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ProConnection® Newsletter | August 2007 | Vol. VI, No. 7
ProConnection® Newsletter | August 2007 | Vol. VI, No. 7
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Our Guest Camp Counselor is Andy Sernovitz, who wrote the book on word of mouth marketing. That's why we tapped him to lead campers into our marketing topics for this year's Marketing Camp.
Plus we twisted his arm to write a second article just for you (see below).
Word of Mouth Marketing Is Perfect for Accounting ProfessionalsIf you ask most accounting professionals where they get their clients, the answer is usually "word of mouth." But if you ask them how that happens, they're not sure. Andy Sernovitz knows - he wrote the book on word of mouth marketing. He makes the case that word of mouth marketing gives practitioners the liberty to market the way they want to.
Andy shares his insights on word of mouth marketing for accountants, bookkeepers, consultants, and tax preparers here.
A steady stream of recent court cases illustrate an unfortunate fact of life: Individuals who get divorced often receive poor or no tax advice. You can be a big help to your clients by alerting them to the tax angles of divorce in advance-while there is still time to negotiate changes.
Our tax specialists, Terry Myers and Dee DeScherer, show you how to counsel clients facing off in divorce. (Includes sample client letter.)
Basic Steps Help You Leverage Compensation for SuccessCompensation is by far one of the toughest issues to address. In multi-partner firms it can be the cause of the firm's dissolution. Even sole practitioners struggle with how to compensate employees.
August Aquila shares some basic steps that will help your compensation dollars count more than ever.
Converting to QuickBooks: The How-To GuideCertified QuickBooks ProAdvisor Esther Friedberg Karp counts the ways practitioners can convert their clients' data for use in QuickBooks, starting with Intuit tools like the QuickBooks Conversion Tool (for Peachtree and Microsoft Accounting software). Plus she provides a step-by-step guide for conversions from other sources.
Keep this guide close at hand the next time you bring a new client into QuickBooks.
ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) has been one of main ways to access all the data within QuickBooks, but not well understoond.
Our favorite technologist Dr. Bob Spencer sets out how to use this powerful tool, with many screenshots and examples.
Learn the full range of options with this powerful technology.
More and more small businesses are looking to offer their products or services online and so you will have clients looking to you to hook up an existing online shopping cart with QuickBooks.
Managing Editor Bill Teague provides this overview of shopping cart options.
Bonus Article: CPA Sandi Smith looks under the hood of 1ShoppingCart.com and related private-label brands including 1AutomationWiz, PracticePaySolutions, and KickStartCart. This line is well-marketed, and so it is likely you will be seeing a client with it soon. Sandi lists what works well with QuickBooks and what needs TLC. Read her tips and advice here.
Intuit's Innovation Labs has free add-ins that you can share with clients now at no charge. They call them Roughcuts because they are being released to get them into users' hands as soon as possible. Intuit only asks that users check in and let Intuit know how they work.
These are great tools that do not require you to upgrade to next year's QuicKBooks – let your clients enjoy these benefits now. Here are two of their hottest releases:
If you have clients who are among the over 40,000 Assisted Payroll customers, you'll want to know that they now have access to all the forms that Intuit has filed for them by way of an online Payroll Tax Center, which they access directly through a secure link within the QuickBooks financial software itself.
Forms include federal and state payroll tax forms and W2s. Your clients can also now email you copies of these forms whenever you need them. Earlier, Intuit mailed paper copies of forms to customers. Learn more about Assisted Payroll here.
Intuit's payroll team is now bundling QuickBooks: Pro financial software with subscriptions to Enhanced Payroll or Assisted Payroll. This bundling approach will provide greater value to our clients who need payroll support and will be using QuickBooks financial software.
The discount works out to a 20% discount off of the software (one-time discount) and a 20% discount off of either an Enhanced Payroll or Assisted Payroll subscription (a one-year discount) by purchasing the bundle.
Reminder: The bundle is only available to customers who are either new to Intuit Payroll or who are moving to a higher value Intuit Payroll service.
October in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Sleeter Group's annual Accounting Software Consulting Conference will be held October 23-26, 2007 at the Rio hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. One of a number of the conference tracks will include Intuit Academy - presenting training courses designed to provide you with in-depth knowledge of QuickBooks products and services. The Sleeter Group conference has sold out early in recent years, so register soon by calling 888-484-5484 or at the link below.
More Trades Shows
Intuit raises the flag at various trade shows coming up, with product information and access to product specialists, as shown:
IRS Nationwide Tax Forum. Learn more about these remaining opportunities in New York, California, and Florida.
Florida Institute of CPAs. This group sponsors the 2007 FICPA 22nd Annual Accounting Show.
Now on Sale. Quicken 2008 is already available, and the Quicken website lists new enhancements by version.
The IRS Has Issues with Undocumented Powers of Attorney. Practitioners filing for clients should be careful not to electronically file payroll taxes as the client's agent, unless they have the 8655 POA (Power of Attorney) on file with the IRS. The IRS will reject any such filings.
QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll for Accountantsl enables you to handle "E-File and Pay" for your payroll clients, but the problem with having a payment rejected can easily be avoided.
There is a Solid Workaround to Avoid IRS Problems. Read more about the legal way for an accounting practitioner to e-file and pay on a client's behalf that does not require a Power of Attorney.
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Brandon Wilson, Publisher
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