2025-05-21T06:31:11","date_gmt":"2025-05-21T06:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/accounting\/is-your-cpd-setting-you-up-to-thrive-or-just-helping-you-tread-water\/"},"modified":"2025-05-21T06:31:11","modified_gmt":"2025-05-21T06:31:11","slug":"is-your-cpd-setting-you-up-to-thrive-or-just-helping-you-tread-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=250067","title":{"rendered":"Is your CPD setting you up to thrive or just helping you tread water?"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

For many accountants, CPD is still a tick-box exercise.
They look to do the minimum possible and, even then, focus almost exclusively on keeping their technical knowledge up to date.<\/p>\n

But CPD has NEVER just been about keeping your technical knowledge up to date.<\/p>\n

Sure that\u2019s important but Continuing PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT has always meant more than that.
The range of CPD topics addressed at Accountex each year supports my contention \u2013 even if the offerings from professional bodies are often more limited.<\/p>\n

To really keep pace, stay relevant and future-proof your practice, you need to be paying attention to three types of CPD:<\/p>\n

1. Technical knowledge \u2013 The foundation, but no longer the full story.
2. Key business skills \u2013 Communication, self-management, delegation, leadership, managing clients and teams.
3. Tech, apps and AI \u2013 The game-changers for efficiency, profitability and client service.<\/p>\n

A few years back I wrote a post here setting out a wide range of topics and activities that count as CPD for accountants >>>><\/a><\/p>\n

What about \u2018Soft\u2019 skills?<\/strong>
I\u2019ve never liked the term \u201csoft skills\u201d.
It makes them sound optional. Or easy (as in soft vs hard).<\/p>\n

Anyone who\u2019s ever had to manage a team, deal with difficult clients or juggle conflicting priorities knows otherwise.<\/p>\n

This is why I prefer to reference them as \u201cKey business skills\u201d. There are many, they aren\u2019t all easy or common sense (as some would argue) and they are\u00a0vital if you want to build a sustainable and successful practice.
That\u2019s something I\u2019ve addressed many times in my talks and on this blog over the years.
And now there\u2019s a new skillset in town: Understanding, embracing and keeping up to date with AI and technology for accountants.<\/p>\n

Tech and AI aren\u2019t hype. They\u2019re here.<\/strong>
Too many accountants are still hoping the AI storm will pass them by.
Spoiler: it won\u2019t \u2013 unless they retire from practice in the next year or two (which I know some are planning to do thanks to the perceived extra hassle caused by MTD)<\/p>\n

AI, automation and client-facing tech aren\u2019t fads.
They\u2019re redefining what clients expect and how practices operate.
In my keynote talk at Accountex 2024, I said accountants need to get on the AI bus or risk being left behind. This year? The bus has started moving and it\u2019s only going to get faster.<\/p>\n

In the Sole Practice Club<\/a>, our discussions tend to focus on practical issues related to your key business skills, technology and AI.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no overlap with the technical updates that members get elsewhere; so what accountants get from membership of the club is quite distinct.<\/p>\n

Members choose the main focus for our monthly discussions and I encourage them to talk openly about what\u2019s working, what they\u2019ve tried and what they\u2019ve learned from their experiences.<\/p>\n

On the technology side of things they share what tools they\u2019ve tried, loved or dumped \u2013 and why.
Also, how they\u2019re using AI and so much more.<\/p>\n

Our monthly meetings are full of shared insights and practical examples from accountants in the thick of it.
It\u2019s real-world learning, rooted in the realities of running a practice in 2025.<\/p>\n

Still only doing technical CPD? That\u2019s a risky bet.<\/strong>
If you\u2019re planning to retire soon or sell up, maybe technical CPD is all you need.
But if you want to stay competitive, relevant and in demand, you can\u2019t ignore the other two types of CPD.
Clients expect more. If you have a team or plan to build one, they will need more. And your practice deserves more.<\/p>\n

Want to learn from others doing things differently?<\/strong>
You don\u2019t have to figure this stuff out on your own.\u00a0 Check out the Sole Practice Club<\/a> and then let\u2019s have a chat to see if we agree you\u2019ll fit in and benefit from membership.
We don\u2019t talk theory \u2013 we talk practice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For many accountants, CPD is still a tick-box exercise.They look to do the minimum possible and, even then, focus almost exclusively on keeping their technical knowledge up to date. But CPD has NEVER just been about keeping your technical knowledge up to date. 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