Careers aimed toward excellence start with the recognition that every CPA is truly running his or her own personal firm. Whether they are in public accounting, government or private industry, everyone must make investments into their company to be successful. These investments provide extraordinary returns for the individual CPA as
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TOPICS
Information management and technology assurance
Create Custom Calendars in Excel and Word
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wished I could peek at a calendar while working in Excel to verify a date or check the timing of some transaction. Sure, I can switch to Outlook for that, but I figured since I can input a date with two keystrokes,
Another Way to Hide Desktop Shortcuts
In the November 2008 issue, page 105, I suggested ways to easily hide desktop shortcuts of confidential material. I suggested moving them off the desktop, out of sight to the Start menu, which only comes into view when you click on Start. However, I should have mentioned still another, even
Advice for Technophobes
I confess—computer technology makes me nervous. How can I overcome this silly fear? It’s a real drag. First of all, it’s not silly. It’s serious and fairly common. In this age of advanced technology, it’s a major handicap. I know accountants with this problem, and many have told me they’ve
Using IFRS to Drive Business Development
Inside the growing footprint of IFRS lies something many small and midsize CPA firms may be overlooking—rich opportunities for business development. IFRS-related work in the United States has largely been the domain of major accounting firms thus far. While national firms are filling many of the needs, there’s a large
Should You Stick With XP/Office 2003 or Upgrade To Vista/Office 2007?
My office needs to buy new, more powerful computers, and we’re undecided on whether to stick with XP/Office 2003 or upgrade to Vista/Office 2007. The staff is split on the issue: Some argue we should upgrade so we’re not left behind as technology moves forward; others insist we should stay
Survive Downturn With Data Analytics
As the economic downturn continues to bite, corporate financial managers are likely to look for every bit of help they can get to free up more cash from within their businesses. Spotting opportunities for further efficiency or for cost savings is never easy—but an ideal tool for doing just that
Economic Crisis Resource Center Launched
The AICPA launched the Economic Crisis Resource Center, a Web site for CPAs that offers resources on navigating challenging economic times. The site (www.aicpa.org/economy) features more than 200 items, including articles on strategic planning, budgeting and forecasting; webcasts on credit and financing impacts; tools for minimizing the effects of a
New Statement on Quality Control Standards Effective as of Jan. 1
Statement on Quality Control Standards (SQCS) no. 7, A Firm’s System of Quality Control, applies as of Jan. 1, 2009, to a CPA firm’s system of quality control for its accounting and auditing practice. The statement describes elements of quality control and other matters essential to the effective design and
New XBRL Taxonomy for IFRS Released for Public Comment
The International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC) Foundation on Monday released a near final version of the IFRS Taxonomy 2009 for public comment. The IFRS Taxonomy 2009 is the eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) version of IFRS as of Dec. 31, 2008. XBRL, or “interactive data” as the SEC often
Info Security Leads Tech List
The message of the AICPA’s 20th Annual Top Technology Initiatives Survey is clear—CPAs are placing great importance on information security. Security-related matters dominated the top three spots in the ranking of initiatives affecting IT strategy, investment and implementation. Information security management was voted the most important initiative for the
Copy a Hyperlink in Excel—Without Triggering it
All I wanted to do was copy a bunch of hyperlinks from one worksheet into another. But often when I highlight the cell containing the hyperlink, the link gets triggered before it can perform the copy task. Is there a way to prevent that? Yes, there is a little trick
Click Open the Alpahnumeric Code to Locate Vista’s Office Functions
I am struggling to wade through the collection of hard-to-find application functions in Office 2007. I concede that, once I locate them, some are more powerful than those in the prior version of Office, but first you’ve got to find them in that cluttered ribbon. Any thoughts? I’ve been asked
Preventing Identity Theft Throughout the Data Life Cycle
The Federal Trade Commission estimates that as many as 9 million people have their identities stolen every year. According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, more than 200 million instances of data breaches have occurred since the beginning of 2005, and they show no signs of letting up. In the first
Small Business
The Small Business Administration created an online course to help small businesses explore exporting opportunities in international markets. Global Enterprise: A Primer on Exporting is a free, self-paced course that provides practical guidance on exploring international markets. The course illustrates how to identify international markets, develop an export strategy, make
Money Laundering
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), in an effort to make the administration of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) more efficient and effective, published a proposal to simplify its rules and regulations by centralizing them in its own new chapter of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The proposal would
Smart Moves and Shortcuts
A proper place for the mouse: Since I’m a lefty, I guess I’m biased, but I think the right place for the mouse is on the left of the keyboard. That leaves your right hand free to work the number pad. Hard to make the switch from right to left?
Remove Error Messages From a Printed Worksheet
It doesn’t look very professional to print an Excel worksheet displaying those little error symbols (#DIV/0! or #N/A). And even though I know they are harmless, I don’t want to have to explain them to a client. How can I keep them off my printed sheets without having to go
Need to Create an Assortment of Financial Scenarios? It’s a Snap With Excel
In my business I have to assemble a wide range of scenarios so we can prepare negotiations on pricing certain projects, and since the scenarios usually contain many variables, that job can take hours. Any ideas for speeding the process? Sure enough, Excel has a perfect tool for that job,
Highlights
The 165-page document echoes the outlines of the plan unveiled Aug. 27, when the Commission voted unanimously to seek comments on the road map. Under the proposal, the SEC would decide in 2011 whether to proceed with rulemaking to require that U.S. issuers use IFRS beginning in 2014. Limited early
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How to find the right CAS clients
The key to success with CAS is selecting the best clients. Tools like ideal client profiles (ICPs), buyer personas, and even artificial intelligence can help identify the businesses that best fit each CAS practice.
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