You can apply for the 2025 U.S. ProAdvisor Awards HERE or nominate a U.S. ProAdvisor HERE.
In May of 2014 the inaugural Top 100 ProAdvisors made their debut within Insightful Accountant. That June, the first ProAdvisor of the Year Award was recognized, along with nine categorical awards, at Scaling New Heights.
But the process of those awards began much sooner. Shortly after Insightful Accountant was announced and ‘went live’ during Scaling New Heights of 2013, Gary DeHart, the publisher of Insightful Accountant and Joe Woodard who was then a partner in Insightful Accountant reached out to me with the idea of hosting an Awards Program for the ‘Best ProAdvisors.’
All of that sounded good until they said, “and Murph, we want you to figure out how to objectively identify the best ProAdvisors in the world.” The task was daunting… the words, ‘objectively identify’ and ‘the best ProAdvisors’ frightened me, but those words, 'in the world' scared me to death.
Weeks went by as I struggled to identify a mechanism that would work and lend itself to clearly defined criteria that could be objectively quantified and classified in such a way as to first identify ProAdvisors within categories related to the clients they supported and the Intuit products they utilized.
Once identified and scored, the classifications had to be recombined to represent the award recipient group as a whole, the top ProAdvisors in each classification, and then the single best ProAdvisor from each of the best by classification.
First came the basics
- ProAdvisors accept and appreciate the role of Insightful Accountant as the founding entity, awarding entity, host and sponsor of the ProAdvisor Awards.
- ProAdvisors respect the rules, regulations, policies and procedures implemented for the ProAdvisor Awards.
- ProAdvisors respect the history, traditions and integrity of the profession of ProAdvisor.
- ProAdvisors are willing to share honest and open appraisals of their backgrounds, practices, strengths and weaknesses of themselves as ProAdvisors.
- ProAdvisors consider paramount the practice of the ProAdvisor profession.
- ProAdvisors commit themselves to the values of honesty, courtesy, and earnest objectives set forth for the ProAdvisor Awards.
- ProAdvisors refuse to compromise their commitment and obligation to the profession of ProAdvisor by injecting any unfair advantage or consideration into the awards’ process including their formal applications.
- ProAdvisors welcome, encourage, and support newcomers to the ProAdvisor profession and the ProAdvisor Awards.
Next came the criteria
For each of the original categories including QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop Integrations, QuickBooks Online Apps, QuickBooks Niche Practice, QuickBooks Social Evangelist, QuickBooks Business-process-outsourcing, QuickBooks Writer/Trainer, the Up-n-comer ProAdvisor, and the International ProAdvisor.
Formal application questions were then developed to measure each associated criteria, along with the minimum standards, like client requirements and certification(s) required. A limited number of practice related demographics and practice considerations were also included in the application form so as to determine the paths ProAdvisors were taking in the advancement of the profession.
Determining the Awards
Scoring is directly based upon a ProAdvisor’s responses within the application form. The only other score that becomes part of the formal ratings and rankings is the Vote by peers conducted once formal applications are completed, and ballot eligibility determined.
Final scores determine the formal ratings of each candidate, and each candidate is then ranked in all applicable categories. A predetermined number of positions for each category make-up the total number of candidates by category whose ranking qualifies them for Top 100. The number ‘one’ ranked candidate in each category is the categorical award recipient. Of the categorical award recipients, the one candidate with the overall highest cumulative score earns the position of ProAdvisor of the Year.
Award and Categorical Changes over the years
Some of the original award categories have had name changes that more closely correspond to what is occurring in the profession. For example, the Business-process-outsourcing Award was renamed the Client Accounting & Advisory Services ProAdvisor Award and the Writer/trainer award became the Educator/Author ProAdvisor Award.
Some other categories have undergone major revamps. The single International ProAdvisor award was first split into two awards, International ProAdvisor: Americas, and International ProAdvisor: Non-Americas. For 2024, these International categories were split-off into the separate (but simultaneously administered) International ProAdvisor Awards (recognizing 50 ProAdvisors from around the Globe). While the process for the 2025 Awards will occur simultaneously with the Top 100 Awards this year, all International ProAdvisors will be redirected into a unique application form that is only related to International ProAdvisors around the world, and conforms to the various international Intuit regions.
In 2023, the Up-n-comer Category Award was split-off into the separate Top 25 Up-n-Coming ProAdvisor Awards. Even though the recognition of Up-n-comers is now a separate award classification, applicants use the same formal application and go through the identical forms of evaluation as existed when up-n-comer was an award category making up the Top 100, only the total number of candidates recognized now differs.
Adjustments to both the number of predetermined positions for each category making-up the Top100, coupled with the addition of award categories like the QuickBooks Online Advanced Mid-market Specialist and QuickBooks Enterprise Large-business Specialist awards have been implemented to more closely align the awards with the changing dynamics of Intuit QuickBooks ProAdvisor participation and product utilization.
You may notice what appears to be sub-specializations built into each new year’s application form. These additional areas not only contribute toward existing categories but provide useful information that helps Insightful Accountant determine the potential for future categorical changes.
So, why should you participate?
It's simple... YOU can not be recognized in one of the three award lists, for one of the categorical awards, or one of the three ProAdvisor of the Year Awards (U.S., Up-n-comer, or International) unless you go through the process.
We therefore want to encourage you to join into the upcoming year's process.
Looking to the 2025 ProAdvisor Awards
Even though we just announced the 2024 ProAdvisor Award recipients about 10 days ago, we are approaching the launch of the 2025 ProAdvisor Awards process within just a few weeks.
We are extending this year’s process by nearly five months to give ProAdvisors longer to be nominated (or nominate themselves), longer to complete their application forms, more opportunities to “come & go” from your application form in order to add new trainings you participate in, new certifications you obtain, changes in your practice dynamics (like number of clients, products being used, etc.) and new or different apps that you may work with.
Only one fundamental has changed for this year. This fundamental change has been driven by evolving patterns within the ProAdvisor community and QuickBooks products designed to meet those evolving patterns.
In prior years all ProAdvisor applicants were required to have an active QuickBooks ProAdvisor practice with one or more actual clients using QuickBooks (Online or Desktop). Further, individuals providing ‘staff services’ within a firm, without actual direct client interactions in rendering services using QuickBooks (QBO or QBD) were not eligible for the ProAdvisor Awards.
For 2025 the above requirement has changed for U.S. applicants (only) including Top 100 ProAdvisor and Top 25 Up-n-coming ProAdvisors. The following provisions DO NOT apply to International ProAdvisor Award applicants for 2025.
New “2025 U.S. Active Client Practice Requirement”
- To be considered for these awards you must be an active QuickBooks ProAdvisor who is a resident within the United States, and
- Your 'active QuickBooks practice' must involve one (1) or more clients using QuickBooks (Online or Desktop).
OR
- To be considered for these awards you must be an active QuickBooks ProAdvisor, resident within the United States, who is working as a member of an accounting, bookkeeping, or consulting practice, and
- You are responsible for maintaining the accounting records of one (1) or more clients of your firm using QuickBooks Ledger.
While the ‘Active Client Practice Requirement’ has changed, the fundamental requirement for ProAdvisor ‘Certification’ has not changed for 2025. In addition to the ‘active client practice requirement’, all ProAdvisor Award applicants much possess one of three ProAdvisor Certifications issued to U.S. ProAdvisors. The following certifications are associated with U.S. ProAdvisor applicants only including Top 100 ProAdvisor and Top 25 Up-n-coming ProAdvisors; they do not apply to the International ProAdvisor Awards. International ProAdvisor Award applicants also must be certified within one of three available certifications, but such certifications are based upon available Intuit certifications within their specific International Regional area.
“2025 U.S. ProAdvisor Certification Requirement”
All U.S. ProAdvisor applicants must currently hold at least one of the following three (3) ProAdvisor Certifications issued by Intuit QuickBooks U.S., and such current certification must not be dated prior to 11/1/2023.
- QuickBooks Online (Core) ProAdvisor Certification
- QuickBooks Online (Advanced) ProAdvisor Certification
- QuickBooks Desktop ProAdvisor Certification
To meet this requirement, all applicants must provide proof of certification by uploading a copy of their ‘most current certification’ into the official application form for automated verification.
We hope this information helps to prepare you for the upcoming start of the 2025 ProAdvisor Awards process. We look forward to your participation whether you have never participated in the past, or participated but didn’t quite make one of the years’ lists or been part of those ProAdvisors recognized in prior years.
More information will become available soon, stay tuned to Insightful Accountant for our next article regarding the 2025 Award Process.
Last, but certainly not least, thanks to our continuing sponsors for their support, without which these awards would not be possible.
