IRS discontinues two e-services; many tax professionals upset
- Monday, 10 June 2013
- Written by Darren Root
The IRS confirmed Friday that it plans to retire two major e-Services incentive products used by CPAs, attorneys and enrolled agents to file authorizations and resolve IRS account problems. In an effort to prevent the action, a group of CPAs and tax professionals has launched an online petition calling for the department to save these useful programs.
The IRS announced that it will retire the Disclosure Authorization and Electronic Account Resolution e-Services products Aug. 11, “due largely to low usage.” The IRS stated that it increased the number of employees...
We Congratulate Academy Member David Fenton on His New Book!
- Tuesday, 4 June 2013
- Written by Ben Gabriel
We would like to congratulate RootWorks Academy member David Fenton on the publication of his new book, Freedom Ratio. David is the managing partner of Fenton & Ross, his accounting practice in Beverly Hills, California. Freedom Ratio aims to help business owners understand the relationship between passive investment income and their own personal expenses. In the book, David guides entrepreneurs from financial captivity to financial freedom. You can read a little more about the book on Fenton & Ross' website at https://www.fentonross.com/freedom-ratio-book. RootWorks congratulates David on the publication of his book, and recognizes his continued dedication to helping small business owners everywhere!
Be a Responder
- Tuesday, 21 May 2013
- Written by Darren Root
It’s fair to say that Oklahoma has had more than its fair share of hardship this spring. The loss of life and destruction of homes and businesses caused by this week’s storms is heartbreaking to behold, while the courage and selflessness of first responders is awe-inspiring.
Our RootWorks team is especially thankful for the well being of our Director of Member Services, Melody Steelman, who, along with her immediate family live immediately adjacent to the path of Monday’s tornado. Although telecommunications have been severely impacted, we received word from Melody Monday evening that she and her family—and their homes—are unharmed.
We have yet to receive news regarding our member firms in the area. Those not directly impacted may still feel the fallout through disruption suffered by their clientele. For all of our friends in Oklahoma, please know that our thoughts and prayers are united with yours.
Now, as we think about those who are grieving and faced with many months of hard work to rebuild homes and lives, let’s respond in our own way. Below are links to contribute to the relief effort through local agencies. Please join us and help:
United Way of Central Oklahoma: http://www.unitedwayokc.org
Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/charitable-donations
You can also text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief.
CPA Practice Advisor’s Strategic Partner Retreat may be the most important event you attend this year
- Wednesday, 1 May 2013
- Written by Wade Schultz
Ongoing education is critical in the accounting profession. As the landscape continues to change, firm leaders have to be proactive in keeping in front of changes in technology, best practices, branding, marketing, and every other element of a well-run, successful firm. The 2013 Strategic Partner Retreats, offered by CPA Practice Advisor, provide a powerful forum for learning what it takes to create and manage the kind of firm you've always desired: organized, technology driven, efficient, and profitable...what we call a Next Generation Accounting Firm™.
You will interact with presenters Darren Root and Randy Johnston, two of the profession's most respected thought leaders. At the completion of the Partner Retreat, you will understand the strategies and technology infrastructure that have transformed hundreds of small CPA firms nationwide. You will also:
- Examine how the Next Generation Accounting Firm is designed, organized, and operated.
- Create a firm vision and learn how to apply it to create your Next Generation firm.
- Learn how to develop a sound, defined business model.
- Identify the right technologies to create a highly efficient system.
- Examine a proven approach for building a strong brand through communications and dedicated marketing.
- And much more!
For more detail on our Strategic Partner Retreats, visit the website.
Watch the video below and hear why Darren Root believes this may be one of the most important events you attend this year.
Please note that events are limited to 50 seats, so reserve your seat by registering now. Use code NGPR1 for a $100 discount courtesy of RootWorks. For more information, you can also email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Find and Keep Clients With QBO and QBOA
- Monday, 25 March 2013
- Written by Intuit
If you prepare tax returns or work with small business owner books, you may feel frustrated from client questions about how to record the purchase of a business vehicle for example, or how to properly reimburse employees for mileage. Small business owners can be challenged by their books and this can put accounting professionals in a bind to do cleanup work in our heaviest work season.
SmartVault Debuts in Intuit AppCenter
- Wednesday, 6 March 2013
- Written by Darren Root
SmartVault is the first to offer integrated online document management for QuickBooks Online customers, which is now available in the Intuit AppCenter. The integration allows QuickBooks Online users to attach and view source documents (such as receipts, bills, and invoices) directly from within QuickBooks Online—supporting a completely digital and collaborative accounting workflow.
SmartVault shared with us a few key features of the integration, including the ability to:
- Attach and view files directly to entries in QuickBooks Online
- Increase efficiencies in workflow with a built-in electronic Inbox
- View files instantly in a browser without having to download files initially
- Access files easily and securely from a mobile device (smartphone or tablet)
Accounting firms can learn more about the integration by visiting the SmartVault for QuickBooks Online page on the SmartVault website.
This is just one more example of how today’s leading cloud vendors are helping firms work the way they want to work!
Darren Root stays in front of change by meeting with profession-changing leaders at this year's Thought Leader Symposium…
- Monday, 18 February 2013
- Written by Kristy Short
Thought leaders and vendors discuss emerging and long-term trends affecting the profession and clients, as well as the needs of professionals, upcoming technology developments by vendors and long-range strategies.
Dallas is the center of the public accounting world this weekend, as the nation’s most respected and influential leaders in or serving the accounting profession meet at the 2013 CPA Practice Advisor Annual Thought Leader Symposium.
The event gives...
Darren Participates in Recent AICPA/CPA2Biz SaaS Executive Round Table
- Thursday, 7 February 2013
- Written by Kristy Short
RootWorks, the accounting profession’s premier membership-based education organization, today announced that its CEO, Darren Root, CPA, CITP, CMGA, was chosen to participate in the recent AICPA/CPA2Biz SaaS Executive Round Table event in New York. This select group of experts gathered to review today’s most advanced cloud-based technologies and exchange ideas and information on how vendors and service organizations can best support firms of all sizes.
“It was an honor to be selected to participate...
Onsite Networking… There’s a lot of Life in Face-to-Face Forums
- Thursday, 31 January 2013
- Written by Kristy Short
Social media rocks. I get it. I’m out there…posting to Walls, tweeting, Linkin’ it up! I’m also soaking up the information that comes in from my social media channels. But it will be a long time, if ever, that online networking forums can match the magic that takes place when practitioners are onsite together—exchanging ideas, sharing knowledge, and imbibing the expertise of peers.
How the Cloud Helps Retain Clients
- Thursday, 10 January 2013
- Written by Darren Root
Smartphones and tablets are everywhere, including in the hands of many small business owners – our clients. As a business owner myself, I’ve come to expect anytime-anywhere access to my data and the ability to access it from any device I choose. It’s safe to say that many of our clients feel the same way. As firm owners, it’s up to us to provide this level of convenience to clients and educate them on how to maximize the value of real-time access to their financial information.
Because today’s advanced applications and innovations support instant access to data and documents – for example QuickBooks® Online and online document management – firms should be educating their clients on the value of the cloud and helping them adopt the right technologies to better operate their businesses. This is another area where practitioners can provide leadership and guide their clients toward greater success.
Read the remainder of this post on Intuit's blog.
Best Practices for QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Online Accountant
- Wednesday, 12 December 2012
- Written by Woody Adams
Guest Blogger: Woody Adams, Intuit Product Specialist
While I don’t think any accountant needs to freak out (ala Doomsday Preppers) about all this chatter and push to the cloud, it is important to start your train going down the track. Intuit is not giving up on QuickBooks desktop. There are 7 million users in the US alone. For QuickBooks Online (QBO), it is more like 400 thousand (globally). The desktop QuickBooks application isn’t going anywhere. Yet, Intuit is investing more and more in the online platform. I would love to completely convert from QuickBook desktop to QBO, but alas, in my current position, I still live in a desktop world. Your clients however, some of them might want to, have already, or are asking about switching to QBO. And what of your new clients? Younger, hipper, web-savvier (this wasn’t a real world when I was a kid…no, my Mom would have washed my mouth out with soap had I ever said web-savvier). They are seeking out your accounting services and expertise, and most of them will lead to tax engagements, and they want to know if you support QBO. Well, do you? Please reply with confidence that you and your firm fully supports QBO, welcome them on as a new client, hang up the phone and then read the rest of this article. You support QBO clients.
The first real tip for supporting your QBO clients is to sign up for QBOA itself. QBOA stands for QuickBooks Online Accountant. Not really a tip, more like a platform to manage and support your online clients and their files. For anyone who has at least one QBO clients, QBOA is free. Even if you don’t have any QBO clients, QBOA is free for 6 months. And for ProAdvisors, it is just plain Free. There are 3 ways to sign up for QBOA:
- Sign into your ProAdvisor site, click on Software & Discounts or Download Software, and click the button to get QBOA.
- Browse to www.accountants.intuit.com, hover over the QuickBooks tab, click on QBOA and on next screen click Sign Up Now.
- Lastly, your QBO client can invite you as their Accountant User to their QBO file (Company menu/Manager Users) and upon accepting the invite, you will be prompted to either Create or Sign into QBOA.
If you have never signed up for QBOA, click the Create tab and fill out the appropriate fields. It is CRITICAL that your User ID match the User ID you enter when logging into your clients QBO files. That is how QBOA knows which QBO files belong to your QBOA platform. A short video to QBOA sign up is here.
Now that you are signed up for QBOA, below are links to short videos on the key tools that will save you time and steps when working on your client QBO files.
- Undo Bank Reconcile with one click
- Reclassify Transactions in Batch
- More than one AR/AP per Journal Entry
There are many more than 3 cool tools in QBOA, but the above will get your feet wet. When you launch a client QBO file from QBOA, a new tab will open in your browser and you will land on the Accountant Center. Every tool with a green star next to it signifies this tool as not standard in QBO. Click New Window to launch a new tab in your web browser (we suggest using Google Chrome!!!). Now this takes me to the next tip.
The 2nd real tip focuses on navigating QBO. Though QBOA has a New Window link right on the Accountant Center, QBO inherently has some navigation tricks that most accountants are not yet aware of. You can click on the Back and Forward button at top of the browser window, but that is so old school, so say 2009. Below are the key navigation tips for QBO, in general. (You can watch a short video of them all here.)
1) Multiple Tabs—In Google Chrome (and other browsers like Firefox and IE 9) I can right click on the tab I am on, click on Duplicate, which opens a 2nd tab in the same browser window. I can then go to where I want in QBO, and one there, peel off the tab and place it on my 2nd monitor. You cannot do that in QB desktop.
(You can click on any of the below images to view them larger.)
2) Multi Company Files—Again, using Chrome (I hear Firefox can do the same), you can create another user in Chrome settings, launch a 2nd Chrome browser window logged in as that user and then open a 2nd QBO client file. I can open as many QBO clients’ files as I have Chrome users.
3) Rearranging QBO Menus—Menus in QBO are horizontal, and you do not have to click on a menu in order to see where your next option is. I call it hydroplaning, Stacy Kildal calls it hovering. Either way, you can just run your mouse over the different menus to find where you want to go next. And, if you click the “More” option in any menu, at the bottom, there is Rearrange menu, which allows you to position your menu items per your preference.
4) Related Reports Tab—On nearly any list in QBO, there is a Related tab on the right side of the window. When you click on it, it offers related reports or lists that make sense to go to next from the list you are on. Brilliant!
The third and final tip for QBO/A are really two in one: Downloaded Transactions and the Income List.
1) Downloaded Transactions--Ever use Mint.com? When you hook your bank account, Mint downloads the daily activity automatically for you. There is no need to download the statement. You are always up to date with latest banking activity for that day. Downloading financial institution activity in QBO works the same way. Once you link your QBO to your bank, credit card or PayPal account, the daily activity is there for you to either Add to register, Match to existing transaction in the register, or Exclude the activity. There are options to enter Splits, assign a Class or Location (or both), or tag a Job (if using QBO Plus version). You can set a default account that the transaction will auto-categorize to next time, and while your client is Accepting transactions into QBO, the accountant can review the accepted transactions.
2) Income List/Money Bar—The Income List is really not a list. Let Stacy Kildal best explain it: “It’s an Income List, but not an income list. Confused? Don’t be. It’s a tool.”
The Income List Money Bar is a Customer Workflow Dashboard. I can enter, manage, track and resolve end to end the Customer Transaction River. Hokey? Well, QB users in Appalachia will get the reference, but this Income List works great for a Homepage. Just take a look at what can be accomplished from this one page in QBO. I can even perform Batch actions from this “dashboard”, including printing and sending transactions. And “The List” can be filtered. My favorite part is the Money Bar, a colorful flow going left to right, detailing open estimates, unbilled time, materials or expense, open invoices/overdue invoices and payments. Your customer will have a hard time not realizing they need to receive payment against the open invoice. This Customer Transaction Dashboard trains the client on proper QBO workflow.
While there are many more QBO Tips/Tricks/Best Practices, the ones above will leave you feeling confident about supporting, managing and encouraging your QBO clients.
SmartVault Integrates with QuickBooks Online—Fantastic!
- Thursday, 6 December 2012
- Written by Darren Root
The awaited SmartVault integration with QuickBooks is now available—allowing QuickBooks Online users to attach and view source documents (such as receipts, bills, and invoices) directly from within QuickBooks Online. This is great news for firms because the integration supports a completely digital and collaborative accounting workflow.
Eric Pulaski, founder and CEO of SmartVault, stated, “QuickBooks Online is experiencing record growth as small businesses are looking to adopt an online accounting system that gives them access to their data whenever they need it. Integrating that availability with anytime-anywhere access to source documents delivers a true paperless office and literally transforms the way businesses operate.”
If the profession is to stay on the right track and maintain a commitment to collaborative accounting in a SaaS-based model, paper cannot re-enter the equation. I believe that QuickBooks Online will be the number-one accounting product in the near future. This means that online document management is a necessity for firms if they are to maintain a completely digital, paper-free, and collaborative workflow. SmartVault’s one-of-a-kind integration with QuickBooks Online is key to achieving this. The integration with SmartVault will also propel QBO from a great product to a must-have.
For more information on SmartVault for QuickBooks Online, visit the company’s website.
RootWorks Partner, Kristy Short, Recognized on Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Accounting List
- Wednesday, 24 October 2012
- Written by Wade Schultz
RootWorks, the accounting profession’s premier membership-only education organization, today announced that its own Kristy Short, Ed.D, partner and Chief Marketing Officer, has been named to CPA Practice Advisor’s "25 Most Powerful Women in Accounting" list (Read the article here). Over the past few years, Short has emerged as a leader and educator for the profession with several professional speaking engagements, webcasts, educational white papers, and published articles to her credit. Short actively works to educate the profession in the areas of marketing, branding, and public relations.
“I am honored to be named to this prestigious list alongside so many amazing women,” said Kristy Short, Ed.D, partner and Chief Marketing Officer at RootWorks. “To date, I’ve worked with hundreds of firms, helping them establish sound marketing and branding programs to advance their practices to next-generation status, and I will continue to work in and for the profession for many more years.”
This year marks the first annual “Most Powerful Women in Accounting” award. The list serves to recognize women who are having the greatest impact on the tax and accounting profession and who are emerging as the next generation of firm leaders—whether through new technologies, practices, workflow, or dynamic work environments.
“Women play an important role in the accounting profession. Sixty percent of practitioners are women, and with the “Most Powerful Women in Accounting” award, we want to highlight those who are contributing to and shaping the next-generation firms,” said CPA Practice Advisor Executive Editor, Darren Root, CPA.CITP.
The Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Accounting list was published in the November 2012 issue of CPA Practice Advisor.
New River Innovation Releases Web-based IRS Research Application—Beyond415® Guidance
- Friday, 19 October 2012
- Written by Darren Root
Just this week, a new cloud-based IRS “research center” application was released to the tax and accounting profession—Beyond415 Guidance. The stand-alone app from New River Innovation offers practical and up-to-date guidance for resolving issues after tax filing. Product features include searchable guidance that covers individual, business, and payroll areas of IRS practice and procedure.
The company’s cofounder, Jim Buttonow, CPA and IRS expert, explained, “Based on feedback from hundreds of firms, we know that practitioners require a practical and easy-to-navigate research tool for IRS practice and procedure. Instead of sifting through outdated books or searching the Internet, practitioners can find post-filing information in one place. Our goal is to provide authoritative content at a great value to make this research easier...”
The product provides users with features such as:
- A Visual Process Map for navigating each issue from beginning to end.
- Guidance on how Issues Work in Practice, complete with projections for billable hours and complexity, and recommendations for gathering appropriate authorizations, managing engagement types, and compiling IRS account research.
- A Comprehensive IRS Notice Database for ease of looking up notices, reviewing applicable next steps, and more.
- Issue-specific Guides for gathering facts to support practitioners in knowing what questions to ask to eliminate back and forth with the IRS and clients.
- Sample Call Scripts and Document Sets for responding to the IRS.
“Beyond415 Guidance users can plan better when facing an IRS issue and provide staff with procedural instruction,” Buttonow said. “We want to help practitioners get to the heart of the issue and start addressing it quickly and effectively for their clients.”
Beyond415 Guidance was officially launched to the profession on October 15, 2012. For more information on the product, visit the company’s website at Beyond415.com.
QuickBooks Online vs. Desktop? Is One Better Than the Other?
- Wednesday, 10 October 2012
- Written by Stacy Kildal
One is not better than the other; they are more like Chocolate and Peanut Butter. Great on their own, but together, they’re special.
Before I get started on this article, I want to set a few things straight. While my first love was QuickBooks® Desktop, I started using QuickBooks 98 at the age of 23, everyone now knows me now as the QuickBooks Online Chick – and with good reason. I truly adore it, I think it’s pretty sexy, it’s always on, anywhere I need it and it’s got new stuff every month.
Just coming off the Sleeter Small Business Technology Road Show, one question I was repeatedly asked was, “Is Intuit® going to phase out the desktop editions?” Each time I was able to say, “Absolutely not. While Intuit is focused on the cloud and mobile, they’ll continue to support the desktop, find ways to unlock the data and make it available for customers away from the office as long as customers choose to use that platform.”
Jill Ward, Intuit’s senior vice president and general manager...
Collaborating With Clients in the Cloud
- Tuesday, 2 October 2012
- Written by Darren Root
Lately, there’s been a great deal of attention placed on “collaborative accounting.” If you haven’t been following the many articles dedicated to this hot topic, it’s time to get up to speed. (Scroll to the end of the article to download a new white paper, “Setting a Goal for True Client Collaboration,” written by Darren Root.)
Collaborative accounting is a model that enables firms and clients to work in real time – removing the boundaries of time and distance to collaborate with one another and complete tasks with ultimate efficiency. And, yes, it is possible … if the right technologies are in place to support it.
Over the years, we’ve witnessed the continuum of technology innovation. We started with desktop applications, moved to connecting a few computers and then to full-blown networks. Today, it’s all about the Internet, the cloud, and mobile apps. While all this change can be overwhelming, each move through the technology continuum has been necessary to progress firms forward, and support highly efficient operations and exceptional client service.
These changes were also necessary to advance the collaborative accounting movement. Today, technology enables firms to serve clients with speed and efficiency, offering immediate response to questions and exchange of data and documents. True collaboration would simply not be possible without cloud innovations and mobile apps.
Read the remainder of the article and download the white paper on Intuit's Blog.
New River Innovation Announces Major New Product Release— Beyond415 TeamWork
- Thursday, 13 September 2012
- Written by Darren Root
Dedicated to keeping the profession up-to-date and informed on new technologies as they hit the market, I want to announce the latest major update of Beyond415—a leading web-based post-filing solution.
The developers of the application, New River Innovation, recently announced the release of Beyond415 TeamWork. Developed with large firms in mind, TeamWork allows firm experts to share their knowledge by adding unique processes to the application’s extensive guidance database and creating custom templates and document sets.
New River Innovation co-founder, Jim Buttonow, CPA and IRS practice and procedure expert stated, “TeamWork offers all the functionality and features of Beyond415, with added options such as the ability to standardize processes across the firm and build in guidance and workflows specific to the firm. Firm experts can share their expertise with multiple staff members, allowing other professionals to handle post-filing work with confidence.”
Enhancements to the solution include expanded issue guidance, the ability to add custom guidance, an iPhone app, and much more. For more information on Beyond415 TeamWork visit beyond415.com/products/index/teamwork.
4 Key Facebook Tips to Support Your Social Media Efforts
- Thursday, 6 September 2012
- Written by Ryan Clark
There is certainly more to creating a sound presence on Facebook than building a page and posting here and there. The following are a few core tips to support and accelerate your social media efforts.
Congratulations 40 Under 40 Winners!
- Friday, 31 August 2012
- Written by Darren Root
This year’s 40 Under 40 award list was released yesterday, and we are proud to announce that three of the forty spots were filled with RootWorks affiliated professionals! As you know, CPA Practice Advisors’s 40 Under 40 serves to recognize the best and brightest—those contributing to the advancement of the tax and accounting profession.
The Flexibility of Paper in a Paperless Environment
- Wednesday, 22 August 2012
- Written by David Wyle
Paperless tax workflow expert, David Wyle, CPA, talks about integrating traditional paper-based processes with paperless technology to offer practitioners the organizational and review flexibility of paper with the efficiency of a digital workflow…
Download the full white paper>>
Great Practices: How Glenn Hanner Became Top Dog in the Veterinary Accounting Niche
- Friday, 3 August 2012
- Written by Kristy Short
Niche marketing isn’t a new concept. It’s a sound and proven business model that’s been around for years, yet has only recently started to bubble up in the accounting profession.
“We followed a niche business model for years, but not on purpose,” stated Glenn Hanner, CPA.CITP, owner of Hanner & Associates, PC (Accountants and Advisors). “It’s just that over time we accumulated several construction clients and developed a specialty in that industry.”
RootWorks Hits 250 In Memberships
- Tuesday, 31 July 2012
- Written by Ben Gabriel
The RootWorks team is proud to announce that we recently signed our 250th member firm. We are certainly excited about our phenomenal growth, but more so about the exceptional quality of our member base.
RootWorks member firms represent the best of the best—led by those who are dedicated to enhancing operations and elevating client service to a whole new level. Our membership base is made up of accounting professionals with a Next Generation Accounting Firm mindset who are working hard to transform their practices into thriving businesses.
7 Tips for Fostering and Retaining the Best Employees
- Wednesday, 18 July 2012
- Written by Kristy Short
It’s all about firm culture these days. The more positive the environment, the happier your employees are. And the happier employees are, the better service your clients receive. It’s the best kind of ripple effect.
Every firm has those employees that shine brighter…those that you wish you could clone. These are the employees that make you say, “I don’t know what I would do without her.” They are super efficient, loved by clients and all around fabulous at their jobs.
Environment of Innovation
- Thursday, 12 July 2012
- Written by Kristy Short
Top Firms Foster an Environment of Innovation and Take Change in Stride-
Change continues to be a big challenge for firm leaders. Adhering to the traditional way of doing business is familiar and safe, but ultimately will prove toxic. Fostering innovation and embracing change are key elements in a firm’s success. Just ask any leader that operates a Next Generation Accounting Firm.
Defining Your Business Model
- Friday, 29 June 2012
- Written by Darren Root
A few months ago, I offered a post on “Transitioning from Technician to Business Leader: The First Step in Becoming a Next Generation Accounting Firm.” I talked about planning, staffing, and system improvement as first steps in the transition. Today, I want to take this discussion to the next level and highlight the need to define your business model.
One of the biggest mistakes a firm leader can make is failing to determine “what they want to be when they grow up.” Next Generation Accounting Firms have a well-defined business model and grow the business based on this model. Consider Starbucks for example. When people think of this brand, they don’t think “restaurant” or “coffee shop.”
SaaS? The Cloud? Hosted? ... A Little Help Please!
- Thursday, 14 June 2012
- Written by Darren Root
At every turn these days, you hear the buzzwords, the “Cloud,” “SaaS” and “hosted.” If you are like most accounting professionals, you are likely a bit confused on what each means and how they apply to the value to your firm.
The fact is that each type of solution – whether it’s described as in the Cloud, SaaS or hosted – offers true value to today’s busy firm. You simply have to know which is the right choice for your practice. But, before you can do that, you must be clear on what each means.
Results CRM and Citrix Sharefile Announce Integration – The Innovation Continues…
- Monday, 4 June 2012
- Written by Darren Root
As vendors continue to work together to integrate applications, it offers accounting professionals more choices as they develop their internal systems. The latest integration between Results CRM and Sharefile is a good example of the innovation taking place in the profession.
Summer is a Great Time to Get Your Payroll Business Up and Running
- Monday, 21 May 2012
- Written by Sean Manning
With tax season behind us, summer is a great time to start thinking about firm improvements—like adding valuable client services. Payroll is an exceptionally lucrative offering, and one that is highly untapped in the accounting profession. If you’ve not considered offering payroll in the past because you think it’s a big headache…take a moment to “re-think” things.
Our New Website Featured on CPA Practice Advisor
- Friday, 4 May 2012
- Written by Wade Schultz
RootWorks' new, enhanced website is featured on CPA Practice Advisor. Read here.
Transitioning from Technician to Business Leader: The First Step in Becoming a Next Generation Accounting Firm™
- Thursday, 26 April 2012
- Written by Darren Root
This is a topic I wished someone had presented to me before I launched my own practice. Working as a technician means you are only capable of working ‘in’ your firm. As a true business leader, you master the ability to work ‘on’ your firm at a higher level—growing the business and managing people effectively. I began my career as a technician, but learned that...
Developing a Strong Brand - The Mark of a Next Generation Firm
- Tuesday, 24 April 2012
- Written by Wade Schultz
The design (look and feel) of products is incredibly important to today’s consumers—even as important as functionality. Just look at Apple. It’s no longer enough that Apple products (computers, iPod, iPad, iPhone, etc.) are high quality; they must also be aesthetically pleasing. How a product makes a buyer feel is all part of the brand, which is why today more than ever...
Marketing From Square One
- Tuesday, 17 April 2012
- Written by Kristy Short
For firms new to marketing, it’s best to take it one day (and project) at a time
More firm leaders are beginning to understand the importance of consistent communications with prospects and clients in order to grow their business. However, while many are stoked about starting a marketing program, initial enthusiasm can quickly turn to frustration if more is bitten off than can be chewed comfortably. That’s what is called “marketing lockjaw.”
SmartVault Releases Microsoft Outlook Plug-in…Smart!
- Thursday, 16 February 2012
- Written by Kristy Short
SmartVault’s latest service enhancement is a biggie—the SmartVault Plug-in for Microsoft Outlook. The plug-in allows users to leverage the convenience of email and SmartVault’s compliant solution for sharing documents. What this means for accounting professionals is an integrated solution for sending, receiving, and managing...
XpandedReports and SmartVault Integration – Another Step in the Right Direction
- Tuesday, 13 September 2011
- Written by Darren Root
XpandedReports, developers of the browser-based reporting add-on application which integrates with QuickBooks, recently announced smart integration with SmartVault, providers of Cloud-based document storage and file sharing solutions. Integration between systems leverages XpandedReports and SmartVault’s bi-directional integration with...
SmartVault Launches New Accounting Firm Resources Portal
- Monday, 1 August 2011
- Written by Darren Root
SmartVault, a provider of Software as a Service (SaaS) document storage and sharing solutions, recently launched its new Resources Portal developed exclusively for accounting firms. The portal was designed to provide direct access to information required by firms to get up and running on SmartVault quickly.This is another example of a vendor that...
Practice Management…So Much More than Time Billing
- Thursday, 21 July 2011
- Written by Darren Root
For years, the profession has thought of practice management as simply time and billing. This is no longer a sufficient definition. True practice management encompasses the flow of all data in a firm—including contact information, scheduling, project due dates, document management, phone messages, and, yes, time and billing. Today’s...
QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions Has Moved into the Clouds with the Help of RightNetworks
- Friday, 8 July 2011
- Written by Darren Root
RightNetworks, the leading provider of QuickBooks hosting, is the exclusive hosting provider of Intuits most sophisticated business management software, QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions. Now, users have remote access to their software, hassle free software maintenance, and ongoing data protection with nightly back-ups. Your clients can easily...
Thomson Reuters’ Checkpoint® Gets a Makeover—Plenty of Muscle to Go Along With Its Hot New Look!
- Wednesday, 22 June 2011
- Written by Darren Root
As much as we try, we can’t be experts at everything. When we need to find the right answer and find it quick, the updated version of Thomson Reuters’ Checkpoint research system makes the task substantially easier. With its contemporary, fresh new design, piloting through Checkpoint is a breeze. You have access to all the vital data...
CCH is giving the 2010 Tax Filing Season a Fist Pump!
- Tuesday, 7 June 2011
- Written by Darren Root
A CPA Trendlines article reported earlier this year that tax professionals were showing an increased concern for the 2010 tax season, as the result of ill-prepared clients, a scurry of tax code modifications, and the IRS’s general performance. As the door has closed on another busy season, one industry giant is claiming victory over the 2010...
Learn, Connect, Discover at Sage Summit 2011
- Monday, 16 May 2011
- Written by Darren Root
July 9-15 Gaylord National in Washington DC. For the first time, Sage is offering unprecedented interaction between partners, customers, product experts, Sage executives, exhibitors, and industry thought leaders—all under one roof, at one time. Conference attendees will be privy to insightful dialogue and interactive discussion on current...
There’s a New Application in Town—The Only IRS Response System Developed Specifically for Practitioners
- Wednesday, 27 April 2011
- Written by Darren Root
New River Innovation is a new entrant into the accounting space, offering SaaS technology that promises to change how firms handle IRS issues and notices after the April 15th deadline.The application, Beyond415, is SaaS-based and designed to help accounting professionals quickly address IRS issues and respond to notices for clients. Beyond415...
Bill.com Takes it Mobile
- Thursday, 7 April 2011
- Written by Darren Root
Bill.com, a premier online bill payment service, recently announced the official release of Bill.com Mobile. The mobile app enables users review and approve bills, schedule payments from authorized institutions, and access their Bill.com accounts from a single dashboard on their smart phone or other web-based mobile device. As with any mobile...
Thomson Enhancements Focus on a Paperless Tax Workflow
- Thursday, 24 February 2011
- Written by Darren Root
With new upgrades and system enhancements within the UltraTax CS and NetClient portal products, Thomson Reuters continues to forge a path down the paperless trail. In recent months we’ve seen many changes, and they all point to creating a true paperless tax process.Consider what Thomson is doing to make this happen:Collapsed multiple portal...
SmartVault Releases Version 3.3—Big Focus on Security and Compliance
- Thursday, 3 February 2011
- Written by Darren Root
SmartVault, a provider of Software as a Service (SaaS) document storage and sharing solutions, recently announced the launch of the system’s latest release—version 3.3. The new release focuses on additional security and compliance features and further streamlining the user interface to elevate flexibility and ease of use for storing...
The New Year is Here…Hoping It’s Happy and Productive!
- Tuesday, 4 January 2011
- Written by Darren Root
The New Year is here and with it comes numerous opportunities for the Next Generation Accounting Firm™. I realize that everyone is busy with tax season activity, but I wanted to take a moment to remind you that efforts to advance your firm must continue.Next Generation firms never rest. It’s a continuous commitment to identify and...
The Trifecta of Conferences—So Much New and Exciting Information
- Tuesday, 16 November 2010
- Written by Darren Root
The recent chain of conferences that started at the end of October and ran through the beginning of November offered up a slew of new announcements and exciting information for the profession. The conferences I’m referring to included Thomson Reuters Users’ Conference, The Sleeter Conference, and CCH’s User Conference. All events...
SmartVault Unveils Software Developers Kit - This is Big
- Sunday, 17 October 2010
- Written by Darren Root
At the Intuit Solution Provider Summit today SmartVault announced the launch of its Software Developer Kit (SDK). This is another big move by the SaaS provider, who just this year also expanded its service scope from an add-on to QuickBooks to a complete online document management solution. At the Intuit Solution Provider Summit today SmartVault...
New iPhone® and iPad® App from SurePayroll—Mobile Paycheck
- Friday, 17 September 2010
- Written by Darren Root
Mobile Paycheck represents the only employee paycheck application for the iPhone. It is also available for the iPad and iPod Touch®. The free app offers employees online access to their pay stubs the instant they are paid.With Mobile Paycheck, employees can:View paycheck details, including earnings, taxes, deductions, and YTD totalsReview...
Thomson Reuters Releases iPhone® App…Cool
- Wednesday, 8 September 2010
- Written by Darren Root
Mobile CS™ marks the first iPhone app released by the tax and accounting business of Thomson Reuters. The app extends the reach of Practice CS® from desktop to smart phone, allowing more than 60,000 users to access firm, staff, and client data remotely.The initial release of Mobile CS offers on-the-go Practice CS content, such as...
Are You Ready to E-File?
- Thursday, 29 July 2010
- Written by Darren Root
This is the year…the year that e-filing of 1040s is not just a suggestion by the IRS, but mandatory. Are you ready?Effective January 1, 2011, preparers who expect to file 100 or more federal individual or trust tax returns during the year will be required to start using e-file. Preparers who expect to file 11 or more returns will be required...
Copanion’s GruntWorx Gather Promises to Take the Waiting out of Tax Preparation
- Tuesday, 8 June 2010
- Written by Darren Root
Copanion, Inc. announced the newest addition to the GruntWorx family of products—GruntWorx Gather. Gather is an online application that facilitates automatic retrieval and delivery of client tax data directly from leading financial institutions to the practitioner. What does this mean for firms? In a word: time savings. Copanion sited a...
Thomson Reuters Launches New Accounting Platform—Accounting CS
- Tuesday, 25 May 2010
- Written by Darren Root
Thomson Reuters announced the new Accounting CS platform today, which combines write-up, live and after-the-fact payroll, trial balance, financial reporting, and client accounting into a single unified platform. Among the many improvements reported, the new architecture allows firm staff and clients to collaborate in real time and eliminates the...
iPad Ideal for Accountants Working Remotely
- Monday, 17 May 2010
- Written by Darren Root
I had some doubts whether I really needed an iPad, but after buying the new 3G version I am completely sold on its advantages—and see some great applicability to the accounting profession.By now, most everyone knows the iPad is Apple’s latest technology—a larger version of the iPhone, yet not really up to the flexibility and...
Tools that Make a Difference…BNA Gets My Attention This Month!
- Wednesday, 5 May 2010
- Written by Darren Root
Like most accounting professionals, I am always on the lookout for tools that make a positive difference in my working life. That is, those that elevate convenience and efficiency for me. I recently downloaded BNA’s Quick Tax Reference Guide for my i-Phone—ever so conveniently from Apple’s App Store (my fellow i-Phoners know what...
Super-charging RootWorks…
- Friday, 30 April 2010
- Written by Darren Root
New Look, New Message, and all New Premium Resources AwaitAs we close the busy tax season, it’s time to review processes, service models, and procedures in order to effectively implement changes for improvement. And that is exactly what we’ve done at RootWorks. Over the past year, we have listened to our loyal customers and stayed...
Tax Season Final Stretch...
- Tuesday, 30 March 2010
- Written by Darren Root
The final stretch of tax season... and knock on wood, it's been a really good one.With two weeks to go I have to say, I'm really pleased with this years busy season so far. Revenues are a little ahead, and we seem to be in control of the amount of returns remaining to be completed. The staff has performed really well and we aren't...
The Next Generation Accounting Firm™ Includes Portals
- Monday, 22 March 2010
- Written by Darren Root
Today, I’m on my soapbox about portals.A firm portal is an incredibly efficient way to post files, streamline workflow, and provide a real-time exchange of information with your clients in a secure environment. Most of the time, files are too large to send by e-mail. And you really don’t want to email anyway, given the exposure you...
Firms Go Paperless, but are Slow to Automate Tax Docs
- Saturday, 13 March 2010
- Written by Darren Root
You may have participated in the recent CPA Technology Advisor survey – we received well over 1,000 responses to our readership survey. Based on your feedback, we are adjusting our content and many of our focuses to meet your needs.Baby steps are better than no steps at all – and sometimes, we take great BIG steps when it comes to...
SmartVault Expands to Reach Larger Accounting Base and Beyond
- Thursday, 25 February 2010
- Written by Darren Root
SmartVault is one of our profession’s software providers that speaks to total Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) functionality. With the release of SmartVault V3, the company has a greater reach beyond its previous integration with QuickBooks.The new release enables accountants and business customers the ability to use SmartVault to store, access,...
Accounting Ranks High in Best/Worst Jobs for 2010
- Tuesday, 9 February 2010
- Written by Darren Root
Validation is a good thing. I’ve talked about how accounting is a great profession for quite a long time—and even blogged about it when I met with the business students at the University of Indiana.CareerCast recently published its annual ranking of the 200 Best and Worst Jobs for 2010. Accounting came in at a cool #9! Interestingly,...
Indiana U. Biz Students: “Not Your Father’s Accounting Firm”
- Friday, 29 January 2010
- Written by Darren Root
I just spent the day with 200 seniors at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business, one of the top business schools in the country. I have to give these students a lot of credit because they were totally engaged during an intelligent two-way dialog about today’s accounting firm. We all know there’s going to be a reported...
Top 5 2010 Wish-List Goals for the Accounting Profession
- Monday, 18 January 2010
- Written by Darren Root
It’s a new year, and while I’m not traditionally the kind of guy who makes resolutions that can’t be kept, it’s always a good exercise to peer a bit into the future to understand your potential achievements. That’s a fancy way of giving you my own wish-list for the accounting profession in 2010:1. ...
Embrace Change? What’s the Alternative?
- Thursday, 5 November 2009
- Written by Darren Root
I saw a lot of heads nodding in agreement this morning when Jon Baron, president of Professional Software & Services, Tax & Accounting, for Thomson Reuters, asked the profession to “Forget Same-As-Last-Year; Embrace Change!”How many accountants does it take to embrace change? If you can’t count that high, then it’s too...
Thomson Reuters Hits Portal Milestone
- Monday, 2 November 2009
- Written by Darren Root
The client portal is alive and well, thanks to companies such as Thomson Reuters, whose strength in numbers was once again demonstrated. The company just announced its users implemented more than 300,000 client portals with NetClient CS®. The milestone is an increase of more than 100,000 portals in 16 months.“We introduced the...
Accounting Loses 6,000 Jobs in August
- Tuesday, 6 October 2009
- Written by Darren Root
This story on CPATrendlines.com was all over the Internet late last week and over the weekend. According to the story by Rick Telberg, “the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a seasonally-adjusted decline in staffing by 6,000 positions to 928,300 in August. Coupled with downwardly revised figures since May, it represents the fourth straight month...
“Speed of Sound” is Almost Too Slow
- Wednesday, 16 September 2009
- Written by Darren Root
I’ve blogged about how technology has the ability to transform our firms and businesses in ways that are almost super-human. Validating my thoughts is a new article on WSJ.com that talks about how companies are using technology to connect to customers in speedier ways:“Technology is transforming innovation at its core, allowing companies to test new...
Are you a Mac or PC? The Lines for Accounting Firms Continue to Blur
- Tuesday, 1 September 2009
- Written by Darren Root
Last week, Apple introduced Snow Leopard, its latest operating system. The real news for those of us living double lives with PCs are the new features in the mail, calendar and address book (contact) programs that now integrate with Microsoft Exchange 2007.Admittedly, I’m an early adopter of most anything because I enjoy the challenges of...
Stay Tuned for a Stronger Microsoft
- Monday, 3 August 2009
- Written by Darren Root
You would have to living on the side of a mountain not to hear about Microsoft and the problems its endured over the last several years: declining revenues, slow-to-market product growth and the shortcomings of Windows Vista are just a few of the issues.I believe things are about to change – for the better. This fall will see the debut of...
If Client Retention is the #1 Issue, Why do we Ignore the Obvious?
- Tuesday, 14 July 2009
- Written by Darren Root
Hmmm – is client retention an important issue for CPA firms?What a rhetorical question.I’m not surprised at all by the results of the AICPA’s 2009 CPA Firm Top Issues Survey conducted by the Private Companies Practice Section – and you shouldn’t be either. Putting aside the fact that it costs something like five times...
Office Hardware to Cloud Computing: It’s a Paradigm Shift
- Wednesday, 8 July 2009
- Written by Darren Root
How much hardware do our offices really need to function and how much paper can we really get rid of?In other words, if you’re thinking about buying another server or replacing the ones you have, think again. Same thing with scanners – can you exist in the virtual environment without scans of files on your servers?A recent story on...
The Power of the Portal
- Saturday, 13 June 2009
- Written by Darren Root
Congrats go to Thomson Reuters for the significant milestone it hit in the most recent tax season: UltraTax CS™ customers preparing 2008 returns created more than 100,000 portals to serve their clients.This is important to our profession for several reasons.First, it demonstrates how the accounting profession is using technology not only to...
Thomson Reuters Shows Loyalty With Free Software Offering
- Tuesday, 2 June 2009
- Written by Darren Root
Did you see the announcement that beginning June 1, Financial Analysis CS software – a component of the CS Professional Suite – is available free to accounting firms to help them advise their clients?Hats off to Thomson Reuters Tax and Accounting. Whether it’s a strategic marketing move or a response to the recession, I like the...
GoPayment is a Strong Solution for On-Time Payment
- Wednesday, 27 May 2009
- Written by Darren Root
Let’s face it. Accountants are great business advisors, but lousy bill collectors. Whether it’s a lack of follow through to get an unpaid invoice paid, or the paranoia that asking for the money will damage the client relationship, one of the most often-discussed topics in any forum is how to ensure a bill is paid on time.A survey...
We Get You Thinking…Then We Get You Moving
- Friday, 15 May 2009
- Written by Darren Root
That’s the RootWorks mantra…and that is exactly what we accomplished at the first RootWorks Leadership Community held May 13-14, 2009. Over the course of a day and a half, participants and vendors rallied together to discuss innovative technologies, progressive solutions, and not just best practices—but better-than-best...
Dim CPA Firm Recession Stats Could Lead to Growth
- Tuesday, 5 May 2009
- Written by Darren Root
In the tradition of great no-jive headlines, WebCPA had one just this morning, “Accountants Stress Level Rises With Recession” for a story based on a recent Robert Half survey.Didn’t we already know this – or am I completely alone? Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad to have the story and survey data to back up what I...
Is Print Dead or is it Just in Transition?
- Friday, 24 April 2009
- Written by Darren Root
Many of you know that Source Media will soon roll Practical Accountant and Accounting Technology into Accounting Today. I am saddened by the loss of the publication’s two editors and colleagues, Jeff Stimpson (Practical Accountant) and Bob Scott (Accounting Technology), and wish them well in their new endeavors.The loss of these two niche...
Tax Season Wrap-Up: Do it Now!
- Tuesday, 21 April 2009
- Written by Darren Root
When tax season came to a close last Wednesday, I took the remainder of the week off to recuperate … but the first thing I did when I returned to work on Monday was look at the numbers from the prior 3.5 months:
- How many returns did we do this year compared to last, and what was the breakdown on the type of...
New AICPA-Intacct Alliance Has Huge Potential for CPAs
- Monday, 20 April 2009
- Written by Darren Root
Fact #1: Cloud computing refers to the variety of ways in which technology companies offer computing services over the Web from remote data centers.
Fact #2: According to Gartner, the market for cloud-based services was more than $46 billion in 2008 and will grow to more than $150 billion by 2013.
Fact #3: CPAs and their staffs must understand cloud...
Take the “Lead” with Leadership Communities
- Thursday, 2 April 2009
- Written by Darren Root
When I present at conferences, one of the questions I get more often than others is how a firm can differentiate itself from the competition.By now, I hope you have caught on that I’m referring to the Next Generation Accounting Firm™, where firms define what it is they do best, and then effectively communicate and deliver those...
Why a Blog and Why Now?
- Monday, 30 March 2009
- Written by Darren Root
Welcome to my first official blog entry. While I’m writing this, I’m asking myself, “Does the world need another blog and do they need one from me?”The answers are “yes” and “yes” – provided I have something to offer that will help you build your practices and increase profits through smarter, efficient technology. That’s my goal – pure and simpl...
It's Time to Raise Our Game!
- Monday, 30 March 2009
- Written by Darren Root
We should have seen it coming. Our clients were getting 110 percent mortgages with no-documentation loans. Our real estate clients refinanced every time their property value ticked up a little, pulling more cash out.Whatever happened to the days when you needed 20 percent down to get a home mortgage and had to show some financial...
Payroll Propelled to the nth Power
- Monday, 23 March 2009
- Written by Darren Root
I have to say I’m really excited about Thomson’s new Service Bureau Payroll CS Web-hosted program. Clients want more convenience without the hassles of endless paperwork. As a result, our own payroll practice has grown substantially over the past few years to the point where we need to think differently about payroll, moving away...
GruntWorx Plus New Release IDs Sender
- Wednesday, 11 March 2009
- Written by Darren Root
You probably know about Copanion’s product, GruntWorx, that charges a buck per scan. The company is very well respected. In fact, Copanion received a 2008 CPA Technology Advisor Tax & Accounting Technology Innovation Award.About a month ago, we discussed current needs with Copanion, and as it turns out, other firms expressed the same...
Don't Ignore Sales Tax
- Tuesday, 3 March 2009
- Written by Darren Root
I recently became acquainted with SpeedTax, a provider of automated sales tax compliance solutions, so I was drawn to a recent article I saw on bMighty.com by Diana DiBello, the company’s director of Product Development.It’s always amazing how preventive attention can make a difference. With regard to sales tax reporting and...
Learn to Become a NGAF Through a Leadership Community
- Friday, 20 February 2009
- Written by Darren Root
As a follow up to my posting earlier in the week on the virtual CFO, it’s time to talk about how you can become a Next Generation Accounting Firm™ (NGAF) through our RootWorks Leadership Community.™Providing virtual CFO services will lead to new ways of using technology, with ever-changing processes, procedures and...
Beam Me Up, CFO
- Monday, 16 February 2009
- Written by Darren Root
Trekkies will tell you that Captain Kirk never actually said, “Beam Me Up, Scotty.” In fact, no one ever told the transporter chief, Montgomery “Scotty” Scott, to beam them up in any Star Trek episode. Nevertheless, you can’t deny the impact this phrase has had on pop culture.While it might seem a stretch of sorts, I...
Work-Life Balance: Who’s the Boss in Today’s Economy?
- Wednesday, 11 February 2009
- Written by Darren Root
During busy season, if your office is anything like mine, there just aren’t enough hours in the day get everything done. Sure, we try to budget for time, but in walks an unexpected client or possible opportunity. How can we say “no – not now” in this economy?Clearly, there has to be a distinction between work and life....
Intuit Puts the Power Where It Counts
- Thursday, 5 February 2009
- Written by Darren Root
Who hasn’t been hit by the economy? CPAs and their staffs no doubt will realize the impact once their clients begin filing individual and corporate returns. Just today, Forbes.com reported the number of people receiving unemployment benefits reached the highest level on records that go back more than 40 years!Perhaps for the...
Recent Posts
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IRS discontinues two e-services; many tax professionals upset
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We Congratulate Academy Member David Fenton on His New Book!
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Be a Responder
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CPA Practice Advisor’s Strategic Partner Retreat may be the most important event you attend this year
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Find and Keep Clients With QBO and QBOA
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SmartVault Debuts in Intuit AppCenter
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Darren Root stays in front of change by meeting with profession-changing leaders at this year's Thought Leader Symposium…
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Darren Participates in Recent AICPA/CPA2Biz SaaS Executive Round Table
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Onsite Networking… There’s a lot of Life in Face-to-Face Forums
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How the Cloud Helps Retain Clients
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Read about Darren Root’s personal journey in transforming his firm. Learn how to adopt a new mindset and think like an entrepreneur, rather than a technician, and create a dynamic, productive business with lasting value.
