Larry Bodine Law Marketing Blog

Stonefield Josephson, a CPA firm based in Santa Monica, CA, has opened its Back Porch, located on the firm Web site www.sjaccounting.com/backPorch/index.html. The Back Porch shares information on life inside and outside the office and includes features such as "How to Stay Passionate about Your Work" by co-founder Marty Josephson and "A Day in the Life of a CPA," which provides a glimpse of the personal and professional lives of CPAs.

"If you want tips for staying passionate about your work, come to the Back Porch," said President Jeff Garrison and Chief Marketing Officer Lyne Noella.

The Back Porch is already producing business results, according to Noella. "A banker who was participating with Officer Debbie Zimmerman in our photo shoot offered to introduce Debbie to a steel company in search of a new accounting firm. A couple of weeks later, Debbie landed the client." Noella adds that producing the Back Porch has brought Stonefield Josephson officers closer to referral sources and clients. "Our friends in business are delighted to participate in the productions," says Noella. "The bankers, clients and high-level consultants are happy to receive the visibility."

"You don't expect to get advice on how to play golf or plan dates with your spouse on an accounting firm website," said Allan Koltin, consultant to accounting firms. "Stonefield Josephson has managed to create a website that provides the information you expect along with entertainment. This will get the business community's attention," added Koltin.

Noella said, "While this looks like fun and games, our marketing approach is strategic. We are building a website that gives Stonefield Josephson an advantage over less creative competitors. We all offer the same services, so our branded approach differentiates us from the crowd and raises our visibility. Meanwhile, we are having a great time managing the business for growth."

"The shows include the typical meetings with clients and bankers that you would expect," says Garrison. "What you don't expect are the boa constrictors, Little League games and African barkless dogs." Garrison said, "We want the business community to see that we are real people with outside interests. This creative approach helps us attract the finest talent to our firm. Job candidates see that we have balance between work and play." Noella adds that additional features are planned for the Back Porch and that several are already in production.

Stonefield Josephson Inc. (www.sjaccounting.com) was founded in 1975. The 100-person firm serves public and privately held clients throughout the United States and internationally from four California locations: Santa Monica, Irvine, San Francisco and Walnut Creek. Services include: