Accounting and Legal Markets

Market Sectors that Demand Experience

Conducting research among accounting and legal professionals presents many challenges. Difficult to reach, impatient respondents who are likely to ask, "What's in it for me?" within the first 15 seconds of the interview. Professionals who speak in code, demanding that the interviewer knows a cite from a site and a statute from a statue. Solving these challenges requires extensive experience in the category. Calo Research Services has that experience.

Our History

We have been conducting research among accountants and legal professionals since 1990. In 1990, accounting and law office computer systems were primitive and the Internet as a source of information was an unknown. One of our earliest studies required us to explain the then futuristic concept of the e-filing of tax returns. Today, our research among accountants and legal professionals focuses on leading edge issues such as practice building strategies, Internet information sources, and Web-hosted solutions.

Target Audiences

The President of our company, Nick Calo, has conducted more than 300 focus groups among accounting and legal markets. Our interviewers have conducted thousands of in-person and telephone interviews among a range of audiences that comprise the accounting and legal markets.

Accountants and Attorneys in Private Practice and Corporate Settings

• Solo practitioners
• Associates and partners working in small, medium, and large firms
• Accountants working in corporate tax settings
• Corporate counsel of large companies

Support Staff

• Marketing directors and business managers of accounting and law firms
• Office managers in accounting and law firms
• Law librarians and paralegals
• IT executives who manage firm infrastructure

Government Professionals

• Accountants and attorneys in state and federal agencies
• Legislative assistants
• The judiciary - judges and court clerks

The Academic Environment

• Accounting and pre-law undergraduates
• Business school and law school faculty
• Business school and law school librarians

Research Topics

Our experience in working with the accounting and legal professions has covered a range of issues important to accountants and attorneys. A sample of the topics we have researched in accounting and legal markets would include:

Online Research

• Online sources used and research habits
• Trends in acquisition and use of information

Marketing and Managing the Practice

• Strategies used to develop the firm
• Practice management tools
• Supply purchasing to support the practice

Technology Used in the Practice

• Hardware and connectivity
• Use of the Internet, Intranets, Extranets, etc.
• Deployment of software to perform tasks, such case management and computational programs

Education

• CPE/CLE for practitioners
• Undergraduate and professional programs

Career development and satisfaction

• Factors affecting decision to pursue a profession
• Key determinants of career satisfaction
• Pro bono service