About Build Your Firm
At Build Your Firm, we work with all types of accounting firms to help them work smarter, not harder. Our programs and internet marketing services are designed to help you better utilize marketing for practice development, improve your hourly fee realization, and ultimately improve your firm's profitability.
Founded by an Accountant
Build Your Firm (BYF) was founded by a practicing CPA, Allan Ratafia and marketer, Hugh Duffy in 2003. The insights that we teach and tools that we develop are uniquely designed for accounting practitioners, which makes us very different from all of the rest.
Our Story
BYF started as a continuing education provider (CPE) teaching our marketing system in hotels around the country in 2003. The marketing system that we taught was delivered in a do-it-yourself manner as we did not have the staff to provide this for accounting firms. At the end of our two day workshops, accountants would ask us to manage the marketing for them (not what we expected). Given the demand, we started to provide lead generation and website development for accounting firms and this has become the core of our business today.
Our Approach
Everything that BYF develops and recommends must have a return on investment (ROI) from the practicing accountant’s perspective. Our no B.S. approach is designed to help you generate better leads, operate a practice with a balanced lifestyle, operate at higher profit margins than the accounting industry and command a higher multiple when you ultimately sell your practice.
Innovation
We are proud to be the first at many things:
- First continuing education provider to recommend websites and online marketing
- First website developer to provide pay per click campaign management
- First to provide search engine optimization (and not charge extra)
- First (and only) to provide money back guarantee on website design services
- First to provide 60 day free trial on website development
- First to provide outsourced marketing for accountants (we provide the leads for your practice)
- First to develop niche accounting websites (we support over 40 niches today)
- First to develop a complete payment system for accountants (engagements, online payments, online reviews, three thankless functions within one tool)
- First to provide accountants with a tool to avoid credit card fees (avoid 3% bank fees)
- First to produce and provide video marketing for accountants.
- Exclusive website provider for Dope CFO franchises.
- Exclusive website provide for AICTP (Certified Tax Coaches)
Our marketing system is designed to help you work smarter, not harder.
And, we encourage our clients to provide us with feedback so we can improve our services and tools over time.
Our Story
2003
Build Your Firm was founded by Hugh Duffy and Allan Ratafia
2004
We reached our first 100 clients!
2005
The website development side of our business began
2006
After high demand, the Outsourced Marketing Program was launched
2009
We began niche marketing for accountants
2013
BizPayO was created to help accountants get paid quickly & inexpensively
2016
Our Dental Accounting Association was established
2017
We launched content marketing services
2018
Our Vet CPA Association was established
2020
BizPayO launches new reviews tool