ProConnection® Newsletter | May 2006 | Vol. V, No. 5
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CFOs for Hire
Three practitioners share their secrets in building a practice around helping small businesses with fiscal control. (Shown here is Stephen Smith.) Find out how these practitioners get established and find more clients than they can handle.
Ten Best Practices for the CFO for Hire
How can you become a standout CFO for hire? CPA Sandi Smith counts out ten best practices that will put you head and shoulders above your competitors. She says the key is to act like an insider and go from there.
More
Playing in the Big Leagues
CPA, CITP, and Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor Ilene Eisen explains why QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions helps clients play in the big leagues – and make beautiful music together.
Help Self-Employed Clients Fill Health Coverage Gaps
Premium Content. Health care coverage is a big-ticket item and self-employed clients have to stretch to cover the real cost of health care. Our tax specialists present strategies that may help your self-employed clients fill the gap. Includes client letter. More
Master Tip: Tracking, Job Costing Worker's Comp in QuickBooks
Premium Content. From The Sleeter Group's all-new 2006 Mastering QuickBooks Consultant's Reference Guide, Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor Doug Sleeter shares this Master Tip with you.
The tip sets out three distinct scenarios to cover the most common situations, two of which fall within the capabilities of QuickBooks financial software. The third takes advantage of QuickBooks Enhanced Payroll Service, which provides new functionality that tracks, job-costs, and accrues workers compensation premiums as each paycheck is recorded. More
Tablet PC for Increased Office Automation
CPA and Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor Bruce Andersen explains why his tablet PC is more than a gee-whiz toy it helped him speed through tax season. "Next time you need to buy a laptop, consider a tablet PC," Bruce says. More
No Charge for Tips, Troubleshooting Guides from CPA911
Many practitioners find useful QuickBooks tips online and helpful installation guides to download at www.CPA911.com. We introduce you to Kathy Ivens, the publisher behind the Web site, who also writes the popular QuickBooks The Official Guide series. Plus links to some of her best.
Your Best Tips in May
Here are helpful tips from your fellow bookkeepers, accountants, tax preparers, and other practitioners in May:
QuickBooks 2006:
Release 6 (R6) Auto Update Now Available
Release 6 was recently enabled on the Intuit site for auto update or manual download. The new release, R6, addresses many issues that affect performance, from running reports and opening company files to improved updating of data files across a network. See the release notes here.
The software update is also available as a manual download here.
Let Your Voice Be Heard on Advisor Council and Product Councils
Intuit cordially invites accounting professionals to apply for membership in the 2006-2007 Accountant and Advisor Customer Council or individual Product Panels. Positions are limited, and Intuit will select participants from qualified applicants. Applications will be accepted through June 15, 2006.
Attract Clients, Revenue with Quicken Affiliate Program
The new Quicken Affiliate Program lets you provide a convenient means for your clients to order Intuit software – while you earn commissions on each copy sold. Many small businesses start out in Quicken.
By reaching out and supporting these users, you are able to help them take their business to the next level. Not every applicant is accepted; currently participants must maintain their own Web sites for the Quicken banner.
COMING:
QuickBooks Time Tracker
Coming this summer, QuickBooks Time Tracker is a new Web-based time tracking service designed to ease the task of collecting multiple timesheets to help you and your clients save time and avoid errors caused by manually re-entering timesheet information into QuickBooks. Timesheets entered by employees or contractors on the Web can later be downloaded into QuickBooks with the click of a button.
(Requires QuickBooks Pro, Premier, or Enterprise 2006, fully updated to the most current release.) Stay tuned for more news soon; you can also learn more about this powerful solution by sending us an e-mail to foxtrotbeta@intuit.com.
Intuit Announces Sale of Master Builder® Construction Software
Earlier this month Intuit announced its intent to sell the Master Builder construction management software and solutions business to Sage, Inc. The sale, subject to typical closing conditions, is expected to be completed within the next four months. Intuit will continue to support Master Builder customers through the transition.
Read the press release.Beta Test of New Kind of Certification – for QuickBooks Users
The QuickBooks Certified User Program (BETA) has been developed in response to feedback from QuickBooks customers, in-house bookkeepers, and professional accountants. The goal of this potential program is to develop and verify the QuickBooks capabilities of clients or staff members who use QuickBooks on a day-to-day basis.
Looking for Beta Testers. You can help us in one of two ways: Personally register as a beta tester or encourage your clients or staff to register.
Both choices would let you share your feedback, either directly or indirectly.
Learn more at www.tryqb.com/usercertification
QuickBooks ProAdvisor Reaches Small Business with Power of the Press
Reaching Out to Business Owners. Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor® Madeline Bailey packed over 20 years of practical experience with small business owners and accounting into her recently published book, Radical Accounting. "Radical" in this case means "from the root," and Madeline walks readers through accounting using their business model as the focus for understanding accounting. She says the approach works much better than starting with debits and credits.
"I let them know that accounting is the way of keeping score in business," she says. "I give them the tools to know how they are doing, whether they do the books themselves or work with a bookkeeper." The book is available from Amazon.com and her Web site, www.QCcomputing.com. She says the book is a great way to build relationships with clients and prospects. (People who buy the book like the fact that Madeline donates a percentage of the proceeds to charity, she reports.)
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STAFF
Brandon Wilson, Publisher
Bill Teague, Managing Editor
Matt Gisonno, Web Production
COMING IN JUNE: FLEXIBILITY EVERYWHERE
Our special issue on flexibility gives you more options for working with clients, whether its Remote Access from WebEx or file transfers.
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