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.

Timestamps:

• 00:37 – Introduction to Nick and his background
• 02:46 – How TOA Global began
• 04:10 – Early offshoring lessons and growing pains
• 06:40 – The unexpected demand that revealed a real business
• 07:43 – Nick’s personal “why” and decision to scale globally
• 09:12 – Why the Philippines has such strong accounting talent
• 11:25 – Why every accounting firm needs a people plan
• 13:30 – Industry capacity issues and long-term global staffing strategy
• 15:07 – How offshoring perceptions have evolved
• 16:19 – Quality challenges, cultural misunderstandings & outsourcing stigma
• 18:00 – Outsourcing reveals internal firm weaknesses
• 19:16 – Offshoring accelerates local careers
• 20:00 – People are the product in accounting firms
• 22:20 – Human connection as the profession’s long-term differentiator
• 23:02 – Why training and quicker competency paths matter
• 25:06 – Building career plans and accelerating development
• 27:39 – Challenges firm owners face when building global teams
• 28:56 – Cultural nuances in leading global teams
• 31:21 – Leadership, flexibility, and knowing your people
• 32:30 – Nick’s most memorable career moment
• 34:23 – Book recommendation: Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell
• 35:24 – 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.