Running a firm shouldn’t mean doing everything yourself. But for many accountants and bookkeepers, long hours and task overload feel like the norm—not the exception.
That’s something Ryan Lazanis, CPA and founder of Future Firm, knows firsthand. After building and selling a fully cloud-based accounting firm, he now coaches hundreds of firm owners on how to step back from day-to-day work without sacrificing quality or growth.
His approach? Delegate with purpos —and start by removing the right tasks from your plate.
Too often, firm owners stay buried in low-impact work because it feels familiar or faster to “just do it.” But if you want to scale sustainably, free up your time, and stop being the bottleneck, you need to identify what to delegate first.
Here’s where to start.
Admin tasks don’t move the needle, so stop doing them
Admin work is deceptively expensive. Tasks like scheduling, data entry, filing, chasing signatures, or updating spreadsheets may only take a few minutes at a time — but over weeks and months, they eat up hours of deep work.
The worst part? Most of this work doesn’t require your expertise. It’s just familiar, so it’s easy to fall into the trap of saying, “I’ll just do it myself.”
But the most successful firm owners know better. They invest time upfront in training or documenting a process so they can remove themselves from it entirely.
Here’s a tip: track your work for two weeks. If a task doesn’t require your credentials, doesn’t make you money, and doesn’t bring you joy, it’s a strong candidate to delegate or automate.
Operations tasks keep you stuck in operator mode
From hiring and onboarding to project management and SOPs, operations tasks are critical—but they don’t have to be your responsibility.
That’s where building internal capacity (or outsourcing it) comes in.
For example:
- A skilled virtual assistant can take over project updates, client onboarding logistics, and deadline follow-ups.
- A Director of Operations or COO can own firm-wide processes and keep everything moving—from intake to delivery.
- A fractional ops leader is a flexible option if you're not ready for a full-time hire but need structure and scale.
This kind of help creates space for you to focus on higher-level strategy. And with clear SOPs and role definitions in place, these tasks can be handed off with minimal friction.
Client work doesn’t actually have to be done by you
If you’re still knee-deep in bank reconciliations, payroll, or monthly reporting, you’re not leading your firm; you’re servicing it.
One of the smartest ways to scale is to delegate client work to experienced team members who can manage both the work and the relationships. Senior accountants, for instance, can own client communications, supervise juniors, and only escalate issues that truly need your input.
How Plooto helps you hand off client work without adding risk
Delegation isn’t just about people. It’s also about giving your team the tools to succeed without you.
That’s where Plooto helps. Accounting and bookkeeping firms use Plooto to securely automate and streamline client payments. It allows you to:
Set approval workflows and user permissions so your team can take over payments without compromising control
Automate data entry and reconciliation, eliminating manual busywork
and reducing errors
Manage all client payments in one centralized dashboard, replacing emails
and spreadsheets
The result? Less time chasing signatures, double-entering data, or reviewing every transaction.
When we surveyed accountants, nearly 60% reported saving 6+ hours a month when they use financial software that automates manual work (and 22% save more than 11 hours a month!).
That’s time you could be spending on advisory work, strategic planning—or just taking a real vacation.
When you combine great people with great systems, you create layers of ownership. And that’s what makes it possible to finally step back without everything falling apart.
