Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
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June 2016 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com 33 THE PROADVISOR SPOTLIGHT SPONSORED CONTENT At Scaling New Heights, Intuit announced a new partnership with ICBUSA, part of the Institute of Certifed Bookkeepers (ICB), and Hubdoc. ProAdvisors in the U.S. will receive 50 percent of ICBUSA application fees, membership fees and assessment fees. In addition, ProAdvisors who are QuickBooks Certifed or Advanced QuickBooks Certifed will be able to "fast track " their membership level – saving both time and money. Hubdoc is ofering a free VIP account for ProAdvisors and dedicated phone support and train- ing, as well as an exclusive discount up to 20 percent of for six months to share with clients. Partnerships such as these are not unusual for Intuit and underscore their commitment to providing the tools and resources accountants and bookkeepers need to successfully grow their practice. Tis commitment aligns seamlessly with ICBUSA's mission to help bookkeepers get the education they need for success. "We are really excited to team up with ICBUSA, as part of our ProAdvi - sor program. We are constantly trying to come up with new benefts to help ProAdvisors be a strategic advisor to their clients," said Chris Hamilton, Global Leader of Intuit QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program. "At the same time, ICB wants to make sure book- keepers are gaining skills and keeping themselves distinguished in the mar- ketplace. It makes total sense for us to form a partnership and work together to uplif bookkeepers and accounting professionals." ProAdvisors who join ICBUSA will get credit for their QuickBooks certifcations by skipping the student level and starting as an afliate. QuickBooks certifcations will help ICBUSA members move up ICBUSA ranks faster as the organization recognizes the skill and expertise required in becoming QuickBooks Certifed and providing expert service to clients. "We really feel that Intuit's Quick- Books ProAdvisor program aligns with ICB's mission for education and technology. Teir focus on the Firm of the Future is great, especially when combined with the strong focus on education here at ICB," said Jan Haugo, CEO of ICBUSA. "We are working hard to ensure bookkeepers know that ICB is a valuable resource that can help them get what they need. Quick Books ProAdvisors are gaining access to a network of educational tools and resources that that will help them stay up-to-date without reinventing the wheel. We want to raise awareness of the many resources both Intuit and ICB ofer for bookkeepers, such as mentorships and guidance." ICBUSA is dedicated to improving education for bookkeepers and mak- ing sure they are up-to-date on the latest bookkeeping and technology education. As such, the organization ofers numerous online and in-person networking opportunities for book- keepers to grow their frms and share best practices with their peers, as well as customizable templates. By being a member of ICBUSA, QuickBooks ProAdvisors can access resources and advice to help them in a variety of areas, such as determining and narrowing down a niche market. Other educational resources and benefts include webinars, special pricing, sofware, discounts, insider access to industry news and events, content, videos and opportunities to work with industry leaders. A nd while education is ver y important, both Intuit and ICBUSA recognize it is only one step in empowering bookkeepers to grow their frms. Professionals also need to keep a watchful eye on their own business to make sure they are keep- ing up with technology, industry trends and meeting business goals. Evaluating how their frm is interact- ing with small business owners is key to ensuring they are providing a valuable service and stepping into their role as a trusted advisor. Pa r t nersh ips l i ke ICBUSA provide educational resources, but Intuit also recognizes the need to adopt technologies that eliminate time-consuming manual tasks, such as Hubdoc. Hubdoc is already used by numerous accountants to easily aggregate data, like bills, statements and receipts, in one location. Hubdoc is the ffh ProAdvisor app partner, following Bill.com, Fathom, Receipt- Bank and TSheets. "We've heard from our ProAdvisors that Hubdoc makes it even easier to work in the cloud and eliminate manual entry and time spent chasing down data from their clients," said Hamilton. "Hubdoc really shows how powerful the cloud is by elimi- nating tedious tasks and automating document management and data entry, fetching fnancial statements and allowing accountants to focus on serving their clients. So, it made sense to add Hubdoc to our partner program." A s book keepers continue to evolve with their clients and the industries they serve, it's important that professionals truly understand the three pillars of the Firm of the Future – geting online, becoming a trusted advisor and growing your practice. Professionals that fail to recognize their value and evolve with technology will fnd themselves being beat out by frms with credentials. "Trying to fgure out value pricing and how that fts into the Firm of the Future model can be a hindrance that stops a lot of bookkeepers from mov- ing forward. Ofentimes, frms need to feel comfortable with the change taking place in the industry, and that's where ICB comes in. We educate them on topics such as value pricing, and then help bookkeepers empower themselves and their practices to move forward," said Haugo. ICBUSA believes bookkeepers are trusted advisors for their clients' day-to-day consulting and technology needs. Bookkeepers are responsible for ensuring frms are on track with their business goals and taking advantage of the various technolo- gies that will help them accomplish those goals. Tey help their clients navigate through the multiple tech- nology choices available to them to determine the solutions that are the best ft for their business. S ince introducing the concept of the Firm of the Future, Intuit has been working hard to empower accounting professionals to take their frms to the next level. With its latest partnerships, the fnancial management sofware provider wants bookkeepers to know – if they didn't already – they are a part of this movement as well. Intuit Rolls Out Exclusive Benefts to U.S. QuickBooks ProAdvisors CONTINUED ON PAGE 37