Accounting technology news and resources

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December 1, 1997

The Millenium Muddle

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE YEAR 2000 PROBLEM (Y2K)—where computers cant determine in what century to place years stored in two-digit format—is coming to a head. When the clock turns to January 1, 2000, two years from now, some computers will spew out erroneous information. THE ODDS OF FINDING a quick, easy

October 1, 1997

Conquering Shyness

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY VERY FEW CPAs ARE EXTROVERTED, “people” persons. But to be a successful CPA today you have to go out and sell yourself and your business to clients and prospective clients. YOU CANT BECOME extroverted overnight. But by following some tips, little by little you can overcome shyness about

September 1, 1997

Best Practices for CPA Firms

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE AICPA HAS COMPLETED TWO projects to identify “best practices” for accounting consultations and auditor communications with boards of directors and audit committees. These practices are intended to help CPA firms evaluate and enhance their policies and procedures in these critical areas. IN FIRMS THAT FOLLOW BEST PRACTICES,

July 1, 1997

Writing in Plain English

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOLLOW FIVE IMPORTANT writing principles and your clients will understand better what you do and why it benefits them. USE MANY VERBS. They give your language life. Use the active voice—the passive voice will rob your writing of its energy—and simplify your sentences by breaking them up into

June 1, 1997

Monitoring A Small Firm

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SMALL FIRMS MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY complying with American Institute of CPAs practice monitoring requirements because in some very small firms an individual may have to review his or her own performance. STATEMENT ON QUALITY CONTROL Standards no. 3, Monitoring a CPA Firm’s Accounting and Auditing Practice , which

May 1, 1997

Handling the Small Public Audit Client

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE SMALL PUBLICLY TRADED corporate audit market offers a substantial marketing opportunity for smaller accounting firms. A SURVEY SHOWS SUCH COMPANIES appear to be generally satisfied with their small firm auditors but don’t know about or take full advantage of all the services their firms offer. THERE ARE

May 1, 1997

Letter from the State Board: What Should You Do Next?

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY STATE BOARDS OF ACCOUNTANCY are responsible for investigating complaints from the public regarding CPA performance and behavior. STATE BOARDS CAN REQUIRE practitioners to take specific CPE courses to correct an apparent deficiency, to cease and desist certain behaviors and to submit to some form of practice monitoring. They

April 1, 1997

High-Tech Tools That Do the Job

New computer and communications hardware continues to inundate the market, numbing even the most technology-savvy user. But most of those new products tend to be blips on the horizon—here today and gone tomorrow. Often they dont do what they claim, or they do it badly or what they do is

April 1, 1997

The Importance of Customer Focus

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOCUSING ON CLIENT NEEDS begins with creating a client service plan to use with each client at least once a year. The client service plan helps you learn not only what each client needs but also what it thinks your firms strengths are and how those strengths are

April 1, 1997

Microsoft

Microsoft Conference to Provide Consulting Help S taff members who are their firms experts on technology and consulting are not invited to Microsofts June conference, but the nonexperts are. The Partners Conference, presented in cooperation with the American Institute of CPAs, is designed to help senior partners figure out the

March 1, 1997

Where to Find Help Online

A guide to Internet resources for CPAs. Where to Find Help Online By John J. Gill John J. Gill , CPA, CMA, is a sole practitioner in Newport News, Virginia, specializing in tax and information technology consulting. A member of the