Building an Offshore Staffing Strategy for your CPA Firm with Nick Sinclair

In this episode, we sit down with returning guest Nick Sinclair, founder and chairman of TOA Global, one of the largest accounting outsourcing companies in the world. Nick shares the unlikely origin story of how a leadership trip to the Philippines revealed the talent  and scalability his own firm desperately needed. This inspired him to build what has now become a powerhouse with more than 4,500 team members serving over 1,100 firms worldwide. His personal “why” behind the business was shaped by watching his parents lose everything when he was young. This drives his mission to ensure more people get the financial advice they need by helping firms leverage the offshoring support they need to deliver high-touch service.

00:37 – Introduction to Nick and his background02:46 – How TOA Global began04:10 – Early offshoring lessons and growing pains06:40 – The unexpected demand that revealed a real business07:43 – Nick’s personal “why” and decision to scale globally09:12 – Why the Philippines has such strong accounting talent11:25 – Why every accounting firm needs a people plan13:30 – Industry capacity issues and long-term global staffing strategy15:07 – How offshoring perceptions have evolved16:19 – Quality challenges, cultural misunderstandings & outsourcing stigma18:00 – Outsourcing reveals internal firm weaknesses19:16 – Offshoring accelerates local careers20:00 – People are the product in accounting firms22:20 – Human connection as the profession’s long-term differentiator23:02 – Why training and quicker competency paths matter25:06 – Building career plans and accelerating development27:39 – Challenges firm owners face when building global teams28:56 – Cultural nuances in leading global teams31:21 – Leadership, flexibility, and knowing your people32:30 – Nick’s most memorable career moment34:23 – Book recommendation: Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell35:24 – Where to connect with Nick: LinkedIn 

Link to full listing: https://poegroupadvisors.com/practice/sc2038/ 

Firm Highlights:
- Young, energetic owner committed to staying 10+ years to run and grow the firm.
- Selling 70–100% equity, with plans to offer key employees an ownership stake.
- 3+ CPAs on staff and over 20 employees.
- High-net-worth clients with strong loyalty and consistent referrals.
- 78% of services tied to business clients.