More About the Top ProAdvisor Awards Process

We strive to provide you with key information about how the ProAdvisor Awards process works and what it takes to reach your goal of 'making' the list, or 'earning' a categorical award' or being 'recognized' as ProAdvisor of the Year. So, let me share some more about just how detailed the process is defined to help assure you that it is all 'objective based'.

The U.S. ProAdvisor Awards Standards

Plato theorized that “all things around us in the world are but imperfect versions of the ideal representation of those things that dwell in the higher realm of consciousness. It is only by contemplating examples of perfection can we achieve perfection.”

The ProAdvisor Awards process begins with a standard, a written description of the ideal ProAdvisor within the classifications set forth for the Awards. These standards describe the attributes of a ProAdvisor’s professional stature, practice dynamics, training, certifications, practice category specifics, and ecosystem engagements.

While the attributes may be similar from one categorical standard to another, unique characteristics set the category apart based on the standards. Therefore, the assessment tool, the Awards’ formal application, must continually be fine-tuned to measure and objectively identify those unique characteristics and, in so doing, rank such characteristics to set each ProAdvisor on a scale against ‘the ideal.’

Professional Stature

A ProAdvisor’s standing or reputation within the profession is based upon the following characteristics:

  • Level of formal education,
  • Professional credentials or accreditation(s),
  • Participation, membership, or recognition within professional associations and organizations.

Example of Award Standards

Practice Performance

Businesses that offer ‘practice performance’ consultation advise that they guide their clients’ practice to the next level of success. Practice Performance represents a ProAdvisor’s practice baseline and growth dynamics. The following characteristics are measured within this attribute:

  • Active Practice Requirement (a minimum requirement exists for this characteristic*)
  • Practice Years
  • ProAdvisor Profile (accessibility, reviews, stars, etc.)
  • Practice Categorization (self-categorization within the Awards Categories)
  • Practice Dynamics – Practice type (Software focus, Industry focus, Accounting/bookkeeping focus)
  • Practice Dynamics – Nature of Work Performed
  • Practice Priorities & Interactions (includes statistical validation measures) 

Training Opportunities

A continuum of training is essential for a ProAdvisor Practice. While no set training curriculum other than as might be required for the minimum certification requirements is set for ProAdvisors, nor related hours or CPE credits specified by Intuit or the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program, numerous training opportunities are made available to ProAdvisors by a large number of providers. 

Such training may be recorded via CPE (or other similar professional education credits) or by attendance hours (documented by certificates of completion). The following training characteristics (types) are measured under this specification:

  • Conference/Convention Training (Major live events, even if attended virtually)
  • Virtual Events (whether attended during a live presentation or via subsequent recorded replay)
  • Recurring Continuing Education Webinars
  • Live or Self-paced Short-term Courses

ProAdvisor Certifications

A variety of certifications (or certificates) issued by Intuit are available to QuickBooks ProAdvisors. ProAdvisors access these certifications (and their related mandatory training) via their ProAdvisor portal based on the type of ProAdvisor membership they hold. For example, Desktop ProAdvisor certifications are only available to ProAdvisors holding a ProAdvisor ‘Desktop (type) Bundle’ Membership. On the other hand, Online ProAdvisor certifications are available to any ProAdvisor who is actively a member.

The following Certification specifications shall be evaluated:

  • Current Certification Requirement (a minimum requirement exists for this characteristic*)
  • Additional Current Certifications
  • Prior Certifications Held, including years held

Example of Awards Standard

Practice Categories

For each of the recognized Award Categories, specifications and criteria exist. These Categorical Specifications include:

  • QuickBooks Online, including practice by product type, clients by product type, work performed,
  • QBO-Advanced, including mid-market specialties, client percentage by QBO-Advanced features,
  • QuickBooks Desktop, including practice by product type, clients by product type, work performed,
  • QuickBooks Enterprise, including clients by product type,  client percentage by Enterprise features,
  • Tax Practioner (sub-specialization), including tax-specific training (note, this specification supports scoring for the Niche and Client Accounting Services categories),
  • Client Accounting Services, including client percentage by CAAS services provided, client percentage by Business process services provided,
  • Niche Practice, including the percentage of practice the Niche represents, specific primary niche specialization,
  • Payroll/Human Resources, including relative practice percentage of payroll and HR specialization, ranking of payroll specialist focus, ranking of HR specialist focus,
  • QuickBooks Educator (Trainer/Author), including hours of education performed, hours of training performed, hours of instruction taught, pages of content created,
  • Social Media Mogul specialization, including hours of related social media content produced, number of social media followers per social media channel,
  • Up-N-Coming ProAdvisor, including practice characteristics, client growth analysis (5-year period), ProAdvisor Practice team growth analysis (5-year period), statistical measures, and self-assessments, including personal and professional objectives.    

Example of Awards Standard

Ecosystem Activities

  • App Awareness analysis
  • App Characteristic analysis
  • Technology Issues analysis
  • QuickBooks App ecosystem analysis by App, including App Utilization, App Referrals/Resales, App Certification Status, App Implementations (during the assessment period)

Each of the Recipients for one of the ProAdvisor Categorical Awards represents the highest ranked applicant based upon the standard that has been established by Insightful Accountant for that category. The various scoring criteria relative to the category from verifiable information submitted within the individual’s application is to determine their categorical point total and relative ranking. 

Award Standards

Insightful Accountant and the ProAdvisor Awards Committee have developed standards for each recognized category for which awards are issued. The administration of the standards, evaluation mechanism(s), scoring basis, and ranking methodologies are vested in the authority of the ProAdvisor Awards Administrator.

Example of Awards Standard

It doesn't matter whether we are talking about the QBO Awards, the Niche, the App, the Educator, or the other award categories, or even the ProAdvisor of the Year, there is a defined standard against which each candidate is ranked. You are always competing against a standard that represents the ideal version of a 'ProAdvisor', never against your fellow ProAdvisor.

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