Learning often leads to new questions and that was the theme at the New York Accounting Tech Show. Attendees dropped by the Intuit® booth to learn a little bit more about where technology in professional accounting and tax is heading.
Here are some of the most common questions we heard.
“I want to know more about the cloud. What can it do for me?”
Answer: Cloud technology gives you control of how you work. One of our booth visitors, Lynn, stopped by to tell us how she was able to log into her QuickBooks® Online account from her hotel business center to do her work. She didn’t have her own computer and she didn’t have to stop work just because she was attending a conference. She shook my colleague’s hand and said … “THANK YOU.” This is what the cloud can do for you. It can give you opportunities to work when, where and how you want without being tethered to your desk.
“I want to grow my business. How can Intuit help me?” (Seriously, this was a verbatim question! I kid you not.)
Answer: The ProAdvisor® Program. This was a hot topic at the NY Accounting Tech show. If you are looking to get more clients, the ProAdvisor Program is worth looking at. It offers a referral website, marketing tools and lots of education to help you build expertise in areas you are most interested in. There are even certifications (free to ProAdvisors) that give you more benefits. Oh, and if you want to know more about the cloud as a ProAdvisor, there is a QuickBooks Online Certification that you can take from any Internet-connected device – even your tablet.
“I’m old fashioned, I don’t use the cloud. What do you have for me?”
Answer: First, you aren’t old fashioned; you were at a tech conference! Second, you are probably already using the cloud in a few ways you might not have considered. Did you e-File this year? Then you are already in the cloud and I bet you’ve been there for a while. Next time you log into your online banking, check your email or take a look at your social network – remember, you are in the cloud. For some firms, cloud solutions might not be a best fit. If the time saving features in programs like QuickBooks Accountant, ProSeries® and Lacerte® are the keys that drive your business, then know these core software aren’t going anywhere and will continue to give your firm the productivity you need.
