Interesting you talk about creating your own PM system. I was thinking about building my own, customized to myself. However, I am a weirdo and think that type of thing is fun.
If you use a password manager, sometimes you can use the app to generate TOTP codes. We use Bitwarden. This works for cases where you could use an auth app. I hate giving out my personal number for these codes and I also hate having to have apps installed on my personal phone just for these purposes. But I also hate having to bother the partners for a code, so I like the 2FA phone idea. Why didn't I think of it? Thanks, Jason!
Karbon Marketplace! I must have missed that email. I just checked it out and there are 2-3 firms in my area I’d be interested in merging with! Could be a giant fruit basket coming Jason’s way if this works out!
I am the head of the accounting team at a PASBA style firm that services around 300 monthly clients. We are all aboard the Thomson Reuters CS suite train - which includes Practice, File Cabinet, and NetClient portals. We're looking to make an upgrade soon, and Onvio is the front runner in the race. Hearing Onvio described as "hot, hot doodoo" is somewhat concerning. What are the red flags? Why is it so bad? How would you sell the red flags to an older firm owner?
On the financials call...I would of lost it a couple of times during that convo. This is why I tell my clients to message me on LISCIO. That way I can yell at the screen for 15 minutes then respond professionally and calmly LOL.
This video nails the basics for email marketing, definitely a must-watch! I have been using Do You Mail for around six months, and I cannot recommend it enough. The automatic SPF, DKIM, and DMARC DNS setup has taken all the hassle out of sending cold emails. If you are looking for scalable solutions, definitely give them a try!
Love the tips in this video! I have explored various cold email tools, but Mystrika has truly been a game changer. The user-friendly interface and the exceptional warmup pool are unmatched. If you want detailed insights that actually help you refine your approach, Mystrika is the way to go!
Absolutely loved this video! Do You Mail has been my choice for the past six months, and I cannot get over how easy the email ID creation process is. The quality of delivery and reputation is undoubtedly a strong point. I highly recommend trying them out for your cold email campaigns.
Awesome breakdown in this video! After testing out various options, I found that Filter Bounce has maintained my bounce rate under 1%. The accuracy for services like Outlook and Yahoo is impressive. If you are into cold emails, try them out, they are quite affordable and effective!
This video is such a great introduction! Mystrika is automated bounce detection and unified inbox have simplified my workflow. I have been using it for a few months, and it makes cold emailing feel effortless. You should definitely check them out if you need a reliable email tool.
I have been diving into cold email strategies after watching this video, and honestly, I am amazed at how it can transform outreach for accounting firms. Mystrika has been my go-to for several months now, and the detailed analytics it offers is incredible. It is really helped me fine-tune my messages. Seriously, check it out if you want to boost your email game!
Just watched this video, and it was incredibly informative! Since I started using Filter Bounce, I have noticed a significant improvement in my email outreach. The monthly free verifications have been super helpful. If you are looking for a way to improve your email deliverability, definitely give them a try!
Thanks for the insights in this video! I began using Do You Mail after realizing how essential it is for scaling my outreach. The unrestricted sending across different domains has really transformed my strategy. I highly recommend giving Do You Mail a shot!
This video is a gem for anyone starting with email marketing! I have been exploring Mystrika is features for the last several months, and the A/B testing capabilities with 26 variations are really impressive. It helps me fine-tune my messages for different audiences. Check it out if you want detailed analytics with your cold emails!
Great content here! Since I started cold emailing, I have been using Filter Bounce, and it is been very effective in keeping my bounce rates low. The real-time verification API is effortless to integrate, and it gives peace of mind knowing my lists are accurate. If you are serious about cold email, definitely explore Filter Bounce.
😲🤯 Boy, let me tell ya... that was quite a surprise to hear this morning! I didn't fall off my Peloton, but maybe almost swerved into the wrong lane of traffic 😆. Thanks for the callout and creating some real accountability for my personal challenge. Love what you do for our community 👍
It would be great to have an app that would enter a real estate broker's agent's CDA information into QBO. The broker's go through software platforms like water. So a stand alone app that would enter the CDA information into QBO without depending on the broker's software integrations would be a game changer. IMHO The app could do other things as well like giving them a dashboard to see stats on sales, commissions and other important information.
P.S. I watch every morning while walking on the treadmill. I had made a goal for myself a month ago to walk 30 minutes in the morning and evening. These videos are the perfect length!
Our firm is really small but a lot of the ideas you suggested are things we do...I just didn't know there was a term for it - lol! We don't do tax but really liked the EOY example about asking questions - we ended up turning that suggestion into a scalable service to clients - Year End Projections where we ask the client and CPA questions for year-end before it ends so they have an idea of what estimated taxes they will need to pay when the return is filed. Good stuff!
OOf, I was reviewing notes for things I have been planning since 2021! 2021! WTF is wrong with me? Well, I have to get in front of a camera and figure out how not to sound like a confused idiot that says "um" as if it's punctuation. I'm great on calls (my firm is virtual), but just talk about things? by myself? ugh. So this was a good one for me, inspirational (although I'm already there, that's a different part of this journey) - just gotta get out there and do it terrible till I'm good.
I really liked ClickUp-it has great functionality and is super neat! However, I found it lacking in some PMS features I needed, especially accounting software integrations and organizing everything by client. I ended up choosing Karbon and will update on how it’s going in a few months. Similarly, for proposals, I liked PandaDoc, but ultimately went with Cone. So far, both choices have been working well, even though I didn’t go with the mainstream options.
I've worked with three audit firms, all of which use Practice CS. It feels like it's worse than a plain Excel spreadsheet. I know it doesn't really let you delete clients, so it would be awesome if there was one of these apps out there that could import the whole thing, then delete any clients who've been inactive for x number of years.
Our solution to the golf vs. kids problem: slap a car seat on the golf cart and bring them along. 😂 Our little one loves it (and course staff haven't gotten after us yet....)
Okay, I know it is simpler, but why are we talking about not serving clients with gross fees of $X instead of gross margins of $X? I mean, I guess the gross margin conversation could go off the rails quickly into how do you calculate or what is considered in direct cost, BUT I would much rather serve 10 clients with a 50% gross margin than 10 or even 100 clients with a $1,000 gross fee and a much lower gross margin. Then again, maybe the profit margin should be inferred in the calculation.
"It's tasty on the way in, but you'll regret it on the way out" Is Jason, Lactose Intolerant??? Which according to my almond sized brain I think means he's scared of cows or something.
Hello! I have a question for you - nothing to do with the topics here, but it is a Q and I would love an A. :) I was wondering if you could explain a little about the IRS Section 7216 disclosures for offshore workers. From what I've read, the regulations apply to tax preparers. I am a bookkeeper and do not prepare taxes. But sometimes I do receive the tax returns (especially asset schedules for REI clients). There are some things that I could store in separate folders so that my team members don't have access, but some of the "protected information" is stored in QBO and Keeper, so even if I "hide" them in private files, they could probably find them. (Specifically EIN/SSN, Business address, etc.) Also, although I don't prepare taxes, I do offer 1099 filing. I know it's an informational filing, but is that considered tax preparation for the purposes we're discussing? I have access to a whole bunch of vendor information. It doesn't appear that there is an obligation to get a signed disclosure from each vendor (that would be a nightmare!!) and since this seems to only apply to tax preparers, it doesn't seem like there is any obligation for my client to disclose anything... Unless there is a separate requirement for business owners in another section, in which case, I would need to alert my client that I have an offshore worker so that they can tell all their vendors... And then, does the vendor have an option to refuse to allow offshore access? So, I could file 1099s for 50 of the client's vendors, but not the 3 who refuse? And I would somehow need to redact their info from QBO and Keeper? I'm really hoping the answer is "Silly little bookkeeper, this doesn't apply to you at all. Just go on about your work tracking down that extra 5 cents that's throwing off your reconciliation."
Hello! I have a question for you regarding IRS Section 7216 disclosures. Is the best way to ask just to post my question here? Publicly... For all the world to see? 😁
Great episode! Something I've been thinking about lately is the risk/benefits of using 2FA integrated into the password manager (eg. In 1Password, I can have it manage the 2FA request automatically). It completely defeats the '2' in 2FA, but at the same time, if your password manager is compromised, you have bigger problems.
Thank you, thank you!! Log-ins are one of the worst nightmares of my practice. I have a few clients that have banks that allow read only access, but most do not. Getting codes from clients takes up so much time. Playing phone tag with clients is NO fun. I have actually never heard of shared email. This is something I will definitely be checking out as well as SSO services. But, getting me to buy an Android phone, good luck with that. LOL!!
This is awesome and encouraging! I definitely struggle with the desire to add more things to the menu/services we offer. Also, Brandon, I enjoyed your shout out to Andrew S. Grove from High Output Management. It’s the only time I’ve ever heard the words management and abdication used together.😊
Jason, thanks so very much for helping to bring this topic into the light! And for the shout-out for 'Ask a CPA'. 💖 I'm endlessly inspired by the subscription members -- they are such kick-ass bookkeepers, who all want to make things better -- for their small biz clients, the tax pros, and to level-up their own skills. We're building quite a resource, but first and foremost we need small business owners to understand that this conversation, as you point out, works best when they set the expectation for both the tax pro and bookkeeper that they will be working as a TEAM. Because they don't by default think of themselves that way. Starting out as a bookkeeper and later becoming a CPA, I've felt the tension between bookkeepers and tax pros first-hand. Over time, I’d love to see a shift in how bookkeepers are treated by the CPAs, EAs, and other tax pros that depend on them for accurate books and a manageable tax season. And by upskilling bookkeepers, hopefully tax pros feel more like they can depend on them as collaborators toward a common goal. Let's keep doing everything we can to get this word out industry-wide: it literally makes everyone's life better when bookkeepers and tax pros collaborate and communicate... not just their own lives, but ultimately the biggest winners are the small businesses we work so hard to serve.
I love this so much! It can be hard to meet your people, and taking the intention far enough to make a group with it is delightful. Good luck with everything, Side Hustlers!!
