Josh Zweig CPA, CA spoke with the CPA Alberta Employer Relations team from his flat in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to share his company’s experience with becoming a Pre-Approved Program (PPR) provider in Alberta
. Josh is the co-founder, partner, and CEO of LiveCA.
Our readers might not have heard about LiveCA. You’re an accounting firm, but what makes you unique?
LiveCA is one of the first virtual accounting firms in Canada. The firm started as a team of two (me and my business partner, Chad Davis) and has now grown to a team of almost 80 people! We do all of the work that a typical accounting firm would do, but the biggest difference is our workflow. When we start working with a client, we make sure to understand their business, what they’re doing, and where they need help. From there, we recommend apps to help streamline their business and determine what services they need. We charge a fixed monthly price, instead of billable hours. Often, we are a replacement for a full finance team.
LiveCA recently became a pre-approved program route provider in Alberta. What was your motivation for becoming a PPR provider?
Our team is spread across Canada, with most of our staff in BC, Alberta, and Ontario. We wanted to improve the employee experience at LiveCA and have a more unified experience for everyone. We were already pre-approved in Ontario and BC, and our Alberta team saw how easy it was for the Ontario and BC candidates to complete their practical experience.
How long did the process take?
It took about eight to 12 weeks from start to finish. The Practical Experience team was amazing—we were in contact every two weeks. We were able to use some of our documentation from other provinces for our application, which sped up the process.
What was easier than you thought it would have been?
When we first became a PPR in Ontario, it took almost three years, and we had issues because we were not a brick-and-mortar firm. Alberta was very receptive to our model, and I was impressed by how open everyone was to accommodating us.
What challenges did you face while going through the process?
The process still seems to be largely constructed for firms that operate under the traditional model. It was hard for us to match our work and competencies up with billable hours because that’s not how we operate. We’re focused on building a good relationship with a customer instead of increasing billable hours. At a firm, work is assigned from a pool and it’s easy to ensure that everyone meets their competencies. It’s hard for us to control how work is assigned because it will come from a customer’s needs at a given time.
So for us, the hardest thing was to make sure that all candidates will meet all of the competencies. The Practical Experience team was great with helping us figure out how we can be flexible.
Is there anything you would have done differently?
I would have started the process sooner. I didn’t know how easy it was going to be—if I did, I wouldn’t have waited.
How do you support your PPR candidates?
Our supports are similar to those you’d find at a big accounting firm. We pay for the CPA Professional Education Program (CPA PEP) and the exams. We provide paid time off to study and will cover the cost of third-party exam prep resources or courses. We usually have at least two or three people in the same cohort, so they form study groups together.
What advice would you give to another company thinking of becoming a PPR?
It’s not as hard or as complicated as you think it’s going to be.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I’d like to thank CPA Alberta for being open to our model and for being so supportive during this process.
Thank you, Josh, for telling us about LiveCA’s journey to becoming a PPR provider. We hope other companies will be inspired to begin their path.
If your company is interested in providing its CPA candidates with a structured, streamlined approach to experience reporting, email EmployerRelations@cpaalberta.ca to learn more about becoming a PPR.
The views expressed in this post are those of Josh Zweig. Please refer to cpaalberta.ca for the latest guidelines regarding Practical Experience.
Is your company doing great things to support your candidates? Share your story with the Employer Relations team and be featured in a future issue of CPA PEP Talk.
Check out our resources for employers to help you support your candidates.
