Tag: technology

The pandemic may change business travel as we know it forever. The Global Business Travel Association reported a nearly 90% drop in business travel last spring, as businesses were forced to conduct business via video chat software like Zoom or Webex.  While travel is increasing compared to a year ago, it is still sharply down from pre-pandemic levels. Post-pandemic, virtual business meetings may continue to be the norm, but those special…  Read more

All around the world, pandemic fatigue is setting in, as the need for social contact outweighs the commitment to following restrictive rules. Unfortunately, this is coinciding with a surge in infection rates in the U.S. and Europe. Asian countries, on the other hand, are managing to return to mostly normal. New infections in China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong, combined, have been around 1,000 per day, while here…  Read more

Lately, economists have been talking about a “K-shaped” recovery from the current recession. As this article in The Conversation explains, this kind of recovery happens when different parts of the economy recover at different rates. White-collar workers who can more easily work remotely may have an easier and faster path to recovery than blue-collar and service workers who must be physically present to do their jobs. Moving forward is the…  Read more

Security has always been important to me as my firm started using: cloud based accounting software more technology solutions for transferring data between my clients, the tax authorities and my staff more technology solutions for client business efficiencies communicating between remote staff and clients As read through my on-line newsletters this morning I was reminded that although I have been writing and talking about the importance of protecting client data…  Read more

On Tuesday, March 17, the Treasury Department announced that taxpayers will be able to defer paying their taxes for 90 days past April 15th. BUT…there are some things you need to know: The filing deadline has not changed, it is still April 15, 2020. An extension is required to extend the filing of your 2019 tax return. Income tax payments for returns with a due date of April 15, 2020,…  Read more

Even with our “new normal”, life and taxes go on with a slight shift in our process. It’s a rainy Tuesday morning in NYC but I wanted to share yesterday’s sunrise from Rockaway Beach which is right down my block. Take a deep breath as you start your day and try to stay calm as we head into what will probably be another challenging day. Yesterday our firm met the…  Read more

For medical practices and other professional practices the risk of data breaches and fraud is high, so taking all the necessary steps to protect your patient’s or client’s sensitive data is a must. Unfortunately for many practitioners the decision to increase their company’s data protection comes too late – after they’ve been victimized by a malicious hacker. The good news is, simple and inexpensive steps can be taken to avoid…  Read more

Is email the new silent killer?  At one point in time everyone thought it would vastly improve communication while freeing up time. It still is a great way to communicate and under the right conditions can help create efficiencies for medical practice or small business owners and their staff. It seems like we wade through hundreds of emails in our inbox each day; the productivity killer arises from those who…  Read more

These days, you can use technology to take care of almost any issue facing your business. If you have a task you don’t like to do, there’s an app or software program to take care of it for you. It might take a bit of your time to learn and understand how the software or app works, but doing so will save you valuable time and precious energy. It will…  Read more

You and your staff can really benefit from using technology to handle repetitive administrative work; this will help free up staff time to be used for higher level tasks like speaking with customers and analyzing the data.  These days, you can use technology to take care of almost any issue facing your business. Artificial Intelligence can be used as an interface with other software so that you and your…  Read more

Businesses in all industries deal with similar problems due to the nature of their technology solutions.  Many businesses in the financial world use Microsoft Products.  If you are one of them, the clock is ticking and you need to do something about upgrading your operating system as your data security could depend on it. Windows 7 support will end January 14, 2020. PCs with Windows 7 will still work, but…  Read more

Showing your employees that you appreciate them by investing in their future will pay big dividends. Hopefully you have been using 90 Day Action Plans for you and your firm/medical practice/business.  Now that you are familiar with the process, lets expand to create Professional Development Plans for you and your employees as it relates to your business. It seems that no matter the subject of my presentation, I will usually include…  Read more

I recorded this video over the summer (right, I am not standing on the beach in this gear in December!) A Plan with Small Actionable Steps Will Help Create the Goals we Have in Mind for Our Business and Ourselves and what better time to put this tip to use than now… This message is just perfect for this time of year.  We are all hoping to start 2020 with…  Read more

I was asked to write an article for Tax Pro Center for the Intuit ProConnect site, you can click through and read it here:  “How to Channel More Positive Energy in Your Tax Firm”. Then watch this video about our firm: Final Thoughts Positive energy resulting from respect, appreciation and support of ideas can bolster most relationships. What works for accounting firms works for other businesses as well.  Watch the…  Read more

It’s year end, and time to reflect on the year gone by and plan for the year ahead. But thinking about your business and how to improve it can be stressful. We wrote about the importance of having a solid Vision Statement to help guide you and your staff to a more successful business, with a better business model, more satisfied customers and more focused staff. Need a little prodding?…  Read more

There are some things in life that go together well and others that definitely do not! Business and personal finances are in that category of items that should not be mixed. Although it may seem like a headache to keep them separate—who wants to manage all those bank accounts?—your life will be greatly simplified once you separate your personal and your business finances, especially your expenses. Paperwork and taxes will…  Read more

The holiday season is once again here, and with it comes time to relax, focus on family and friends and take stock in what is really important in life. What if you are a small business owner who has not worked through your processes to create a business rather than a job?  Every small business owner knows that being away from the office can be just as stressful as being…  Read more

It was great to end my conference travels right here in New York for the 2019 Long Island Tax Professionals Symposium.  I followed my own advice on setting goals for the conferences I attend, but these takeaways and highlights were unexpected! Try to take at least one “in-person” update course per year on the software you use and depend on in your office.  I was thrilled that this year we…  Read more

Positive energy resulting from respect, appreciation and support of ideas can bolster most relationships. What works for accounting firms works for other businesses as well. Click through to read my full article published this week on Tax Pro Center | Intuit ProConnect site:    “How to Channel More Positive Energy in Your Tax Firm”   Looking to create a better work environment but need some help? You may also want to perform…  Read more

I’m on the road again enjoying sharing insights from the specialized industry accounting conference I am attending.  Today’s takeaways started even before we reached the registration desk, where I introduced Elizabeth Spradley, our firm’s accounting manager to some of the returning attendees and conference administrators.  They continued as we participated in the day’s workshops and on through the welcome reception. Here are my highlights and takeaways from Day 1 of…  Read more