Congratulations to my staff! I’m thrilled that we were able to attend the Intuit Boot-camp on the QuickBooks Online Program. We spent 2 days watching the experts show us the new enhancements and some tips and tricks. We think these enhancements will help ourselves and our clients in our cloud-based accounting software. Watch this quick video and then check out the bullet points below… Some important new enhancements: +NEW –… Read more
Every country around the world has its own strategy for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Some countries, like Sweden, are relying on the development of “herd immunity.” However, that approach is not without risks, and shouldn’t be adopted by other countries without consideration of those risks. On the other end of the spectrum, New Zealand effectively eliminated coronavirus. Like Sweden’s approach, New Zealand’s won’t work everywhere. Here in the U.S.,… 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
Do you have a policy regarding the Coronavirus in place in your office yet? We lived through hurricane Sandy and now the reports of food shortages due to the outbreak and spreading of the coronavirus (COVID-19) are feeling a bit like deja vu. We request that you join with us in following the preventive measures outlined below as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization for… 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
I was asked to contribute to this online article as posted by Intuit for other tax professionals. My tip: “We find that our business and individual clients are still confused about how the TCJA affects various issues, such as their overall tax liability, entity structure, retirement benefits and deductible expenses. We will continue to encourage strong communication and engagement with our team of professionals. Our clients are comforted when they see that we are there… 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
A great way to start the new year is to implement a 90 Day Action Plan for your company/medical practice/business; you may what to enhance that strategy by creating your own Professional Development Action Plan and by helping your employees create their Professional Development Action Plan as well. I love and recommend using a 90 Day Action Plan for this project! An Employee Professional Development Plan can follow all the… 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
There is “No Time Like the Present” For You to Start Planning for an Amazing 2020 Have you thought about what 2020 holds? Now is the perfect time to book your Business Strategy Session. You’ll get guidance on updating or setting up your Business Plan. It’s hard to believe but the year is almost over! AND…there is “No Time Like the Present” for a Business Strategy Session. We sometimes call… 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
It was great to have Elizabeth with me for this conference. We split up for several sessions and have already compared notes. We were even able to spend time while still away to make plans for implementing our joint takeaways: Many businesses today are challenged with recruiting and retaining talented loyal staff. You can start solving staffing problems by looking at the way management is currently interacting with their team.… 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
I hope you enjoyed my photos and takeaways as much as I enjoyed sharing with you. Please do send feedback if these tips have resonated with you. Please share in the comments if and how you have implemented them in your firm/business/practice, I hope you can tell from these photos that I have taken “selfie” taking lessons. Andrea & Ivette You can be an inspiration to your accountability coach when… Read more