March 2012 - CPA Practice Advisor

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In this issue

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The Purpose of Mobile Technologies

If you are ready to go mobile, but your clients are not, then you have a decision to make: will you begin the long process of changing your client base, or will you stay behind while all other firms move to become mobile?

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2012 Review of Sage Master Builder

Sage Master Builder 800-628-6583 www.sagemasterbuilder.com Best Fit: Sage Master Builder is designed for growing mid-sized construction businesses looking for industry-focused features, such as estimating, scheduling, payroll, job costing and service management, in addition to accounting and business operations functions. Strengths: Enhanced user dispatch and dashboard overviews Customizable user home screens Comprehensive payroll […]

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2012 Review of Sage Timberline Office

Sage Timberline Office 800-628-6583 www.sagetimberlineoffice.com Best Fit: Sage Timberline Office is best-suited for mid-sized to large contractors and real estate management businesses looking for a scalable solution for residential, commercial, industrial, government and specialty construction enterprises, including heavy construction as well as real estate developers. Strengths: Totally customizable user interface Broad user-defined data fields for […]

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2012 Review of C-U-C Software — Contractor Essentials

C-U-C Software — Contractor Essentials 800-272-9908 www.cucsoft.com Best Fit: Contractor Essentials from CUC Software is an excellent fit for small to mid-sized construction-related businesses of any size, but its abundance of specialty modules makes it a terrific choice for service-related contractors. Strengths: The “My Appointments” function allows users to easily manage appointments and […]

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2012 Review of Intuit, Inc. – QuickBooks Premier Contractor 2012

Intuit, Inc. – QuickBooks Premier Contractor 2012 877-683-3280 www.intuit.com Best Fit: QuickBooks Premier Contractor 2012 is well suited for small or start-up construction companies that need an easy to use software product that fits into their budget. Product Strengths Affordable for most budgets and easy to use Limited time/expertise needed for installation and […]

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Technology

Three Apps for Mobile Professionals

A second software revolution taking place around us is the mobile revolution, which is changing the way we work, live, and communicate with everyone in our lives. The “app economy” is changing the way software is written, published, used, and consumed by everyone and major publishers are now direct competitors with apps from startups. Individual […]

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Firm Management

Life-Work Balance — Myth or Reality?

There’s one question that continues to linger in the profession: does life-work balance really exist? Or is it a myth? As I look back over my thirty-year career, I recall enjoying periods of life-work balance, while other times seemed like utter chaos. Like the popular 70’s song says, “To everything, turn, turn, turn, there is […]

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Technology

What’s Next?

As I write this column for the March issue, I am returning from a trip to NY where I spent time with accountants, firms, and vendors discussing how to move the accounting profession into the cloud faster. My guess is that as you read this, it is the farthest thing from your mind. You are […]

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2012 Review of Sage Peachtree Premium Construction Accounting 2012

Sage Peachtree Premium Construction Accounting 2012 800-388-4697 www.Peachtree.com Best Fit: Peachtree is an excellent entry level product that is well-suited for smaller construction companies or contractors that desire affordability and functionality along with solid industry-specific features. Product Strengths Affordable, easy to use industry specific product Solid job cost functionality Large selection of add-on […]

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2012 Review of CYMA Systems Inc. – CYMA Job Cost Accounting for Windows

CYMA Systems Inc. – CYMA Job Cost Accounting for Windows 800-292-2962 www.cyma.com Best Fit: CYMA is a best suited for mid-sized construction companies that require a solid job cost module, excellent job tracking capability, along with flexible billing capacity. Strengths Modular design offers smaller companies purchasing flexibility Solid job cost module Highly customizable […]

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Technology

2012 Review of eTEK International Inc. – eTEK Accounting

eTEK International Inc. – eTEK Accounting 800-888-6894 www.etek.net Best Fit: eTEK is well-suited for smaller construction companies that require flexibility and customization capability and is currently being marketed as a “next step up” from off-the shelf products. Product Strengths: Updated and redesigned for Microsoft Office 2010 Solid Equipment Management module comes standard with […]

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2012 Review of A-Systems Corporation – A-Systems JobView

A-Systems Corporation – A-Systems JobView 800-365-6790 www.a-systems.net Best Fit: JobView offers excellent scalability, offering small to mid-sized construction related businesses a solid financial and job costing product while providing assurance that the software can transition and grow with them. Strengths: Scalable: available in three versions Excellent full-featured payroll designed for the construction industry Latest version […]

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2012 Review of FOUNDATION Software – FOUNDATION for Windows

FOUNDATION Software – FOUNDATION for Windows 800-246-0800 www.foundationsoft.com Best Fit: FOUNDATION for Windows contains a full menu of features designed specifically for construction related businesses. While small construction companies with under $1 million in revenues may not need Foundation, just about any mid-to large construction company or contracting firm will find this product useful. Product […]

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2012 Review of Management Information Control Systems – Builder Information System (BIS)

Management Information Control Systems – Builder Information System (BIS) 800-838-6427 www.bissoftware.com Best Fit: Builder Information Systems is well-suited for small to mid-sized or larger construction related businesses that desire a scalable product that offers room for growth. Strengths Scalable with 4 Editions available Excellent job costing capability Excellent subcontract management Solid document management and […]

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Technology

Treating ACS (aka, “Accountant Cloud Stagnation”)

Accountants and bookkeepers are eager to put dashboards in front of their clients. There’s no faster way to drive a deeper relationship than to begin surfacing insights and automating opportunities for more regular and substantive interaction.

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Firm Management

Tools and Apps to Help Manage Your Travels

Traveling can be challenging, and even just planning your travels can be time-consuming and frustrating.

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Ten Management Systems that Can Help Contractors & Construction Firms Build a Stronger Business

While some industries have managed to struggle back from the weakened economy we’ve experienced the last few years, the construction industry has continued to suffer.

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How is Your Website Performing?

More firms are beginning to understand the necessity of having a website. In an “online” world, the web is where people go first to research products and services. In essence, it has become the new “front door” to business. And the same is true for accounting firms.

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Advisory

Five Reasons Cloud-Based Backup is Better

Five Reasons Cloud-Based Backup is Better than Local.

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Technology

2012 CES Trends in Your Future

CES is one of the largest trade shows in the world with over 153,000 attendees reviewing thousands of new consumer gadgets in venues covering 1.8M square feet (or to put that into perspective-37 football fields).

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How to Make Social Media Work for Your Firm

Whether you already use social media for business or you’re still thinking about it, the concept to start with is, “why.” You can most certainly jump in and start experimenting—that’s how many people begin. But sometimes I see frustration mount as these folks evaluate if their efforts are worth it.

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Technology

The Rise of Ultrabooks: Top Technology Initiatives

Back in 2007, the EEE series from ASUS, the netbook line, was released. It was exactly what people needed at the moment: something small, portable, light, and it could run Windows or Linux. Even if it was slow, all they wanted to do were basic computing tasks. After the release of the EEE series netbook, people instantly wanted more performance out of this new line of laptops.