what if accounting firms were apps?

smartphone12 ways the app phenomenon could change the way you think about your practice.

by hitendra patil

consider, for a moment, the new “app economy.” there are over a million apps in apple and google stores, with hundreds of them doing much the same thing in almost the same way. according to pew research, 90 percent of americans have cellphones and 67 percent find themselves checking their phones for messages, alerts or calls — even when they don’t notice their phones ringing or vibrating.

so, are accounting firms like apps already — offering the same services, same deliverables, same outcomes at the same or similar prices? if so, the only thing missing in the accounting marketplace is an “accounting services app store.”

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wisdom tells us to “hang out where clients do.” yet, there are hardly any “accounting firm apps” on the app stores. read more →

no more printouts at cpe programs?

ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and atech advice for everyday use.

by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor

question: i always like to take notes on the handouts when i attend cpe programs. now all the handouts are provided digitally and it forces me to sometimes print out as much as 400 or 500 pages before i go to the program. how can i get the sponsors to provide printed copies?

response: things change. what worked yesterday doesn’t always work today. read more →

why firms need document retention standards

composite image of hand writing with markertwo steps can set your firm on the right path.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

managing digital files is in many ways similar to managing paper files in that the firm must have standards for who can create a document, add to or edit a document, file it and eventually purge the file. unfortunately as digital files are on the network and “out of sight,” many firms are not really aware of: read more →

is your network drive a disaster waiting to happen?

big pile of wires on the floorcloud systems can ease the burden at upgrade time.

by roman h. kepczyk
quantum of paperless

the network drive in most firms is not very well organized and needs the most cleanup. this happens because it is usually managed with windows explorer, which allows almost anyone to create or access a file anywhere on the drive.

more on tech spending: digital fax has benefits you may be ignoring | wireless is hot, and here’s how to handle it | how safe is your internet lifeline? | new tech tools for the 24/7 accounting firm | the single best defense against computer viruses | when to adopt microsoft’s new office apps | how to choose the right backup system | how to know it’s time to scrap your old server | step 1 in building the paperless firm: scanners | how many computer monitors do you need?

unfortunately, there is seldom a firm standard that is adhered to, allowing users to create files with any name they want and store it anywhere they please. the result can be files that are hard to find and slow to search across the network. read more →