August 2014

Miscommunication plagues even the most established global businesses. Without proper and effective communication tactics, a team comprised of top tier talent will eventually fall flat and miss the mark.

Trade shows remain a viable marketing option for accounting firms, yet many practitioners still don’t see the value. The fact is that if the appropriate level of planning is applied, trades shows can prove exceptionally successful in terms of lead generation and networking. Firms must first think through such items as budget, the right shows to attend, and materials (booth, kiosk, giveaways, marketing collateral, etc.). When all the pieces come together, attending a show can prove highly valuable.

The Year in the Life of a Payroll Accountant series is a series that is being created for the small to medium-sized practitioner who is interested in starting or growing a payroll practice.

Los Angeles-based Team Jenn Corp founder Jennifer McCabe is a careful proponent of offering payroll services. “I won’t minimize it, payroll errors can be a nightmare. But payroll is an important part of the confidential employee relationship bucket.” Offering payroll services can also help to instill invaluable confidence and a deep relationship. “It’s worth it. No doubt.” Having provided payroll services from the get-go she and her team have learned quite a bit along the way on what to do and what you want to avoid in spades.

When you’re running a business and someone works for you or provides a service, you pay them. That’s easy. What isn’t always so easy is determining how you should treat those payments. Before you enter into a business relationship, it’s important to establish the type of relationship – is this person providing services as an independent contractor or an employee?

The first thing you should do NOW, and the one thing you should not do, at least not yet.

When I think of August, I think of lazy hot summer days that last from whenever my friends and I wake up to when the streetlights come on ­- the sign to end summer play and return home for the night. I'm glad I have a head full of sweet summer memories from my childhood that I can linger over in my spare minutes, because minutes seem to be the only free time I have.

The last 18 months have been a period of significant change for the document management systems of many accounting professionals and their firms.

If you’ve been following Intuit the past year, chances are you’ve heard the company talk about its plans to remove pain points for small businesses. Every move the company has made seems to be a calculated step in the direction of building a seamless QuickBooks Online ecosystem for its customers.

For most accounting firms, choosing a software provider and staying the course is an easy and safe decision. Only when there are traumatic events in pricing changes, software not working and not getting fixed, technology changes or regulatory changes that the software doesn’t keep up with will we even consider a change.

So where do you place your firm's website on your list of priorities for your firm? Do you see it as a necessary evil that has to be dealt with just to “be in the game?” Or, do you see it as the gateway to serving your clients for the coming years? Chances are you are probably somewhere in the middle.

Technology is embedded in every area of your firm, and leveraging IT investment is key to business success. Here are 10 strategies to help your firm maximize its IT investment.

In order to continue the long-term success of an accounting practice, it’s crucial for CPAs to invest in the screening, interviewing and relationship development with up and coming accounting professionals. As the class of 2014 just received their diplomas, there is a host of fresh talent equipped with technology experience, new ideas and the drive to take your firm into the future. The key is meeting these fresh accountants early in their college career to make hiring an easy decision. In order to attract and retain top talent here are a few things to consider when recruiting.

You know (you might even be) the type: "I know it looks messy but I know where everything is!" There are those whose desks and workspaces look almost vacant - like no one could possibly work there because every surface is bare.