As an owner of a small accounting practice, I am constantly looking for new clients. One area of focus that seems to have a lot of growth potential is the new entrepreneurs. The new entrepreneurs are people who have either been laid off from large corporations or who are looking for second or third careers or young adults entering the workforce for the first time. The entrepreneurial spirit is still very much alive and well. People are taking advantage of technology and starting all kinds of interesting online ventures. I just read about some recent college graduates that have founded an online customized chocolate bars business, Chocomize, with bacon and chocolate being the most requested.

To go paperless or not, is that really the question? I think not.  I am from a generation that used typewriters for term papers. I like to see and feel paper.  I enjoy a good cup of coffee with a newspaper, that is if you can find a newspaper anymore. But that really doesn’t apply to a document management system. You can still hold and look at paper with a good document management system.  However, document management is more about our most valuable asset… Time. 

Back in 1994, when I started at a mid-sized CPA firm we didn’t offer write-up services, unless it was for a key client who begged for it. Write-up work was for new staffers and “bookkeepers”. While accounting software and technology has changed over the years, most accountants and CPAs still view write-up as a necessary evil. After starting my own practice in 2005, I no longer share this view and see all the work in my firm as being important. Each type of engagement is a way to ensure my clients are doing all they can to maximize profitability. This means enabling clients to focus on what they do best and what earns them the most revenue possible. The good news is that most accounting software now uses technology that embraces that philosophy and can provide the tools needed to change our focus to complement the new way of accounting for accounting professionals.