Solutions14 Conference Sponsors and Vendors – Part 2

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If you are going to attend the Solutions14 Conference in Las Vegas, November 9-12, you will most definitely want to make your way to the Exhibit Hall. The exhibit hall is where you can meet vendors face-to-face to see and even ‘play’ with their solutions covering more than 90 different alternative, add-on, add-in and in-lieu-of, Apps and software to what you are using now. 

You may be looking for an inventory add-on to Xero, or financial analytics that will use your QuickBooks Online data, or perhaps an advanced reporting alternative for your Sage software.  No matter what kind of solution you are seeking you should find something of interest among the exhibitors. 

But ‘exhibiting’ isn’t the only activity that these conference sponsors are providing, many of them have chosen to present formalized learning sessions covering topics related to their software. In Part 1 of this article I focused on several of those sponsors, and here are some more educational sessions vendors are presenting.  

The exhibit hall is also about networking, a place to connect. Doug Sleeter, Conference founder said, "Although we have over 70 educational sessions, innovative exhibitors and a multitude of well-known keynote speakers, one of the things we hear over and over again from our attendees is how powerful the networking opportunities are at Solutions14..."

I’m sure if you hang around the exhibit hall long enough you will even find me circulating from booth-to-booth, and interviewing vendors about their products, it's my opportunity to connect. I look forward to sharing some Expo time with you, so be sure to say ‘Hi’ (Murph).  With that said, let’s look at some more Conference Sponsors.

SmartVault: Building a High Value, High Efficiency Workflow with SmartVault

SmartVault embeds workflow right inside the apps you are already using – and we do it better than anyone! Whether you’re a current SmartVault user looking to improve your current workflow, or maybe you’re new to SmartVault and eager to start going paperless – this interactive workshop (bring your workflow questions!) will teach you how to integrate SmartVault inside QuickBooks, QuickBooks Online, Xero or FreshBooks to streamline accounting services workflow and work more efficiently with clients. Learn how to share tax returns securely in one easy step with our brand new integrations for Intuit Lacerte and ProSeries Tax. Manage users easily, cut down on manual tasks, and reduce human error with new role-based security and client-centric groups SmartVault offers. By the time you have finished you will be primed to increase your value as a trusted business advisor to your clients, while at the same time maximizing new capabilities that will impact your business…and your bottom line! 

SmartVault is online document storage and secure file sharing that's both secure and easy-to-use. SmartVault integrates with your favorite accounting apps, like QuickBooks, Xero, and FreshBooks, so you can go paperless and manage your documents easily and securely.

Uni-Data: Episode IV: A New Hope

Intuit’s QuickBooks desktop software and a wide variety of third party add-on solutions are used every day by thousands of Small Businesses around the country via SKYLINE’s cloud platform. Skyline by Uni-Data turns small business technology needs into immediate, scalable, and secure cloud delivery solutions. Bob Babcock is the Vice President of SKYLINE Cloud Services, was instrumental in the development of Intuit’s first Authorized Commercial Hosting Program, which led Uni-Data to become its first member.  Get above the Cloud with SKYLINE Cloud Services. Access the software and data you use every day from anywhere, safely and securely.

QuickBooks Hosting by Uni-Data provides full featured QuickBooks® Pro, QuickBooks® Premier & QuickBooks® Enterprise software packages hosted in Uni-Data's SSAE 16 data centers, accessible from anywhere via terminal server connection. Hosting is also available for Intuit Payroll, Merchant Services and QuickBooks® Point of Sale (PoS).

American Express OPEN: Snap, Tag, Transfer - Learn how ReceiptMatch℠ with QuickBooks® can streamline the way your clients track and manage their American Express Business Card transactions

American Express OPEN and Intuit QuickBooks® are working together to help simplify the way your clients manage their Business Card expenses with ReceiptMatch(SM) with QuickBooks®. When your clients use Business Cards from American Express OPEN, their transaction data can sync directly with QuickBooks. So, at the end of the month, they won’t have to deal with a pile of Business Card receipts, and you can find the financial data you need in one place. In this session you will learn how your clients, their trusted team, and their employees can use their OPEN Business Cards – and the ReceiptMatch app to help streamline their expense tracking from the point of sale through to QuickBooks. And your feedback is welcome! Share your insights and provide feedback to the ReceiptMatch with QuickBooks product team to help make the product more valuable in future updates.

American Express OPEN is the leading payment card issuer for small businesses in the United States and supports business owners and entrepreneurs with products and services to help them run and grow their businesses. This includes business charge and credit cards that deliver purchasing power, protections, rewards, savings on business services from an expanded lineup of partners and online tools and services designed to help improve profitability.

ADP: Growing Your Practice: Introduction to Selling Skills

There are plenty of great accountants out there but many of them are just not effective as they can be at selling and marketing their services.  In this course accounting professionals will gain a better understanding of how to identify opportunities to network and start building a targeted client base. Laura Pruitt with ADP will cover how to establish an effective sales call with existing clients and prospects.   You will learn about how to run an effective sales meeting and conduct a needs analysis, how to present and highlight features and benefits of your services, and customize solutions based on prospective clients’ needs.   A couple of selling tips can make the difference on closing more business and making your practice more successful.

Organizations of all sizes trust ADP®, a leading provider of business outsourcing solutions offering a wide range of HR, payroll, compliance, tax and benefits administration solutions. Understanding that every practice is unique, ADP offers diverse options for accountants and their clients, including valuable accounting resources.

ZenPayroll: Beyond the Checklist: Using Modern Software to Grow Your Practice

Imagine a world without manual tasks that take you away from serving clients. Now everything you used to spend hours on takes minutes, and you don’t need to deal with piles of paperwork or endless spreadsheets. You’re no longer chained to your desk doing manual tasks and you don’t need to hire extra staff for work that isn’t core to what you do.

 You can live in that world!

Technology has changed the accounting industry forever. Today, top accountants are taking advantage of new tools to increase client engagement and add new, profitable revenue streams. The accountants on CPA Practice Advisor’s 40 Under 40 list agree: modern payroll solutions like ZenPayroll are a great way to grow and streamline your practice. During this session, Joshua Reeves, CEO and co-founder of ZenPayroll, will guide you through:

  • How top firms like Harshman Phillips have revolutionized their practice using modern software
  • Ways to integrate modern back office tools with the services you provide today
  • How to generate more profit through bundling your services

ZenPayroll is delightful, modern payroll. Our comprehensive payroll service eliminates the manual tasks and unnecessary complexities traditionally associated with offering payroll. All government payroll taxes, reporting, and compliance are taken care of automatically and 'paperlessly'. Accountants and bookkeepers can manage dozens of companies from a free, centralized dashboard. ZenPayroll also integrates with popular accounting tools like FreshBooks, Xero, and QuickBooks, so payroll data can sync seamlessly with charts of accounts. We give CPAs the tools to become modern accountants, increase their revenues, and build stronger relationships.

Office Tools Professional: 10 Keys to Successful Firm Management

We all need to constantly review how our firms are managed. One key to success is finding new ways to work more productively. To do that requires finding the right technology tools and best practices that meet the needs of the firm and its clients. When we find the right combination, increased profits, less stress and fewer hours worked lead to a greater work-life balance. All of this can be realized without sacrificing firm success or profit. Finding the methods and technologies that best fit an evolving firm’s workflow is a huge part of the equation. Michael Giardina, CEO of Office Tools Professional will explore the 10 keys to a more productive and profitable firm during this session.

Office Tools Professional provides accounting and tax professionals with the next generation of practice management software, providing a single interface for client, staff, office and document management and tracking. Experience a simplified approach to tracking time, due dates, assignments, documents/email and billing. We produce many integrations including all tax programs, QuickBooks and Microsoft and provide integrated client portal options.

Bill.com: Pricing: Capturing Value in Your Firm

Are you maximizing the revenue potential of your accounting firm?  And, how are you being impacted by services like tax preparation and commercial online small business accounting systems - along with increasing competition from firms operating solely online?  Many accountants are struggling to combat the current combination of factors that threaten traditional services.  An important aspect to success is your pricing structure. During this session René Lacerte, founder of Bill.com, will bring to light pricing strategies and structures that can help ensure you meet evolving client expectations and increase your firm’s profitability.

Bill.com is the fastest-growing business payments network, enabling nearly 200,000 users to pay and get paid millions of bills worth billions of dollars. The Bill.com Business Payments Network brings small-to-medium businesses simple online bill payment, custom invoicing services, unlimited document storage, workflow collaboration, and the ability to access their back office from anywhere via any mobile device. Bill.com’s services easily sync to a users’ accounting software and online bank accounts.  

What H&R Block Plans for the Accounting Space and What it Could Mean for your Children

H&R Block recently announced its intentions to get into the Client Accounting Services space. Will they be a competitor? A partner? An acquirer? All three? Come listen to Jeremy Smith, the head of Block's Client Accounting Services business, as he discusses what Block has been up to and what their plans are.

H&R Block Small Business offers client accounting and business coaching services to businesses with less than $5 million in revenue.  H&R Block Small Business has experienced professionals available year-round to help you with your business' bookkeeping, payroll, tax and business coaching needs at a price you can afford.

Zoho: Integrated Cloud Apps - Poised To Change Business As We Know It

The initial rush to the cloud has left businesses wondering what's next. The cloud has proven to be a hugely efficient computing platform for businesses, and in particular, small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs). Cloud offers SMBs access to state-of-the-art applications with the advantage of not having to install or maintain the applications - just logon and use them. But, companies are finding that while business problems are being solved, it is not happening in a holistic way. Many companies, are using tens of cloud apps, and are now realizing the inherent problem of using different apps in different parts of the business that don't talk to each other. Enter the integrated cloud.

Zoho.com offers the most remarkable suite of secure online and mobile applications, earning it the trust and loyalty of millions of users across the world. You can offer the easiest accounting software for your small business clients, transform your client relationships with our CRM software, redefine client collaboration with a project management platform and make jobs easier at your practice with our world class e-mail and document management solutions.

CPA.com: Selecting and Implementing a Vertical in Your Practice

Specializing in key vertical markets and serving the needs of underserved customers allows your firm to gain domain expertise and earn higher margins while differentiating your services. In this session, you will receive tips and strategies for pinpointing the niches that suit your firm, how to select the appropriate tools to build high-value, collaborative relationships with your clients, and proven successful ways to implement effectively within your firm.

CPA.com, a subsidiary of the AICPA, provides best-in-class client-focused business solutions to support accounting professionals.  Its Trusted Business Advisor Solutions are cloud-based tools that enable accounting firms to build more collaborative and strategic relationships with their business clients or employers.