Why we are online accountants
‘Do you use Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn? Do you share links and pages online with people miles away from you? I’m guessing the answer is probably yes, as most of us these days think nothing less than video chatting our friends and emailing on the move. The web, and the cloud, are everywhere. So if we assume it for everyday life – why don’t we expect it for our business?
The fact is – everyone works online. Mobile devices and improved internet services now provide us with the opportunity to work whilst we’re on the move and has given back to us one our most valuable commodities – time!
Whether it’s the dance school down the road or your local florist, they all use the internet in some way. Either they have a website, a Facebook business page they will ask you to ‘like’ or they’ll even do their admin and accounts online.
Everyone is adapting to the modern ways of business, and why? Because it’s so easy and accessible. There are numerous different apps, software’s and sites that can help you run your business day-to-day. For example, here at the Footprints Office we use Insightly CRM, which helps us keep on top of our contacts and targets. We are also online accountants and are a QuickBooks practice. We use QuickBooks Online for our clients and we also go out to train other teams about it – because we think it’s the best Cloud accounting software out there. Not only do we love it, but our clients do as well! That’s why it’s the world’s no.1 cloud accounting software.
The Cloud
If you’re not familiar with the cloud already, you’re probably thinking what it is and how does it even work? Well it has revolutionized the way we access information. If you have a smart phone or similar product then you have probably come across the Cloud before.
Simply put, cloud computing means storing and accessing data over the internet instead of on your computer’s hard drive. So as long as we have a suitable device and internet connection – we can access our Cloud information anywhere. For example, on your iPhone you can save your photos in the Cloud. You will need your password to access them (thus keeping content safe) and they are accessible whenever and wherever – but they are not stored in your phone, as this will take up your storage.
The Benefits
There are so many benefits to working online, but the biggest benefit is if you have an online accountant, who also works in the Cloud. Research has shown that 88% of small business expect their accountant to operate in the Cloud. That is a staggering percentage, but what is even more shocking is that only 43% of accounting professionals in the UK are actually using the Cloud. Business owners especially are seeing the benefits of having online accountants using the same online software as themselves. For example, if you are working on your accounts, maybe uploading a bill or business expense, and you run into a problem there’s no need to worry! You can ring Footprints and because we have access to QuickBooks Online, we can quickly log on to your company see your information in real time, as it’s all in the Cloud. So, instead of awkward phone calls trying to describe what’s on your screen or trying to recall what button you clicked that wasn’t right – we already know the problem, because we’re seeing the exact same as you are.
A lot of people say that they worry about the safety of their valuable information when they store it in the Cloud. Security is obviously an important factor, and because of the sensitive nature of your accounting information you will want to be sure it’s safe. To help ease your concerns, QuickBooks® Online have produced some information on the subject of your security: https://support.quickbooks.intuit.com/support/Articles/INF12749.
So why not join us in the Cloud? Here at Footprints we love being online accountants; we offer free webinars to clients, run training sessions and provide a year round unlimited service for help and support. If you are wanting one-to-one help and advice, we also offer that service with one of our experts at an hourly charge. So whatever your QuickBooks need is, we can certainly help.