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Tech (332)

The Progressive Accountant is the leading online communit of public tax and accounting professionals focused on using technology to better manage and grow their practice.

Old Software; New Tricks

With the right technology, you can teach an old dog new tricks.

I was a tax professional for most of my public accounting career. I started in tax and still did taxes for my computer consulting clients when I finally made the switch into technology about 10 years ago. Recently I decided to try my hand at doing some tax work during busy season. I knew I would need a skilled reviewer and time to review tax law changes, but I was afraid I wouldn’t know how to work the applications. (You would be surprised how many laws haven’t changed very much, except for that new fangled Single Member LLC concept…)

Imagine my surprise, when after 10 years of being away from tax preparation and working papers, I was able to sit down and get up and going with no training on the software. Read more...

Symantec Digs the Dirt on the Web

CUPERTINO, Calif. –  Symantec, which makes anti-malware software, has identified the 100 “Dirtiest Web Sites of Summer 2009," the 100 sites with the most threats detected by site ratings service, Norton Safe Web, as of August.

Norton Safe Web

Forty-eight of these sites feature adult content. But the vendor said the list ranged in subject matter from sites dedicated to deer hunting, catering, figure skating, legal services, to buying electronics. Visiting sites, even without downloading or clicking on any element, can expose a user’s computer to infection or data theft. Symantec said  75 percent of these sites have distributed malware for more than six months.

The company posted the URLs  for 30 sites, which include kingfamilyphotoalbum.com,  wadefamilytree.org; texaswhitetailfever.com a divineenterprises.net, likaraoke.com. Ratings were based on the number of threats detected by Norton Safe Web, which crawls the Web looking for dangerous sites. Safe Web analyzes Web sites using signature-based file scanning, intrusion detection engines, behavioral detection and install/uninstall analysis to identify security risks including phishing sites, malicious downloads, browser exploits and links to unsafe external sites. Judging from the names, the published list does not include many of the adult sites.

 

 

 

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A Device to Give You Many Charges

It is a delight to have rechargeable gadgets. It is not so wonderful to have to recharge them daily. To charge all of the devices requires lots of plugs and a multi-outlet strip. There is an alternative – the Chargepod  from Callpod. This device can charge six different devices at the same time. It is smaller than a power strip and easier to use. The circular design supports a smaller footprint. The Chargepod is the basic circle and power cord. Then you have to purchase adapters for each device, including an automobile charger if needed. At $40 for the base unit and $10 for each adapter, the total cost is more than a power strip. However, desk space and functionality need to be weighed against the one-time purchase.  Visit: www.callpod.com
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How Can Simple Tools On Your Website Eliminate Redundant Phone Calls?

Phone1Ok, so you have your Web site up. You have outlined a description of your services, or staff bios, and the name of the firm and your contact information.  All of these pieces of information are geared for the purpose of your current or potential clientele.

 

Equally as important though, what content can you now provide that might be able to save you time?  Think about the most redundant phone calls that you and your staff receive throughout the day.  Do people ask for copies of their old returns?  Do people ask how to physically get to your office?  Do people ask for references to IRS clarifications based on their particular tax situation?  Of course, the answer will vary for each firm, but regardless, create sections of your website geared towards answering these very issues.  That way, over time you can wean your client base from making an unnecessary phone call to referencing your website for simple answers.  Here are a few of the most common ways to eliminate redundant phone calls:

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Tips on Choosing the Right Scanner

scannerChoosing an appropriate scanner for your firm can be a challenge. You need a solution that is both high quality and meets certain productivity standards. With so many options available, how do you know which scanner will meet the needs of your firm and your staff?

Ten Tips to Help Microsoft Word Work for You

You probably touch almost every screen of your tax and accounting applications, but you may not use more than about 10 percent of Microsoft Word. Word has become a monster, a terrific tool for page designers, but way too much for most of us.

Still, Microsoft Word is a mainstay application for almost everyone. It can do just about anything with documents you could ever want, but besides not using the lion’s share of it, many people don’t use it in the most efficient way. The tips below, which apply to all versions of Word from 2000 on, will help you work faster, smarter, and simpler with Word.

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Wi-Fi in the Sky – An Update

wifiAdd American Airlines to the list of carriers that now offer Wi-Fi in The Sky. I'm on a three and a half hour flight and found it easier to justify the $5.95 charge for internet access.

Recently, I wrote an article called Wi-Fi in the Sky that compared the cost of this new service to the potential for improved productivity. While I'm not convinced that I will always want to be connected, it is pretty cool to think I can send emails from thirty thousand feet!

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Social Networking and Your Firm


While tax and accounting professionals are not typically the first people that come to mind as leaders in adopting emerging online technology, many of them are now turning to services typically used by their kids. Facebook and MySpace, online social networking sites originally created for college students, have since grown not only in the age of its demographic, but also in the number of users utilizing it for business purposes. Accounting professionals are taking advantage of these free sites for many reasons.

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Quicken to QuickBooks

Quicken logo

Business finances + personal finances = not a great situation especially when all the business’ financial data is in an accounting software such as Quicken and intermingled with personal finances. In my last blog I wrote about exporting data from an Excel spreadsheet into QuickBooks.  How do you move everything over from Quicken to QuickBooks? You can convert a Quicken file to QuickBooks through the Easy Step Interview built into QuickBooks. The conversion copies your Quicken data to a new QuickBooks company file. Your original Quicken data file doesn’t change so you can continue to use it. After converting your Quicken file, you will have two sets of data: your original, unchanged Quicken file and your new QuickBooks company file to use from that date forward.When you begin to set up any new company file in QuickBooks, make sure to have the following on hand:

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Getting the Data in QuickBooks

Here we are - 2009 already half over. To us in the accounting world that is six months of data a business has accumulated. What if your client decides they want to switch to QuickBooks® now instead of waiting for the new version to come out in the Fall? To top it off, you get dizzy from all the data that’s kept on an Excel spreadsheet separate from their accounting system. How do you merge it so it will make sense in QuickBooks and all of your financial information will be in one place? First off, decide how much of this data is important to your client. If it’s an absolute necessity to bring the over the history, there are tools that can help you merge data from Excel to QuickBooks. Log onto http://marketplace.intuit.com/v2/f-data-synchronization/software-solutions.aspx and look at your choices to bring over mass data into QuickBooks from another QuickBooks file, Microsoft Excel and or other applications that data may be kept in.

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