As part of our expanding coverage in our People and Business section, we recently had the opportunity to have a virtual "sit down" and chat with Michelle Murphy of Prosperity Financial Services of Hawaii over some Pineapple and Poi.
IA: Welcome to Intuitive Accountant's People and Business section, Michelle. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your practice and how you became part of the Intuitive Accountant audience.
MM: My name is Michelle Murphy and I am writing to you all the way from beautiful Hawaii! I am not related to "the mind of Murph" but you might find it interesting that my late husband's name was William Murphy! (Some people might call it "Murphy's Law.") I started noticing Murph's comments and postings on the "Quickbooks tips and tricks" group on LinkedIn's member website. I did some sleuth work and made my way to the Intuitive Accountant. I posted a question regarding the implementation of the new 2014 Quickbooks Online accountant's release to established users of QBOA. Well, low and behold, I received a personal email from the mind of Murph! We emailed back and forth and he suggested that I write a short bio regarding my business in Hawaii.
IA: We're glad you found us (and that Murph had time to respond!)
MM: When people find out I live in Hawaii they always comment on how lucky I am to live in Hawaii. Yes, it is true. I live in one of the most beautiful places on earth, however, I barely have time to enjoy the beautiful outdoors, go to the beach or get a tan because I am always busy working indoors. To solve that issue, I've been working extensively to move my practice to a more cloud based accounting service provider so that one day I can work from the beach and get that tan! Early on in my career I started working as a messenger for a law firm in downtown Honolulu and I worked my way up the ladder to bookkeeper. I then joined my parents accounting firm and was their office manager for over twenty-five years. I absorbed every bit of knowledge I could from my Mom and Dad regarding accounting and also pursued my college degrees and raised a family of three.
IA: There has been a "little bit" about the cloud in the accounting press recently. What services does your business provide today and how much is in the cloud?
MM: Prosperity Financial Services of Hawaii, LLC was established in 2007 and is the continuation of a family business legacy created by the genius of Vera I. Caminos Bookkeeping Services (my Mom). The types of Services I provide are Accounting services, Bookkeeping, Set-up and conversion, and training (Advising). Our specialties include all facets of bookkeeping plus payroll, general excise tax reporting, financial statement preparation and management reports, and month-end and year-end closing. We are excited about offering set-up and conversion to cloud based accounting and Point of Sale systems. Our client base includes law firms, service businesses, retail sales, and warehouse rentals. We will go beyond the scope of our niche market and venture outside of the box because bookkeeping and accounting is important to everyone. We will work with our customers to customize a package of services to keep them out of hot water so they can have fun doing what they love! I just recently discovered TSheets, which I just love, and I am incorporating Bill.com and Smartvault into my business model as part of my migration to the cloud.
IA: What certifications and qualifications have you picked up over the years?
MM: My certifications include the following: Unix, Microsoft Office, Xero Certified Advisor, Clio Certified Consultant, and Certified VEND partner and advisor. I also do PC Law set-up and conversion. I am am member of American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers, National Association of Professional Women, plus many more. Even though I've been a quickbooks proadvisor for many years, I am finally diving in to getting my Proadvisor certifications and literally completed the Quickbooks Online Certification exam this weekend.
IA: You said you are Xero Certified. As you know, Xero is kicking up a lot of dust in the US and "poking the bear" as CEO Rod Drury said in a recent talk. Do you have clients using Xero currently?
MM: Yes, I am Xero Certified and I currently have clients using Xero. However, I have a variety of platforms that I use for my clients and incorporate the product(s) that is the best fit for them. Xero is still adapting to the United States and its peculiarities and is a work in progress. I find it's better to work with it rather than against it.
IA: I always ask people what their favorite food is and where there favorite place on earth is. I bet you don't have to go to far for either.
MM: Italian, Thai, Korean, and Hawaiian Foods are the best. As for location, there's no place like home! Hawaii and French Polynesia, most specifically, The Cook and Marquesas Islands. The people are so warm and loving and the beauty is absolutely breathtaking.
IA: It sounds like Intuitive Accountant needs a remote office in Hawaii. Murph - let's pack up and scout a location soon! Thanks for taking part in our People and Business section Michelle. Mahalo (that's Thank You for all of you main-landers)
If you'd like to share your experience, insight and your business philosophy with our ever expanding audience, please reach out to us at info@intuitiveaccountant.com. We'd love to hear from you.