Latest Articles

acclivity_box_2011_10248074

September 5, 2014 

Acclivity – AccountEdge 2011 for Windows

2011 Overall Rating 4.5   800-322-6962 www.accountedge.com   Best Fit: With hundreds of business templates, AccountEdge is suitable for a variety of small businesses. Strengths: –          Strong Apple Mac support –          Mac network version available –          Includes 100 industry-specific charts of accounts –          Mobile version for iOS devices –          U.S. & Canadian versions available –         ...…

cougarmtnlogo_2011_10248006

September 5, 2014 

2011 Review of Cougar Mountain Software — Denali

2011 Overall Rating 4.75 800-388-3038 www.cougarmtn.com   4.5 – Basic System Functions 5- Core Accounting Capabilities 4.5 – Day-to-Day Operations 4.5 – Management Features 5 – Integration & Import/Export 4.75 – Help/Support   Best Fit: Recently rewritten modular application provides mid-range flexibility and sophistication at a reasonable price. Well-suited for small to mid-sized businesses. Strengths:...…

checkmark_2011_10247987

September 5, 2014 

Review of CheckMark Software — MultiLedger – 2011

4 – 2011 Overall Rating   800-444-9922 www.checkmark.com   4 – Basic System Functions 4.5 – Core Accounting Capabilities 3.25 – Day-to-Day Operations 4.25 – Management Features 3.5 – Integration & Import/Export 4.25 – Help/Support   Best Fit: With good basic functionality at a value price point, this may be a good fit for accounting...…

Mary Girsch-Bock

intuitproline_10277460

September 5, 2014 

Intuit — ProLine Tax Online Edition

2011 Overall Rating 3.5 888-236-9501 accountant.intuit.com   Product Delivery Methods: _____ On-Premises __x__ SaaS _____ Hosted by Vendor     Best Fit: Small practices with generally less complex clients, primarily 1040-focused who need mobility Strengths: Web-based No IT headaches Inexpensive Instant ramp-up/down Any number of users On-demand use PC & Mac friendly Potential Limitations: Lack...…

Isaac M. O'Bannon

taxslayerpro_10277468

September 5, 2014 

TaxSlayer Pro Premium

888-420-1040 www.taxslayerpro.com 2011 Overall Rating 4   Best Firm Fit: Tax offices primarily focused on retail 1040 processing and bank products, with some need for simple business entity returns Strengths: –          Support for all entities at federal & state level –          Integrated bank products –          Unlimited e-filing –          Online return backup functions as limited portal...…

cchtaxwise_10277464

September 5, 2014 

CCH Small Firm Services — TaxWise

800-755-9473 www.taxwise.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.5   Best Firm Fit: High-volume, time-sensitive focused practices employing non-professional data-entry staff. Also a fit for those looking to grow their business through office expansion and additional customer offerings such as full-year accounting services like write-up and payroll. Strengths –          Support for all entities at federal & state level...…

Isaac M. O'Bannon

atxv3_logo_bliss_cmyk_2011_102_10270984

September 5, 2014 

CCH Small Firm Services — ATX

800-681-1752 www.atxinc.com 4.5 – 2011 Overall Rating Best Firm Fit: Small and mid-sized full-service accounting firms with generally less complex clients, yet with broader entity needs, including payroll and wage compliance. Strengths: –          Support for all entities at federal & state level –          W-2/1099 & wage reporting –          Form & interview-style input –          Excellent training...…

Isaac M. O'Bannon

taxworks2011_10247790

September 5, 2014 

RedGear Technologies — TaxWorks

800-230-2322 www.taxworks.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.25   Product Delivery Methods: __x__ On-Premises _____ SaaS _____ Hosted by Vendor   Best Firm Fit: Small 1040-focused tax offices with limited to moderate need for additional entities. Strengths: – All federal and state entities – Integrated bank products – Good client communication templates & e-mail integration – Data...…

Isaac M. O'Bannon

intuitproseries_10277465

September 5, 2014 

Intuit — ProSeries

800-934-1040 www.proseries.com 2011 Overall Rating 4.75 Best Firm Fit: Small to mid-sized firms with mostly 1040s, but also diverse business taxation needs with some moderately complex clients. Strengths: – Supports all entities, states & most local taxes – Options for research, fixed assets, document management & W-2/1099 reporting – Integrated billing system – Optional innovative...…

Isaac M. O'Bannon

johnd_anderson_102676841_10276468

September 5, 2014 

Online Backup: Why It’s an Important Tool

Recently, one of my clients saved some very important picture files to the hard drive on their local computer. They thought they were saving these picture files to the corporate network drive. This computer was on the upgrade list and was upgraded a few weeks later with the requirement of having the hard drive formatted....…

John D. Anderson

1274386801841_randy_johnston1_10276431

September 5, 2014 

Tablets & Smartphones: Business Tools or Toys?

Is this the year of the Tablet? Has the mobile Internet finally arrived? What business purposes are served by using mobile Internet devices, and how can they help us serve clients better? Whether you are working with products from Apple, Motorola, BlackBerry, HTC, Samsung or a myriad of other providers, access to the Internet, and…

Randy Johnston

tablet_10247377

September 5, 2014 

Get Ready for the Tablet Invasion

Is the introduction of the Apple iPad and other tablet devices the dawning of a new revolution in information technology, or a more subtle evolution? They may not be as disruptive as all of the political revolutions going on around the world today, but tablets are poised to have a significant impact on the flow...…