Latest Articles

 New SBA Startup Accelerator to Award $2.5M in Grants

May 12, 2014 

New SBA Startup Accelerator to Award $2.5M in Grants

The Small Business Administration is launching a $2.5 million competition for accelerators and other entrepreneurial ecosystem models to compete for monetary prizes of $50,000 each. To award the prizes, an expert panel of judges will consider each applicant’s stated mission, founding team members and business goals among other core components. The deadline for applying is…

 California Small Business Owners Expect Growth

May 12, 2014 

California Small Business Owners Expect Growth

Eighty-six percent of California small business operators believe their businesses are moving in the right direction, and 87 percent expect growth in 2014, according to the third annual small business survey by San Diego-based California Bank & Trust.

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May 12, 2014 

Private Businesses See Strong Revenue Growth

The state of privately held companies appears to be relatively stable and strong, looking at their performance as shown in balance sheets and income statements. Statements ended in the past year show that businesses are growing sales at an annual rate of 8 percent, a rate that, despite being slightly lower than a year ago,…

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May 12, 2014 

The Ultimate Windows Update

While tax and accounting professionals were feverishly trying to finish the 2014 tax season, Microsoft dropped two bombshells on the Windows Operating Systems.

Dave McClure

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May 12, 2014 

LEAN up Your Firm’s Tax Season Debriefing

Another busy season is under our belts and one of the most productive things a firm can do in the next few weeks is to take time to formally debrief the past few months, acknowledging what worked well and identifying where there were bottlenecks that could be improved upon.

Roman Kepczyk

 How to Make Next Busy Season Less Busy

May 12, 2014 

How to Make Next Busy Season Less Busy

Late nights of tax filings and days dispensing client advice are easily worth your fees. But how about valueless hours spent tracking down documents, exchanging e-mails, or educating staff? Compounded across all your clients, engagements, and staff, imagine how it adds up. Is this what’s (literally) keeping you up at night?

Drew West

 Training Trumps Tools

May 12, 2014 

Training Trumps Tools

Most of the time in this column, discussion of the best or most promising technology tools is a primary source of interest. However, every once in a while a return to fundamentals is needed. One fundamental that has been consistently problematic for all size of firms is training. Frequently the need for training is either…

Randy Johnston

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May 12, 2014 

2014 Review of FUND E-Z Nonprofit Accounting Version 10

BASIC SYSTEM FUNCTIONS – 5 Stars FUND E-Z is easily installed in just a few minutes, and potential users are able to download a 30-day demo from the website for a trial run.  A recent redesign offers users an easily navigatable ribbon-style menu similar to the ribbons found in the Microsoft Office products.  Fully customizable,...…

Mary Girsch-Bock

 2014 Review of Blackbaud – The Financial Edge

May 12, 2014 

2014 Review of Blackbaud – The Financial Edge

Basic System Functions – 5 Stars The Financial Edge is available as an on-premise product or as a hosted product.  Though a robust system, The Financial Edge is easily navigated, with a drop-down menu at the top of the main screen offering access to system modules. A vertical navigation bar offers quick access to all...…

Mary Girsch-Bock