Brian D. Bredensteiner, CPA — 39

Owner, Bredensteiner & Associates, P.C.

St. Charles, MO

Education: BS in Business Administration – Accounting, University of Missouri – St. Louis

Professional Associations/Memberships: AICPA, MSCPA

Civic Involvement: St. Charles County Master Plan 2010 and 2015 Committee Member; First State Bank, Board of Directors Member; St. Charles County Family YMCA, Former Board of Directors Member; United Way, Board Member, Former Campaign Fundraising Chair; Cuivre River Electric Roundup, Former Board Member; Ministry to Men, Former Board Member; National Fantasy Baseball Camp for the Hearing Impaired, Former Board Member; United Services for the Handicapped, Former Board Member, Former Past Executive Board Member; St. Charles Businessmen’s Prayer Breakfast, Former Chairman, 2002-Present; St. Charles Mounted Police Foundation, Former Board Member; St. Charles City School District Board of Education, Former Board Member; Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Board Member; Active at Immanuel Lutheran Church and School

Hobbies: Children, biking, baseball, golf, sports collectibles

Cell phone: HTC EVO 4G

Favorite app: My app for the Bible is my favorite as it allows me to stay connected to Him at all times. I also have a host of other apps that are accounting/finance related that I frequent everyday to stay connected on many issues.

How many hours of the day are you plugged in and responsive to client needs? And what tools/products make it possible for you to have flexibility? Usually from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. with multiple SaaS products to allow accessibility 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I also use my phone to stay connected while traveling.

Are you using social networking (such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Facebook) as a marketing tool for your practice/business … or do you use such sites for personal use only? Have you gained any clients or seen other demonstrable benefits from the use of social networking? Yes, we are using Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as marketing tools. We just recently started and have gained one client and a possible future client. It has allowed us to continue to brand our name and logo. We also use Swiftpage for marketing, as well.

What pitfalls or what unwritten rules of social networking etiquette exist, which are frequently missed by others in the profession? A must … keep it professional.

Do you embrace cloud computing? Yes! Cloud computing is here to stay, and we have enjoyed many successes using this technology. While partnering with Thomson Reuters, RightNetworks, Bill.com and QuickBooks, we have become much more timely, effective and efficient to our clients’ needs all the while being connected 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

How is cloud computing changing the accounting profession, and how concerned are you with the security issues related to cloud computing? In a remarkable way! It allows the accounting professional to walk with our clients throughout the year by having constant access to client data, which allows us to better assist with management decisions. We are concerned slightly, for we do not have direct control of the data. However, we feel that by letting the experts handle cloud computing data, we can concentrate more heavily on the client’s needs.

Do you foresee the majority of firms still implementing servers for the majority of their computing in their offices five years from now or do you think they will be outsourcing this component to vendors who specialize in this area? I foresee a huge market in allowing vendors who specialize in this area to have the computing of firms outsourced to them. This is the wave of the future.

Do you subscribe to a magazine and/or local newspaper? Bicycling Magazine — It is my release. The CPA Technology Advisor — I love the proactive thinking. Journal of Accountancy allows for a 30,000 foot view of topics. I also subscribe to several local papers, which allows Bredensteiner & Associates, P.C. to stay up-to-date on current local issues. I also read USA Today, NY Times and StL Today online.