The Firmlever Weekly Roundup: Issue #24

This Week's Sponsor:

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And now, to this week's Highlights...

The Highlights

1. A free tool to bypass most article paywalls: I've been using a neat tool for a couple of years now for a lot of my research and have to say the ability to "try before I buy" is priceless. It lets you legally bypass most article/news paywalls. Simply enter the URL and presto--you get the full article. It doesn't work for every site but when it does it's golden. I find some sites/newsletters are so good I end up subscribing anyway (all because I was able to get a free taste with this free tool)! (And because I like to support many of the independent writers that deserve it.)

2. The Rise of Micro-Entrepreneurship: Technology Is Fueling a Boom in Solo Business Ventures: It's only a matter of time before we see the first solo $1M accounting firm. Until then, there are some great playbooks out there. I recently came across this micro-entrepreneurship article (oh look at that, I used our nifty paywall bypass tool!) that I find inspirational for clients--as they strive to create micro-businesses. In the article there's great example of a lawyer resigning to sell online courses. Replace that with "accountant" and we're on to something.

3. Create AI-generated videos for your clients: By now you have probably received at least one (if not a dozen) cold emails with a cheesy video from some lead gen "expert". Well what if you could save a few hundred bucks and create them on the cheap while delighting your clients? The possibilities are endless: Happy birthday videos, thanks for being a client videos, etc. No need to record yourself, no Loom or anything like that. Just type what kind of vid you want and boom--it's done. This is the new Google Veo 2 that lets you create up to an 8 second video (audio coming soon). To access, go to Google Gemini (Google's version of ChatGPT) and choose Veo 2 from the dropdown (Note: this does require a Gemini Advanced plan starting at $19.99/mo but has a 1-month free trial). Here's one I created for my client "Bobby", a fellow Baltimorean who is a diehard O's fan: (Steal my prompt and access the full video here).
   

   

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What Else I'm Tracking This Week:

Three videos in particular caught my attention this week. They all show how we can use AI to save time and money to free up our busy lives.

1. An AI that helps you organize interviews: This video (less than 2 min) introduces Manus, a new AI Agent platform that I've been personally putting to use recently in my businesses, shows how to organize many different interviews, including call transcripts and creates a polished PDF:
   

You may want to check out a few other cool use cases (another less than 2 min vid) like an Excel to Website to create a custom finance dashboard:

2. This guy solves client onboarding document collection with a custom AI agent: Ok he's not just some random guy, he's Bryan, a buddy of mine who helps firms automate their operations. He likes to say anything that you'd hire an intern or entry-level VA to do, most likely he can automate it. In this video he goes deep on an onboarding AI agent. Check it out and if you decide to work with him, tell him I sent you and he'll give you a free blueprint for a personal calendar agent, document collection agent, or invoice manager AI agent--typically $399 but free if you mention me. NOTE: I don't get any commission or kickbacks from Bryan--I just love promoting ambitious entrepreneurs with great products (he does the same for me)--if that's you, shoot me a note.
   

3. Podcast Invite: The next round of scheduling is now open for guests on my new podcast, Pitch Your Firm. (Apply Here):

Invite Friends, Get Free Stuff

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