Smart Stops on the Web

BURNING BV QUESTIONS
www.go-iba.org/blog
This site from the Institute of Business Appraisers hosts a discussion group between its members and Rand M. Curtiss, FIBA, MCBA, ASA, chairman of the American Business Appraisers National Network. Its question-and-answer format covers a range of topics relating to the appraisal of closely held businesses, which, according to the IBA, make up 90% of U.S. businesses and employ two out of every three taxpayers. Posts include “Investment Profiles and Valuation Discounts,” “Financial Forecasts and Willing Buyers and Sellers,” and “Investigating Investment Value,” as well as quizzes to test your valuation knowledge.

FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH
www.appraisalfoundation.org
This e-stop is the source for standards and appraiser qualifications established by the Appraisal Standards Board (ASB) and the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). Have record-keeping or ethics questions regarding appraisals? Click on the “USPAP/Standards” tab for access to their extensive archive of monthly Q&A documents or to read and submit comments about ASB exposure drafts. Also, keep an eye out for updates and news about the organization’s ongoing study of valuation fraud and the relationship between appraisals and mortgage fraud.

SHORT ON TIME?
http://goldenmarketing.typepad. com/acctroundup
Let this stop do the work for you. Published by Golden Marketing Inc., it pulls the day’s top news, commentary and practice ideas for CPAs from dozens of accounting, business and marketing sites. Also take some time to read the firm’s other CPA-oriented sites: Golden Practices ( http://goldenmarketing.typepad.com ), where CEO and President Michelle Golden offers marketing advice and practical ideas for CPAs; and Golden Web Review (http://goldenmarketing.typepad.com/golden_web_review), where you’ll find reviews of the good, bad and ugly of CPA firm Web sites and tips to improve your own.

TRASH YOUR BUSINESS CARDS
www.linkedin.com
This business and career-oriented networking site recognizes that professional relationships are essential to professional success. Find or be found by current or former colleagues, clients or classmates, then use these connections to expand your network of potential clients, service providers and employees or land a new job or promotion. Before your next conference, meeting or interview, use the network to look up the interests and backgrounds of other attendees. Users can search by company, school or name. The site, winner of two 2007 Webby Awards in the categories of social networking and services, hosts 12 million users from 150 countries and all of the Fortune 500 companies, including more than 140,000 current or former Big Four accounting firm employees.

SMART SEARCHING
www.freepatentsonline.com
When under the corporate gun, use this Smart Stop’s free online database to research patents and intellectual property. Both its “expert” and “quick” search options include a word-stemming feature, which when turned on, determines the root of the search term first, then retrieves results for all possible variants of the word. Once found, documents, including current patents or applications, can be delivered via e-mail in PDFs or XML format. To ensure no documents are missed, registered users can also set up “Alerts,” which run saved searches at specified intervals, and then deliver the results to your inbox.

SHARE BIG IDEAS
www.pando.com
Have you ever been unable to e-mail or instant message large files to your clients
or co-workers? Visit this site to download Pando, a free software program that lets users send files, videos and audio clips—as large as 1 gigabyte—via e-mail or instant messenger or post them to Web sites. The application supports private and secure transfers from within your existing accounts and is compatible with all major e-mail and IM clients.

CONSTRUCTIVE COMMUTES
www.streetiq.com
This is your one-stop shop for podcasts on career growth, mergers and acquisitions, business management and international issues, to name a few. Produced by both large media companies and independent professionals, including the SEC and Deloitte, the programs are organized into channels and tagged by industry category, keyword and even stock ticker symbol. Listeners can stream audio content on their computer or download the podcasts to a portable audio device. And if you find a channel you love, click “Subscribe” to have its new podcasts sent directly to you.