Advertise, no. Discuss, yes.
The discussion hinges around what they want to achieve, and how to effect that. If software is cost effective AND it achieves what they want, then we ensure that they are partnered with appropriate bookkeepers /trainers.
Sometimes all they want is drs, sometimes they want cashflow reports. Sometimes they do want a fully tracking system. Sometimes they think they want an inventory system.
Often, they just want to save accounting fees - well, life lesson one
IT IS NOT CHEAPER TO PUT THINGS ON A COMPUTER.
IT IS NOT CHEAPER FOR THE CLIENTS TO DO THEIR OWN GST
I've worked on about 120 different accounting / stock systems - all have their strengths and weaknesses. But the most important key to getting it right is to appreciate the level of understanding of the person doing the data entry. And the best way of effecting this is to read the gl. If they know what they are doing, then there is no need to bring the file in electronically, and if they don't know what they are doing, there is no way you'd want to clutter up your ledger - it's better to start from scratch because it is quicker and cheaper.
We have a sub-speciality in doing multi-year return arrears. There's about five standard reasons why people get themselves in a mess, and for about a quarter of them, it's becasue they put it all on a computer and didn't understand, lost the plot, got tired of keeping it up to date, or it crashed. Almost all of those clients are now on banklink with work done in our office.
MYOB is hands-down the worst system for getting people lost, and it's the worst system for CA's to support - last time I checked I had 32 different MYOB applications in use by clients (about one each) compared to about 23 clients on Cashmanger, and 13 clients on Easibooks (plus a few more). And now that we're into a new year, I'm sure my MYOB count will increase. So we not only have to work out what system they're on, when the client helpfully tells us it's myob, then we have to figure out the passwords. CM and EB, at a practice level we don't need passwords - those software providers accept that we are grown-ups.
It's not about the platform, it's about the quality of the result. If we get a working result we use it. If we don't, then we start from scratch. In my experience, the most time expensive solution is to work with bad data and try to correct it.
Denise
Quote:
Originally Posted by MYOB  Denise and Dardee,
Do you advertise the fact that you do all the work without even having to open the business owner’s data file? |