James (Jim) K. Boomer, CPA.CITP — 34

Professional Associations/Memberships: AICPA (TECH+ Conference Steering Committee, CITP Credentials Committee, Member), KSCPA (Board of Directors, Champion of Technology Task Force, Member), The Strategic Coach Program

Civic Involvement: Volunteer for Sirius Pet Adoptions

Hobbies: Golf, Reading, Softball, Snow Skiing, Spending time with family

Cell phone: iPhone 4

Favorite app: For Business use – SharePlus because we are heavy SharePoint users, and it provides me access wherever I am. For Personal use – Mint.com because I can access all my financial information in a single location.

 

What are some ways your firm/business has gone “paperless” and/or “green” in the last two years?

We are almost a completely server-less office. We have moved everything to the cloud with the exception of our VoIP system. That will be moved by the end of the year. We are a distributed office with many of our employees working out of their homes or on the road. We leverage SharePoint for collaboration and document sharing and are completely paperless. We have also stopped printing materials for our client meetings and distribute everything electronically through the Boomer Knowledge Network.

How is cloud computing changing the accounting profession, and how concerned are you with the security issues related to cloud computing?

I believe that cloud computing will have a major impact in the accounting profession and business in general. When major players like Apple, Google, Microsoft and IBM are promoting cloud computing, it signals to me that it is not just a fad. Add to that, the major push by CCH and Thomson Reuters to establish cloud offerings, and I don’t think you can ignore the writing on the wall. It may not happen as quickly as some predict, but I think a majority of firms will be headed that route over the next five years.

Security concerns, while valid, are not what some like to make them out to be. Which is more secure — a SAS 70 data center or an accounting firm’s server room in the back of the office? I would put my money on the data center. Mitigating security risks needs to be part of the due diligence process you go through to select the right partner.

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 think we’ll see a lot of firms with zero servers in their offices five years from now. Letting vendors who specialize in data centers deal with the servers not only saves money, but it also frees up the firm’s IT professionals to work on more value-add projects, which can lead to innovation and revenue production.

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?

We use LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter regularly at Boomer Consulting, Inc. We have received a couple of large leads from people that found us on LinkedIn. Our Facebook site is primarily focused on strengthening/maintaining relationships with our existing clients. Twitter provides tremendous exposure and helps us build our brand and direct people to our content.

As with any marketing tool, it is hard to measure the new business results of social media. Often, our clients are touched in several ways (email, face-to-face, phone call, website, etc.) before they engage our team. I can say that social media has increased our exposure and has led to people finding us that wouldn’t have through traditional means.

What pitfalls or what unwritten rules of social networking etiquette exist, which are frequently missed by others in the profession?

Too many people view this as a platform to sell their services. Sales might be the ultimate goal, but it is not the first step. You need to first build trust and credibility in a social network before you can ever expect someone to consider buying your products/services. There is no quicker way to turn people off to your message than to lead with a sales pitch.

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?

Other than when I’m sleeping, I am connected in some way to the office. The tools that make this possible include:

– iPhone/iPad

  — SharePlus App – lets me connect to our SharePoint site

  — MaxMobile App – lets me log into our Altigen VoIP system from my iPhone/iPad

  — Active Sync – provides access to email on my iPhone/iPad

  — MS Messenger App – lets me tie into MS Live Messenger from iPhone/iPad

– Laptop

– VoIP Phone System (access from handset at Boomer Consulting office, handset at my home office, iPhone, iPad and laptop)

The issue I run into is less about staying connected and more about disconnecting when I want to. Leaving the office behind to spend time with my family can sometimes be more challenging than I’d like it to be.

Do you use online resources like webcasts for CPE training?

We use web meetings for a number of purposes including internal meetings, external meetings and facilitated sessions where we grant CPE to attendees. We use LiveMeeting for our internal meetings and GoToMeeting for our external meeting and webinars.

Do you listen to podcasts?

I have listened to podcasts in the past, but do not do so on a regular basis.

Do you subscribe to a magazine and/or local newspaper?

Newspaper – No, I get all my news online, although I do have an app on my iPad for Wall The Wall Street Journal (and a subscription) and USAToday.

Magazines – The CPA Technology Advisor, Journal of Accountancy, Accounting Today, Time

What ONE piece of technology could you absolutely not live without? Why?

My iPhone! I can pretty much do anything I need to do on this device. I can access all the information I need at the office and can stay connected through email, instant messaging and our VoIP system. I’d be tethered to my desk without it, and since I work from my home office that would not be good for my work/life balance.

NOT including your current employer, what company do you most admire and why?

I admire Google because they value the importance of innovation. By giving employees 20 percent of their time to work on new ideas that are not part of their day-to-day role, they have spread creative thinking throughout the organization. Many of the company’s most successful products have come from this innovation time.

What is an “old school” business practice or process you’d like to see changed in the next five years and why?

Pricing by the hour. We’ve backed ourselves into a corner in the accounting profession by focusing so much on the billable hour. We’ve also trained our clients to think in this way rather than looking at a simple cost/benefit analysis. Until value pricing gets more traction in the industry, we will continue to struggle. Just look at your own buying decisions and ask yourself how many times you take into account the amount of time that was put into a product or service.

What sports team/championship event do you absolutely refuse to miss?

Kansas State University athletics – primarily football & basketball

What are some of your favorite books, movies, music, websites, and TV shows?

Books – “Good to Great”, “It’s Okay to Be the Boss”, “Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard”

Movies – The Jerk, National Lampoon’s Vacation

Music – Ryan Adams, Jason Mraz, The Killers

TV – Deadliest Catch, Modern Family, Jersey Shore

How many monitors do you have on your desk? Two monitors plus my iPad as third monitor on occasion.

What operating system and version of Microsoft Office is installed on your work computer? Windows 7 & Office Professional Plus 2010