October 2011

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September 27, 2011 

Year-End Compliance Made Affordable and Easy

800-507-1992 www.realtaxtools.com W2 Mate, which is offered by Real Business Solutions, is a multi-employer year-end form preparation and filing system with support for forms W-2s, and most common forms 1099 and 1098, as well as transmittal forms W-3 and 1096. The program, which can be installed on workstations or networked servers, can be used either...…

Isaac M. O'Bannon

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September 8, 2011 

Abak Software — Abak Time & Billing

888-849-8059 www.abaksoftware.com   2011 Overall Rating 4   Best Firm Fit Small and mid-sized accounting firms, especially those integrating with certain accounting software (Sage Simply Accounting, Sage Accpac ERP, Avantage and Acomba). Strengths Three-level approval system for time & expenses. Web-based interface for a few of the program’s functions. Potential Limitations Help file is difficult...…

Dustin Wheeler

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September 1, 2011 

7 Easily Missed SEO Opportunities

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is a collection of tactics that are applied to your website to help it rank better in the results when people use searches to find people and businesses they need. SEO, as an industry, literally changes every day. Search engines, like Google, constantly tweak how they rank and present search…

Justin Spencer

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September 1, 2011 

Creativity at Work: A Different Kind of Auditor, a Different Kind of Firm

Accountants and accounting firms have long suffered from the false stereotype of being stodgy, even predictable and boring. Even more so, the auditor: that truly numbers-focused researcher of data whose sole purpose is to determine the propriety of an organization’s financial reporting and their internal controls over financial reporting. Perhaps only actuaries are more maligned…

Isaac M. O'Bannon

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September 1, 2011 

Someone Knocking at the Door?

As the regular readers of this column know, I like to reference rock’n’roll from the 70s. This time, as I sit down to write my column about listening to your customers, one of my favorite songs from the Wings comes to mind.

Rene Lacerte

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August 31, 2011 

Websites: Your New Front Door

Most of us have built our businesses based on relationships. Some have built a reputation around a specific expertise. Others have built a business based on service levels. All of these strategies are still extremely important, but an increasingly important factor in the last 15 years is being found on the web. Many of us…

Randy Johnston

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August 31, 2011 

Marketing from Square One

For firms new to marketing, it’s best to take it one day (and project) at a time Marketing is starting to get its due attention in the profession. Firm leaders understand the importance of consistent, frequent communications with prospects and clients in order to grow a successful, profitable business. However, while many are stoked about...…

Kristy Short, Ed.D.

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August 31, 2011 

6 Key Senses to a New World of Creative Service

In Daniel Pink’s popular book, “A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future,” he discusses the seismic shift in thinking and service from the left-brained logical thinkers to the right-brained non-linear holistic thinkers. The first group thinks in order, the latter thinks outside of the box. This book is really an eye-opener and...…

Jason Blumer

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August 25, 2011 

Tapping into the Payroll Revenue Stream

Abandoning old biases, Manning transformed payroll from a hassle into a hellavalota opportunity and future profit. For years, Sean Manning, CPA and president of Manning & Company, PC, held fast to the notion that payroll was more of a pain than a profit-surging service. And he wasn’t alone — most practitioners felt the same way…

Kristy Short, Ed.D.

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August 25, 2011 

Online vs. Face Time: Which Reigns Supreme?

With all the talk surrounding portals these days, sometimes we can forget about the importance of real-life, one-on-one face time with our clients. Portals and digital processes have certainly propelled firms in terms of efficiency — there’s no denying the necessity of technology. But in the same breath, I ask you, “Are we losing touch...…

Darren Root, CPA, CITP, CGMA

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August 1, 2011 

Is the Virtual Practice Model Right for Your Firm?

When we first started writing about web-based programs about 10 years ago, the focus frequently centered on how the concept could benefit modern practices. Key among the benefits was anywhere/anytime access to client and firm data and the enhanced security of data stored in online systems.

Isaac M. O'Bannon