The Tech Gap

Intuit Execs Offer California CPAs Advice for the Future

Intuit SVP Brad Smith spoke this morning at the CA CPA Society Technology and described what he termed "the five new faces of entrepreneurship". Smith listed Gen Y-ers, Baby Boomers, "mompreneurs", careerpreneurs. and immigrants as the groups that will start small businesses in large numbers over the next 10 years.

Smith's colleague, Steve Bludell, followed with specific advice to the participants regarding ways they might take advantage of the trends that Smith described. One of Blundell's tips that seemed to resonate well with the audience was that they develop ways to reach out to their client's teenage children offering basic financial and tax advice in hopes that the teens would eventually become clients. Together Smith and Blundell made a compelling case to encourage practitioners to think "future".

If Intuit offers this presentation as a road show, I'd highly recommend that you attend. This is good stuff.

gll

The Thing Most Practicing Accountants Hate SECOND Most

In my 32+ years of experience with accountants practicing in small firms I have grown to understand that the thing they universally hate SECOND most is contacting clients about a past due balance. [The number ONE thing is obviously "not getting paid"!] That same reluctance regarding accounts receivable management often follows to these firm's small business clients. Last week while speaking at the New Jersey Society of CPA's Technology & Business Show I noticed a new exhibitor and stopped by for an introductory visit. I met Roger Gins, CEO of Call Motions, LLC and he demonstrated his company's web-enabled, automated accounts receivable collection management system.

www.AR-Connect.com provides a secure portal via which a business can upload their A/R aging report (generated from most popular accounting packages including QuickBooks, PeachTree, and Microsoft Office Accounting) and then, following rules and processes established by the individual businesses, have collection efforts undertaken automatically. The rules and processes can include emails, postcards, letters, and telephone calls --- and all are highly customizable. The genius in the process is that, while every step is automated, each step [can be] individually approved immediately prior to its implementation. This avoids the potential embarrassment of escalating efforts after a payment has been received. And the telephone call component has some clever twists, too. First, the system spoofs the called ID into displaying the businesses number rather than that of AR-Connect. And the message delivered allows the recipient to press a button and be connected directly to the business for more in-depth conversation. I like the design as it's completely transparent and all communications appear to come directly from the business owners rather than a service or agency.

If you and/or your clients hate asking to get paid, but hate not getting paid even more, then perhaps you might want to take a peek at AR-Connect.

gll

   

DST Change May Complicate Your Life

Remember the doomsday predictors back in 2000? Y2K is coming and we'll all die!!! Well, we prepared (many would say we OVER-prepared) and we certainly didn't die. In fact, there weren't even any noticeable hiccups. If Y2K was an earthquake, then DST 2007 might be the aftershock. The problem is  Congress. [I know, you're amazed!] Late in 2005 President Bush signed legislation extending Daylight Savings Time. In 2007 we begin on March 11th --- three weeks before the more traditional "first Sunday in April". That's all fine and good for us humans, and it's OK for our really smart, late model computers and electronic gadgets. Unfortunately, it wrecks havoc on all those in between. Everything from microwaves to VCRs to many older computer operating systems will soon be very, very confused. And the people in Indiana, we'll let's just say they'll CONTINUE to be confused. [They finally joined the rest of the country in observing DST last year --- and now we're changing it again --- tough time to be a Hoosier!]

While this isn't life and death it is important to pay attention. There are two things to remember. First --- common sense. During those three weeks, especially the first few days, make SURE every appointment you have is on the CORRECT time. And double check with your meeting colleagues. It's too busy a time to to be wasting it (time that is). Second is to download and install the Time Zone Data Update Tool for Microsoft Office Outlook. If you use Outlook you need this tool!!!

You'll find it right here.

gll

Why does this stuff happen during busy season? I know, it's terrible. But keep in mind that next fall you'll have yet another "mini-boom" aftershock as we extend DST past it's normal "last Sunday in October" until after Halloween. More daylight time for the kiddies to trick or treat! And three more days of double checking everyone's calendars. Grrrrrrrrrr.

2006 Year-in-Review Digital Edition

The CPA Technology Advisor’s 2006 YEAR-IN-REVIEW DIGITAL EDITION features exclusive content and insight into what made 2006 a year to remember, including the “Top 10 Business Events of 2006” and the “Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2006.” Both of these special features are available only through this special Digital Edition.

The 2006 YEAR-IN-REVIEW DIGITAL EDITION uses an interactive format that lets you read it just like the print edition of the magazine, flipping through pages with a click of your mouse. It also includes  exclusive podcast interviews that allow you to hear from industry thought leaders as they discuss trends and technologies that are shaping the tax and accounting professions.

If you're a regular reader of this blog, or even more so a regular listener to Intersection Live, you'll particularly enjoy this edition. Please give it a try --- and also, please let me know your opinion of this type of delivery method for content. I want to know your thoughts, positive and negative. Your feedback is essential to our planning process. As readers (and listeners) you represent the leading (bleeding?) edge of technology adaptation in the profession of public accounting. We'll go where you direct us, and the rest of the profession will follow!

Thanks .... and a really wonderful holiday and a prosperous and peaceful New Year.

gll

An Accounting Firm Centric Alternative to WebEx & LiveMeeting --- BizConference.com

Long-time practitioner now turned software solution entrepenuer Barry Friedman has his hopes set high. He's hoping he can convince WebEx users and even Microsoft's LiveMeeting users that his upstart company, BizConference, can do what they do --- but better, faster, and cheaper. The better comes from no fuss with downloading desktop clients, the faster from using Flash, and the cheaper from ..... well, the cheaper comes from the fact that Friedman is a CPA who practiced for 30 years and he KNOWS his customers --- because he's one of us!!

Listen in as Barry and his partner Andrew Murdock discuss their new service with me. I was quite impressed. I'm betting you will be, too. Most interesting is understanding Friedman's vision of practice in the near future. Will web-based conferenceing be as big as he describes? Perhaps. If so, you'll want to know about this service. If not, well, you'll STILL want to know about this service. It has a 14 day free trial so I suggest you give it a whirl.

gll

MP3 File

Auditor Tools Podcast

My friend, and regular columnist Randy Johnston, and I spent some time recently discussing the tools that highly productive auditors are using in the field. If you ever work in your client's offices this podcast is a "must listen".

Recorded Sept., 2006 --- 29 minutes.

gll


MP3 File

Picture Your Laptop as Checked Baggage

Our friend Rich Oppenheim has been pondering the idea of CHECKING his laptop! As far as I'm concerned that will happen when the TSA workers pry my cold, dead fingers off my tablet ..... er, ah .... well, maybe Rich is right and we should start at least considering the possibility.

Until now, when your laptop traveled with you, it was safely stored in the same location as you - under your seat, in the overhead bin or on your lap. With the threats impacting every aspect of air travel, your laptop may soon not be allowed to travel with you.

Checking your laptop as luggage presents a few problems. First, the loss of work time while at the airport and in the air. Second is the possibility of the laptop being stolen. Third is the potential for damage while the luggage handlers play Frisbee with the bags.

A few ideas to overcome the risks:
Lost work time – plan your work time well
Stolen laptop – backup your data, use passwords, remove sensitive data before travel
Damage – use a better protective case. Consider the Otter Box.

Of course, one can use all sorts of technology to reduce both the need to travel and travel time itself and therefore reduce all sorts of risks.

Richard Oppenheim

A Salute to My Friend -- Dave Ligotti

Ann Arbor, MI practitioner Dave Ligotti has managed to garner a fair amount of ink over the past several years. I've known Dave [electronically] for a long time and first met him when I lived in Ann Arbor back in the late 90's. I was so impressed with his approach to practice, especially dealing with restaurant clients, that I asked him to speak at a national conference the planning for which I was responsible. He accepted and, as expected, did a bang-up job and has been invited back annually ever since. Knowing Dave's professional acumen and his presentation ability I have not been at all surprised that my colleagues in the trade press began covering him. Recently that coverage spread to the "civilian" press as Dave's practice, Oakwood Solutions, was featured in Crain's Detroit Business.

Download ligotti_recognized_by_crains.pdf

gll

NOTE TO DAVE: Congratulation on the nice article. We should "do lunch" again --- I think last time was at Gratzi's, alfresco if memory serves. Oh, and I think YOU bought! [smile].

SECOND NOTE TO DAVE: You are a CPA, a CFP, an MCP, and a Quickbooks Certified Professional Advisor --- so WHY are you not [yet] a CITP?

2006 PCPS/TSCPA National MAP Survey Launched

The PCPS Section of the AICPA, in cooperation with the Texas Society of CPAs, has announced the launch of the 2006 version of the now standard setting National MAP Survey. Thousands of firms throughout the country will complete the survey. This tool allows benchmarking of your management policies and financial results against those of other firms. 

In order to access targeted, detailed comparison data you need to participate. If you complete the survey, you will be able to buy an interactive results report that will allow you to compare data tailored to your firm size, specialty and region. Participants receive a $100 discount on the results.

The survey will close on Friday, September 1st. Here is URL to take the survey:

http://map.pcps.org

The 2006 version of the survey allows you to complete the sections in any order you wish and the main menu shows your progress and let’s you know which sections you have completed and which ones still need your attention. Before completing the on-line survey you can print a PDF of the entire survey or just the individual sections. Doing so can help you gather the pertinent information before beginning to enter your firm’s response.

There is no cost to participate in the survey and all survey results are available free to PCPS members. If you are not yet a PCPS member, you can join for $35 per CPA in your firm (with a maximum of $700) and take advantage of this member benefit. [PCPS members also receive The CPA Technology Advisor as a member benefit.] Non-PCPS members can purchase reports for $300 with a $100 discount to respondents and an additional $100 discount for AICPA members. For more information on the survey itself or about PCPS, please visit www.aicpa.org/pcps.

This survey is provided by PCPS (Private Companies Practice Section, the AICPA Alliance for CPA Firms) and TSCPA (the Texas Society of CPAs), and sponsored by Aon Insurance Services, Robert Half Management Resources, and the Paychex Partner Program.

To ensure your confidentiality, PCPS has contracted with a qualified research firm, IntelliSurvey.

gll

Special Note:

The survey is the largest in our profession and its results impact forward looking firms’ decisions regarding all facets of practice management. Additionally we at The CPA Technology Advisor depend heavily of portions of the results as we continue to statistically link the effects of “productivity” to “profitability”. Our trademarked Productivity Survey, sponsored by Thomson Tax & Accounting, measures the former, but not the latter. The PCPS/TSCPA MAP Survey measures the latter, does the inverse. Together, they provide our profession with invaluable direction for the future. I whole-heartedly endorse the PCPS/TSCPA MAP Survey and strongly encourage that all of our eligible readers participate. Your participation means not only a stronger dataset for all, but will help you gather and organize important information about your firm. And, it’ll save you money!!

Gregory L. LaFollette, CPA.CITP

Executive Editor, The CPA Technology Advisor

OfficePax Delivers Where Outlook Falters, but .....

It seems like every conference and trade show has at least some surprises ... one of mine for the NY Show last month was a Manhattan-based company IT company with a fairly elegant email/CRM/remote access/calendaring/time and billing system called OfficePax. Its claim to fame is that it offers many workgroup features and benefits previously unavailable without an Exchange server. It uses a simple,  albiet very powerful topology to deliver connectivity without the usually accompanying complexity. Since many accounting practices feel they are "too small" to afford, either in dollars or time, to implement Exchange the OfficePax product just may find a friendly niche here.

OfficePax shares email, calendars and contacts --- much like Outlook --- but adds remote access (somewhat like GoToMyPC), file sharing, invoices, time and billing, and contact management. Licensing per user runs from $180 for basic to $240 for the "all features included" Extreme version. Support adds around $50 per user per year. This pricing can look quite attractive when compared to Outlook plus Exchange ---- even without the added hardware component.

While I was pretty high on the features of OfficePax it does have an Achilles heel --- while it does what it does very well, it does so without Outlook compatibility. In other words, while you can plan a meeting for your staff and invite clients --- the Outlook-based clients (IMHO about 98% of the world!) can't "accept" the vCal. So much for a great solution! The OfficePax people are completely unabashed regarding compatibility and are convinced that they'll soon "take over the world" in groupware. I don't share their optimism and am concerned about adopting an incompatible system. They are certainly right in their claim that OfficePax is richer and more full-featured than Outlook. And Italian is certainly a more beautiful language than English ---- but my clients ALL SPEAK ENGLISH so the "beauty" of Italian does me no good. [Thanks to JLR for the metaphor.]

If you can get past the Outlook integration issue OfficePax deserves a look.

gll