August 2010

8110 characters In columns last month (July 2010), Executive Editor Darren Root, CPA.CITP, and I wrote about Apple’s new iPad (Darren’s July column is available at www.cpata.com/go/2841; my July column is at www.cpata.com/go/2843). Darren has long been a proponent of Apple technologies as reliable, quality products, while I’ve long been an Apple critic, pointing out […]

16,640 characters For a number of reasons, achieving the perfect balance between implementing or improving technology, and finding success in all areas related to staffing for that technology, is rare. Vendors and users can, and certainly do, work together for long-term results. However, one too many variables, combined with somewhat disparate agendas between the firms […]

2524 characters www.projecturf.com Developed as a web-based application, Projecturf 2.0 is a new breed of project management software for small and medium-sized businesses as well as freelancers. Projecturf offers an easy-to-use and customizable interface with unlimited data storage. This one-of-a-kind software provides an intuitive interface with project management and collaboration features that help streamline tasks […]

3136 characters Before making any move, it’s important to purge an out-of-date perception. Time and billing is NOT practice management. Long gone are the days of thinking a time and billing application can be applied to broad firm management. Time and billing is still very important within firms, but it is better thought of as […]

5638 characters 877-780-4848 www.Avalara.com Avalara is a developer of a wide range of sales and use tax systems, exemption certificate management utilities and related services. The company’s flagship automated sales and use tax system, AvaTax OnDemand, provides a web-based database of sales tax rates, rules and special taxation issues that integrates with a business’ accounting, […]

5351 characters 877-222-0187 www.TrustFile.com The TrustFile system from Avalara is an installed program for businesses with sales tax compliance requirements for up to a few states. The program has been on the market for more than 20 years, and is designed for electronic filing and payment of collected tax revenues, but also offers print output […]

5527 characters 866-472-2749 www.Sabrix.com Sabrix MTS (Managed Tax Service), which was acquired by Thomson Reuters in late 2009, is an advanced managed outsourced sales and use tax solution for companies with medium- to high-volume sales tax compliance needs and is best suited for companies that prefer to completely outsource the sales and use tax process. […]

6998 characters Fran Distributing Company saw the economic downturn strike home in the fall of 2009: Cash reserve hit near bottom, reports continued to show orders were down and CEO Fran Rodgers got a letter from the bank stating that it was reducing their credit line by half. It was always a point of pride […]

2637 characters It is gratifying to see the natural evolution of software over time, as the more successful software vendors respond to user feedback and incorporate features and functionality that reflect the demands of actual users. Great software is becoming more powerful all the time, and new development tools and database capabilities allow this evolution […]

5016 characters It’s no secret that states rely heavily on sales taxes for a large portion of their revenues, but over the past decade, many state legislatures have been less inclined to raise the rates for fear of being labeled with a tax proponent. As a remedy, many of these states have turned to increased […]

3390 characters For many professionals, the concept of practice management has long been a challenge to precisely define. But new technologies are increasingly giving firm partners and managers greater control over aspects of their practices that were, not too long ago, somewhat intangible. This enhanced control over all of the many areas of a professional […]

888-874-1118 www.virtualsoftware.net Virtual Software was founded by two former CFOs who have spent decades in the finance and accounting markets. Virtual Time + Expense is a fully-hosted solution that eliminates setup and maintenance requirements. The system allows firms to import client, staff and billing data from other products, thereby eliminating the need for manual data […]

4999 characters 800-865-5257 onesource.thomson.com/salesanduse ONESOURCE is a high-performance platform for a suite of tax and accounting products that provide an integrated solution for corporations managing multiple tax types such as Income, Property, and Sales & Use. The ONESOURCE Sales & Use Tax product is available in both locally installed and a web-hosted version, which is […]

1645 characters 866-723-7409 www.issimage.com Just as sales tax compliance issues grow with the evolution of a business, so does the issue of managing non-taxed sales that necessitate exemption certificates. Depending on a business’ industry and nature, managing these certificates can be a significant challenge, and one that can lead to compliance issues with not only […]

888-245-5669 www.BillQuick.com BillQuick is an impressive program for capturing time, creating invoices, and analyzing the firm position and productivity. It is well suited for medium-sized firms that can exploit the extensive analysis features, and for those who have a need to customize invoicing and reporting. And the history of the product and its versioning indicates […]

6254 characters 888-349-2441 www.SpeedTax.com SpeedTax offers automated sales tax capabilities for businesses using various accounting, sales and ERP systems from QuickBooks and the Sage family of products, up through Microsoft Dynamics, as well as SAP Business One and R/3. The program is designed to integrate with the various components of the accounting and business management […]

4920 characters 800-343-1157 www.taxtools.com CFS Tax Software has been providing various accounting and small business software since its founding in 1989, with its most popular applications including live and after-the-fact payroll and wage reporting, W-2 and 1099 reporting, and property tax compliance. The vendor also offers various programs for Schedule D basis tracking, tax planning, […]

5789 characters 800-630-2218 www.tax.cchgroup.com CCH offers several sales and use tax-focused applications through its CorpSystem business tax and management suite, with the primary systems divided between rates lookup and calculation, and preparation. The CorpSystem Sales Tax Office program is available as an on-premise installed solution, providing direct integration with the business’ sales and accounting software […]

4913 characters 877-584-2309 www.efilesalestax.com As its name would suggest, efileSalesTax.com is a completely web-based sales and use tax compliance system. The program supports filings to three states (California, Florida and Illinois), with all subsidiary county, city and special taxing districts included, along with alternate forms and supporting schedules and worksheets. The web-based system is available […]

800-267-1317 www.caseware.com CaseWare has long been a mainstay in large legal practices and the top 100 accounting firms in the country, offering a suite of professional applications focused on time and billing, engagement management, financial analysis, audit applications, benchmarking tools and advanced database engine tools. CaseWare’s Time program houses the time and billing capabilities, providing […]

Redesigned Office Tools Pro Offers New Interface and Features 888-667-8440 www.officetoolspro.com Office Tools Pro has been a popular choice for professional service firms for many years, including tax and accounting practices and legal professionals. The system includes integration with QuickBooks for AR and invoicing functions and syncing with Microsoft Outlook for full contact management capabilities. […]

6593 characters 800-739-9998 CCHGroup.com CCH offers a broad suite of applications for professional accountants, from fully integrated client service programs for tax compliance, asset management, tax planning, trial balance and write-up, to systems designed for internal firm management of engagement processes, paperless document management, tax workflow, research and audit tools, as well as the core […]

800-968-8900 CS.ThomsonReuters.com Thomson Reuters offers the Practice CS system as a part of its CS Professional Suite of tax, accounting and business management programs, providing an overall practice management application that includes time and billing, productivity analysis, staff management functions, contact management with Outlook integration, and project management capabilities. The system integrates with other components […]

Just in case you don’t already have enough to do, I have a suggestion for your next billable service that may provide a nearly endless amount of billable work for you and your firm. If you haven’t heard by now, the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Security Standards Council has developed a rigorous set of “data […]

5839 characters 800-424-2938 www.BNAsoftware.com BNA Software offers multiple options for sales and use tax compliance, with both CD-based and web-based programs that offer forms preparation or rate lookup. The vendor’s primary products for sales and use tax are the BNA Sales & Use Tax Rates and BNA Sales & Use Tax Forms, which work separately […]

6059 characters It’s summertime and it’s hot so it only seems appropriate to be thinking about cooling off with a dip in the pool. The problem is that I can’t pull myself away from the Internet and all the applications that are now available for small businesses to run their business. All kidding aside, I’m […]

888-999-1366 www.accountantsworld.com Practice Relief is a web-based SaaS (software as a service) product, a delivery method at the forefront of a growing trend for many software products. This minimizes or eliminates most installation, upgrade, maintenance and compatibility issues for the user organization. Even better, the staff can record their time and expenses from any location […]

6316 characters 877-520-2525 www.imaginetime.com ImagineTime offers several industry-specific practice management suites, including versions for tax and accounting professionals, attorneys, and engineers. Available modules include time and billing, due date management, contact management, staff scheduling and document management. Basic System Functions ImagineTime is developed in Microsoft Access, so users who are familiar with Access applications will […]

866-870-7817 www.timeslips.com Timeslips by Sage 2010 has been around for more than 20 years, providing effective time and billing functionality to a variety of service-based professions. Industry-specific templates are available for tax and accounting professionals, attorneys, engineers, consultants, etc. Basic System Functions Considerable customization is available through the setup menus, for customization of terminology suitable […]

Column: My Perspective

Like the drip-drip-drip of water in a leaky faucet, drip marketing campaigns promote a company’s services or products through a stretched-out, methodical series of promotions to a target audience. According to About.com, drip campaigns were developed to respond to the “Law of 29.” A prospect won’t turn into a client unless the prospect views a marketing message at least 29 times. That sounds like way too many times to me, but it may very well be the case depending on what a company is trying to sell, the price point and other factors, such as supply/demand and competition.

It’s summertime, and it’s hot. So it only seems appropriate to be thinking about cooling off with a dip in the pool. The problem is that I can’t pull myself away from the Internet and all the applications that are now available for small businesses to run their business. All kidding aside, I’m not sure if you have noticed or not, but the Internet is swimming in applications for small businesses and stores from which to buy them.

Column: Real Clients, Real Stories

From the Trenches

Practice Management Systems Break the Barriers:What View Do You Have of Your Firm?

For a number of reasons, achieving the perfect balance between implementing or improving technology, and finding success in all areas related to staffing for that technology, is rare.

Special eBook Feature

Many Options Available for Sales & Use Tax Compliance

Darren has long been a proponent of Apple technologies as reliable, quality products, while I’ve long been an Apple critic, pointing out cost issues and the desire for common computing platforms. So I was surprised when I found myself just as impressed with the iPad as he was. Although we both looked at it from different perspectives, we both agree that the iPad, and future netbook-style devices, will likely play a significant role both professionally and in personal recreational computing.

Time & Billing Isn’t Just Time & Billing Anymore

The accounting software model is in the midst of a major transition toward the use of hosted, on-demand services. Some experts are advocating a switch to a purely online Software as a Service (SaaS) model, where data and programs are hosted in secure data centers.