Recently, this question has popped up more than usual. Should an accountant have two Facebook pages - one for professional reasons and one for friends and family? My advice is simple: If your Facebook page is more personal than professional - and the "personal" is intended only for close friends and family - you'll want two pages. Unfortunately, few of us have time to manage two accounts. The better way to go is to have a corporate Facebook page that represents your firm or company. Instead of the page serving as the professional side of "you," it's more a reflection of the business itself. Realize, however, that you'll need a personal Facebook page before you can set up a corporate page. The corporate page has to be tied to a personal...

As a technology information source, here at the CPA Tech Views blog and at the The CPA Technology Advisor we generally focus on how technologies can aid in streamlining workflow in professional practices or even enhance client relationships. The point is often made that effective implementation and adaption is key: In other words, how the technology is being used determines its effectiveness. Well, for some people, non-use can also be an effective strategy. And that doesn't just mean old-school curmudgeons who refuse to see the promise in proven technologies. Believe it or not, some of the top business leaders in the U.S. have shunned mobile phones because of their potential for distraction from other issues. They include Warren Buffett...

I'm no Microserf, and I can cite in chapter and verse why the guys in Redmond have blown major opportunities in their history.  Remember the multiple mis-steps with MSN (and the even more dreadful concept behind MSNBC), or the deeply failed Web TV?  I am still confused as to what Windows 98SE was all about, and why you can't easily rotate text in Word.  They never made it off the ground with Microsoft Money, and still can't seem to produce a simple graphics program more sophisticated than Paint. Nor was I very impressed when Microsoft first introduced its first generation streaming video product called Silverlight.  With Adobe Flash and Quicktime dominating the web scene, it seemed that there was little that Microsoft had to offer...

Just last week, I had the honor of presenting a morning program to the Louisiana Society of Independent Accountants in Shreveport - a state organization connected to the National Society of Accountants. The Louisiana group is mostly made up of public accountants who are enrolled agents. They came from all over the state for the organization's annual conference. After speaking to the LSIA's president, I knew I had to keep the program pretty basic. He admitted that many attendees would prefer not to attempt e-filing, something that's routine to most accountants. He also asked me to stay away from "that Twitter stuff." Of course, I included an entire section on social media in my talk because I knew the group would want to know about...