November 2011

Are you or your clients suffering from "intaxication?" Understanding the tax code is hard and the penalties can be severe. But a good tax professional can help prepare and even reduce your taxes, if you consult with them before the end of the year.

I know what you’re thinking … this is going to be another article about how to build a website. While I could have given you a Website 101 primer, I think our time is better spent telling you what I learned when I recently built a website for a client. In full disclosure, 1) the […]

800-443-9441 www.blackbaud.com   2011 Overall Rating 4.5 Best Fit Fundware is best suited for mid-sized to large nonprofit organizations that have qualified staff available to set up and maintain the program for optimal functionality. Strengths Available in two editions for increased scalability Excellent reporting options High level of customization Solid Project/Grant tracking Strong track record […]

How optimism and remote technologies paved the way to one firm's success. The accounting profession has often been stereotyped as curmudgeonly, grumpy, stodgy, and fiscally dour, and, well … there were probably good reasons for those descriptions at one time.

The Sleeter Group awards the Awesome Add-Ons each year to products that aid small businesses and their accounting firms by providing enhanced capabilities that integrate with small business accounting systems.

As with most organizations, nonprofits vary in size and scope, and their software needs vary, as well. As an accounting professional, you know that the software needs of the local animal shelter will vary widely than the needs of the United Way. While this may be a drastic comparison, it really highlights the wide range of organizations served by nonprofit software vendors.

800-443-9441 www.blackbaud.com   2011 Overall Rating 5 Best Fit The Financial Edge is well-suited for mid-sized to large nonprofit organizations and government entities that require both top-notch reporting capability along with excellent donor and grant management. Strengths Excellent customization capability Easy integration with dozens of add-on modules Unlimited customized dashboards Solid grant tracking Easy integration […]

877-495-9904 www.peachtree.com    2011 Overall Rating 4.5 Best Fit Sage Peachtree would work well with smaller nonprofit organizations that place affordability equal to functionality, and it is optimally designed for the one- to 10-person organization. Strengths Easy to install & easy to navigate Good nonprofit reporting capability and advanced Business Intelligence for custom reporting and […]

800-811-0961 www.sagefundaccounting.com   2011 Overall Rating 5 Best Fit Sage Fund Accounting (formerly Sage MIP Fund Accounting) is optimally designed for mid-sized nonprofit organizations and government entities that require flexibility as well as detailed budgeting and grants management capabilities. Strengths Extensive list of modules Contains fundraising & grant management add-on options Excellent budgeting capability Available […]

877-872-2228 www.accufund.com   2011 Overall Rating 4.75 Best Fit AccuFund is an ideal fit for mid-sized nonprofits and government entities that desire a modular design and consistency throughout the program. Strengths Two versions available Excellent budgeting & grant management capability Easy system navigation User-defined dashboards Solid, customizable reporting options Available as a desktop or SaaS […]

866-379-6636 www.quickbooks.com    2011 Overall Rating 4.5 Best Fit QuickBooks Premier Nonprofit 2011 is best suited for smaller nonprofits that are looking to get organized quickly and inexpensively. Strengths Easy installation & system navigation Numerous tutorials & training videos available Good reporting Affordability Solid budget tracking At-a-glance snapshot of customer activity Potential Limitations Easy to […]

877-696-0900 www.fundez.com   2011 Overall Rating 4.5 Best Fit FUND E-Z is an excellent fit for small to mid-sized nonprofit organizations that need an easily navigated fund accounting product that is available in Basic and Pro editions. Strengths Scalable, with two editions available Outstanding Fundraising module Easy system navigation Solid reporting capability Excellent budget functionality […]

877-737-3642 www.serenic.com   2011 Overall Rating 5 Best Fit Serenic Navigator is a powerful system optimally designed for larger nonprofit organizations that need a fully integrated financial solution that provides solid performance and system reliability. Smaller users may wish to utilize the SaaS version, Navigator Online, which was designed for small to mid-sized users. Strengths […]

800-388-3038 www.cougarmtn.com    2011 Overall Rating 4.75 Best Fit DENALI is flexible and easily accessible, making it a perfect choice for small to mid-sized nonprofit organizations that desire a scalable and user-friendly product. Strengths Modular design ensures system flexibility Intuitive user interface make system navigation easy Financial & Sales Dashboards Excellent reporting customization options Integration […]

800-888-6894 www.etek.net   2011 Overall Rating 4.5 Best Fit eTEK Fundamentals is a brand new product optimally designed for small to mid-sized nonprofit organizations, offering a high level of security with its SaaS version. Strengths Built on Microsoft Office platform for easy system navigation Excellent fund raising module available Easy report customization Solid import/export capability […]

800-350-4720 www.aqubanc.com Cheque 21 System, from Aqubanc LLC is a donation processing software product designed for larger nonprofit organizations, and is designed to speed up donation/gift acceptance for more immediate donor acknowledgement. Cheque 21 works with many popular nonprofit software products including Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge and eCRM, Amergent, Talisma, PledgeMaker, Donor Perfect and Sage. Ideal […]

800-292-296 www.cyma.com   2011 Overall Rating 4.75 Best Fit CYMA would fit well in small to mid-sized nonprofit organizations that require flexibility, scalability, and customization capabilities not often found in basic, off-the-shelf products. Strengths Excellent report customization Solid grant tracking Easy system navigation Solid import/export capability 3 separate data-entry modes Potential Limitations No fundraising module […]

  The Sage Accountants Network has a wide range of products, which gives it more breadth than almost any other competing program. While some competing programs have strong solutions for a small business, and others cater to large, global organizations, the Sage Accountants Network allows accounting professionals to access discounted software for small, midsized and […]

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly things change in my office. And as you know, it requires a steady vigilance to stay in front of change. I spend a great deal of time evaluating the efficiency of my staff and the consistency of strategies implemented across my firm. Both of these areas must […]

How good are you at searching for things online? Do you generally find what you need quickly, or does it sometimes take what seems like an eternity to finally realize success? Even worse, do you occasionally give up? If you’re not in the first group above, you have something in common with today’s college students. […]

We’ve all seen the statistics that point to the incredible brain drain that will occur in the accounting profession over the next decade, and most firms have experienced the loss of a key person that left the firm, taking with them key knowledge or experience that the firm wishes they would have captured. Without a […]

Last month, we dove into Daniel Pink’s book, “A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future.” We learned how six new senses he identified in his book are changing how the Western world does their work. As a refresher, these six new senses are Design, Story, Symphony, Empathy, Play and Meaning. Employing our […]

Now that extensions are behind us, and we are helping clients with tax planning, some of you are beginning to look ahead to the coming year and your own personal and business plans. Although a single article won’t necessarily help you build an entire business plan, a few ideas that are incorporated and well executed could make a world of difference for your firm and your clients.

800-765-7777 www.lacertesoftware.com    2011 Overall Rating 4.5 Best Fit  Lacerte Tax Planner can be used as a stand-alone program, but it’s best suited for firms using the Lacerte tax preparation system, providing simple data transfer and a familiar interface. Strengths Familiar tabbed interface & navigation Full integration with Lacerte 1040 Integration with Document Management System […]

800-968-8900 www.cs.thomsonreuters.com    2011 Overall Rating 4.75 Best Fit With tight integration among the tax preparation, research, document management, portals and other solutions from Thomson Reuters, Planner CS is best suited to users of the vendor’s CS Professional Suite, but can also be valuable as a stand-alone system. Strengths Includes tax code for federal & […]

800-424-2938 www.bnasoftware.com    2011 Overall Rating 5 Best Fit Practices offering individual income tax planning services to clients with varying needs, up to and including high net worth individuals with significantly complex income channels and assets. Strengths Intuitive interface & navigation Comprehensive tax calculations & analyses Up to 20 side-by-side comparisons Excellent reporting & graphical […]

800-739-9998 www.cchgroup.com    2011 Overall Rating 4.25   Best Fit  Full-service accounting professionals using the integrated ProSystem fx Suite to serve broad client bases.   Strengths Excellent integration with ProSystem fx Tax & Engagement Up to 30 side-by-side cases Ease-of-use   Potential Limitations Plans limited to four years of projections Aside from exporting into other […]

800-230-2322 www.taxworks.com   2011 Overall Rating 4   Best Fit Firms using TaxWorks who want to expand into tax planning as a client service offering, or want a simple add-on tool for performing quick projections. Strengths Easy to use Adjustable inflation projection Inexpensive Integration with TaxWorks Potential Limitations Generally basic planning capabilities Limited report customization […]

800-230-2322 www.DrakeSoftware.com While most other tax software developers offer tax planning for an additional annual fee, Drake Software has gone with an all-inclusive approach to its entire professional tax compliance suite. The suite provides 1040, 1040NR, 1041, 1065, 1120, 1120S, 706, 709, 990 and 990PF preparation, support for all states with income taxes, and unlimited […]

Like many others, before launching her own practice — Lime & Company — Andrea Abel worked for other firms. During this time, she enhanced her practitioner skills while also gaining valuable insight into what it takes to run a successful business.