Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
Issue link: https://cpapracticeadvisor.epubxp.com/i/80319
How mobile are you regarding your work? How have mobile devices and apps impacted your productivity and work-life balance? Jim Boomer CPA.CITP, MBA — 36 CIO/Shareholder, Boomer Consulting, Inc. Manhattan, Kansas I spend less than 10 percent of my time in our main office. I am usu- ally either working out of my home office or on the road. Mobile devices and the apps that make them so powerful have had a huge impact in allowing me to be produc- tive regardless of where I am located. What are some ways your firm has gone "paper- less" and/or "green" in the last few years? We have increased our usage of Bill.com to Website: www.boomer.com Blog: www.thinkplangrow.net Facebook: www.facebook.com/jim.boomer1 Twitter: www.twitter.com/jimboomer LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jimboomer Education: Master's of Business Administration (Marketing & Entrepreneurship), University of Texas at Austin; Bachelors of Science in Business Administration (Accounting & Management Information Systems), Kansas State University Professional Associations/Memberships: AICPA (TECH+ Conference Steering Committee, CITP Credentials Committee, Member, Chair of CITP Exam Task Force), KSCPA (Board of Directors, Champion of Technology Task Force, Member), The CPA Consultants' Alliance, The Strategic Coach Program Hobbies: Golf, Reading, Softball, Snow Skiing, Spending time with family include both the payment and collection sides. This has not only reduced paper but has improved our processes immensely. We continue to distribute materials for our client meetings electronically through the Boomer Knowledge Network. Our Boomer Ad- vantage Guides are also all distributed online through the Boomer Knowledge Network. Have you found business success via social media, ei- ther via recognizable ROI, new customers, marketing or networking? We use social media extensively to promote our business, events and content. We have had clients find us through social media but the primary benefits have been in building brand, solidifying cred- ibility and extending our reach. What tips on social media do you think are essential, but perhaps missed by professionals? Too many people think that they can just establish a presence on social media sites and the clients will flock to them. This just isn't the case. There has to be something of value that catches prospects attention. And, once you have their attention you have to build the relationship and trust before they will even consider doing business with your firm. It all boils down to the idea of "the more you give, the more you get." How is cloud computing changing the accounting profession, and how con- cerned are you with the security issues related to cloud computing? I believe that cloud computing is going to free up our profession to focus more stra- tegically. Rather than attempting to build our world-class data centers internally, we can now hand this off to organizations that do it as part of their core business. The will reduce the amount of maintenance and troubleshooting for which we are responsible and allow us to focus on de- livering exceptional service to our clients. Security is a concern regardless of wheth- er data is stored in-house or in the cloud. Firms will need to do their due-diligence and select their providers carefully. What ONE piece of technology could you absolutely not live without? My iPhone! I can pretty much do anything I need to do on this device. I can access all the information I need at the office and can stay connected through email, instant messaging and our VOIP system. I'd be tethered to my desk without it and since I work from my home office that would not be good for my work/life balance. What sports team/championship event do you absolutely refuse to miss? Kansas State University athletics – primar- ily football and basketball. 23 | 2012 CPA Practice Advisor 40 Under 40 BACK TO PAGE 3