Complete archive of published insights and articles from R.A. Clifton.
By R.A. Clifton • 9/22/2026
Welcome to the new RAClifton.com. This is the first post here, so it is worth saying plainly what this site is for. R.A. Clifton is an AI-first CPA and business advisory firm. We help ambitious smal...
By R.A. Clifton • 9/22/2026
The objective is not an AI strategy for the next five years. It is one useful, governed experiment for the next 90 days. DAYS 1-14: GOVERN Write a one-page acceptable-use policy. Choose approved tool...
By R.A. Clifton • 9/22/2026
Waiting is not catastrophic. Your competitors are not going to become fully autonomous businesses next Tuesday. The more realistic risk is quieter: they learn while you watch. Here is the counterintu...
By R.A. Clifton • 9/22/2026
A credible AI report gets less exciting here. Apprehension deserves straight answers, not a sales pitch. The real risks: inaccurate output, privacy and security exposure, shadow AI use among employee...
By R.A. Clifton • 9/22/2026
For accounting and advisory firms, the message is not "we use AI." It is "we know where to use it, where not to use it, and how important output is reviewed." Thomson Reuters research shows enterpris...
By R.A. Clifton • 9/22/2026
You will hear that 20% of organizations capture 74% of AI's economic value. That is true. But a 25-person company should not copy a global company's AI program any more than it should copy its real-es...
By R.A. Clifton • 9/22/2026
The strongest argument for AI adoption is not novelty. It is capacity. When a repetitive workflow can be prepared, summarized, drafted, searched or organized faster—with a person still responsible fo...
By R.A. Clifton • 9/22/2026
The numbers tell a clear story. Small-business generative AI use has grown from 23% in 2023 to 40% in 2024 and 58% in 2025. Even more striking: the share of small businesses using AI regularly jumped ...
By R.A. Clifton • 9/21/2026
Many small business owners struggle to see the true financial picture of their business. Without clarity, decisions are made on incomplete information. Our Financial Clarity Framework helps you under...
By R.A. Clifton • 9/21/2026
Building an effective AI strategy doesnt require massive transformation. Start with one clear problem in your business where AI could help your people work better. Key principles: 1. Identify one wor...
