Blog Archives
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Franchisee Trends for 2012
By Isaac M. O'Bannon, Editor - Tuesday January 10, 2012Here’s an idea for a franchise-based business I came up with, initially as a bit of a joke, but then I thought it had some real potential: Retirement community call centers. Not to be confused with nursing homes, retirement communities are often filled with younger and more active seniors, many of whom have uprooted from their original family communities. Combine their active minds and still-capable bodies with some level of boredom and perhaps, with the crunch economy, some may be looking to augment diminished retirement income, and I think there’s a good opportunity for some call centers to establish a presense in some of these communities. As with any call center, there would be training involved, and these... -
Two of the Top 25 Thought Leaders in the Accounting Profession Join Forces to Strengthen the Small Business Community
By Isaac M. O'Bannon, Editor - Monday November 7, 2011More cool news from the Sleeter Conference, as The Sleeter Group and Mentor Plus are teaming up to offer a business-to-business mentoring program. It's designed to help small business consultants and accountants learn how to effectively become a mentor to their clients. Pleasanton, CA – Two of the accounting profession’s most respected thought leaders, Doug Sleeter and Edi Osborne, have come together to grow the business acumen of accountants and consultants who serve small businesses. Sleeter is the founder and president of The Sleeter Group, the nation’s largest network of small business accounting software consultants, and Osborne is the CEO of Mentor Plus, long recognized as a leader in the development of advisory services... -
Gadget Season is Near!
By Isaac M. O'Bannon, Editor - Wednesday October 5, 2011Every year around this time I receive a variety of demo gadgets and information on technologies that span the spectrum of being useful for business, as well as those geared toward personal entertainment, hobbies and sometimes just peculiar things. I include them in our annual Holiday Gift Guide, which runs in our December issue and on our regular website www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com. This year, I decided to give a sneak peek at a few of the items here on the blog. Some serious, some just fun. GoFlex Slim 320 GB - Seagate always has cool things, and this year they submitted this super small, easy to carry in your pocket 320GB capacity drive, which also sports USB 3.0 capability. Great for those on the go. The Clicker - A universal remote... -
WTC: In Their Own Words
By Isaac M. O'Bannon, Editor - Tuesday September 6, 2011I wasn’t in New York City 10 years ago. In fact, my first trip to the city wasn’t until 2003, on a fall day similar to what I saw two years earlier, when I watched the towers fall on tv. In July 2003, I went to Ground Zero, well- as close as I could get, which was about half a block. But I could see there was a hole- mostly from the construction at that point, but I cried. I wasn’t there when it happened, and everybody’s got their own personal history for 9/11, some much closer to the tragedy of that day. I did know a few people in the city, former colleagues, distant acquaintances. I reached out in the weeks following, and all were safe. But I was weary to even intrude and ask, because their proximity meant that they likely did... -
The 2011 CPATA Thoughtleader Symposium & Hall of Fame Awards
By Isaac M. O'Bannon, Editor - Sunday February 20, 2011The staff of CPA Technology Advisor has taken up temporary residence at the Gaylord Texan resort in Grapevine, Texas (Dallas area), where we're hosting the 1st annual CPATA Thought Leader Symposium and announcing the Hall of Fame Awards. The attendees of this thought leader summit represent some of the most respected technology, management and workflow experts in the accounting profession. Many have been with the profession for several decades as it has undergone a continual technological evolution, but while there may be some nostalgia with reference to how far the profession has come, the focus of this gathering is to focus on the next five to ten years. Representatives from Sage Software, CCH and Thomson Reuters are also on hand to... -
QuickBooks and Beyond Blog Launches
By Isaac M. O'Bannon, Editor - Friday February 11, 2011Blog Aims to Publish Timely Information on Best Practices, Program Updates and Interoperability The Sleeter Group, supporting accountants, consultants and small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), is launching its new blog today. Entitled QuickBooks and Beyond, The Sleeter Group’s blog will include articles about various aspects of accounting software and add-ons, as well as practice management. Sleeter Group Founder and President Doug Sleeter states, “We’re really excited about the new blog. This will be an ideal place for consultants and business owners to get great tips and up-to-the-minute information about how to succeed with QuickBooks and other accounting software. We’re committed to delivering high value, current... -
Nominatons Open for 2011 Innovation Awards
By Isaac M. O'Bannon, Editor - Thursday January 27, 2011The nomination period has started for The CPA Technology Advisor's 2011 Innovation Awards. If you're a technology vendor with a new or recently enhanced technology that can help tax and accounting pros be more productive and efficient, this is your chance to help it get the highest technology honor in the profession. Only five of these coveted awards are presented each year. Nominate before February 28 for a discount on the nomination fee. Learn more about the awards at www.cpatechadvisor.com/go/3205. -
Charitable Giving Rebounds From Recession's Low
By Isaac M. O'Bannon, Editor - Tuesday January 18, 2011Charitable organizations often feel the effects of recessions along with the rest of society: Just as the need for many charity services rises, their income drops, since it is frequently based on donations. Fortunately, there may be a sign of hope for such organizations, as a new study by Blackbaud shows a trend toward increasing charitable giving. The new report focuses on fundraising trends based on monthly findings from The Blackbaud Index and featuring commentary from Dave Strauss, president and chief executive officer of SCA Direct. Additionally, Blackbaud announced the release of a new specialty index focused on environmental and animal welfare organizations. “With the elections behind us, and the economy and markets improving... -
It’s All About Scanners
By Isaac M. O'Bannon, Editor - Friday January 14, 2011As digital workflow, paperless processes and tax document automation continue to be major driving factors in technology for accounting firms, the scanner has become an increasingly integral part of the modern practice. Keep it Neat The Neat Company (neat name, eh?) offers several scanning solutions, including the NeatDesk and NeatReceipts. NeatDesk offers high-speed scanning at your desktop, with an automated document management utility the helps turn scanned documents into organized digital files. The system also comes with NeatWorks software, with uses OCR capability to identify and capture key information from scanned documents, with data then automatically routed into the digital filing system. NeatReceipts offers a mobile... -
"Pioneering the New Firm" Online Conference Focuses on Web-Based Tech for CPAs
By Isaac M. O'Bannon, Editor - Wednesday January 5, 2011The THRIVEal +CPA Network will host a a webcast geared toward helping dynamic CPA firms identify and implement new technologies, management practices, marking strategies and workflow processes. The THRIVEal +CPA Network was founded by well-known CPA and social media maven Jason Blumer as a community and collaboration network for the next generation of CPAs who are now coming into firm management and ownership roles. The webcast is scheduled for Thursday, January 13, from 1-3pm (EST). I will be moderating the event, and will be joined by several young practicing professionals and thoughtleaders, including Joday Padar, CPA, MST and Jason Blumer, CPA.CITP, both of whom have been honored as one of The CPA Technology Advisor's 40 Under 40...
