Liz and Heather have renamed accounting conferences, “accounting camp”. So many of the same emotions we had as kids come rushing back when we walk into the building. Familiar friends, new friends, shared meals, slumber parties, more PARTIES, and the tears at the end!
This year, the breakout sessions where amazing and Liz was lucky enough to make it several great sessions including Geni Whitehouse – Evaluating the Health of Your Client’s Business, Michael Ly – 5 Key Skills to Advisory Services, Heather Townsend – 100K to 1Million.
Heather and Liz also made time to network and learn about new apps to the conference, like vic.ai and aider.ai, as well as visit with old friends, like ADP, A2X, AutoEntry, Bento for Business, Qvinci, Veem, Aero Workflow, Practice Ignition, Locate, Knowify, and PaloAlto Software (makers of LivePlan and OutPost)
This year Liz and Heather taught a ton of classes as well. Below is a recap of what they taught together and individually at accounting camp #QBConnect!
Best Apps for your Small Business – Liz Scott and Heather Satterley
Apps, apps and more apps! Entrepreneurs are often unsure where to start, Liz and Heather broke down the ecosystem of apps. They offered guidance on what makes a great app, why you should consider apps to streamline processes, and how to get started. Some big takeaways from the session:
- Analyze your processes first, then look for technology
- Great support from an app partner can really influence the final decision when choosing an app
- An app should feel like an extension of your business and can become an entire department in your organization
Becoming an Apps Master:
Connecting Apps the right way to the QBO Database – Liz Scott
Design and configuration of the QBO database, understanding QBO database table functionality and formation is key to utilizing data utilities and connecting 3rd party apps for efficiency, automation, accuracy, and performance
Automate Your Client On-Boarding Workshop – Heather Satterley
Heather worked with over 500 accountants and bookkeepers to help them analyze their client on-boarding process through an interactive hands-on activity! Attendees walked away with an action plan to start selecting technology to help streamline their internal processes!
She was joined by ten ROCKSTAR facilitators including Laura Redmond, Nayo Carter-Gray, Jan Haugo, Neal Coogler, Kelly Parks, Alicia Katz Pollack, Ian Vacin, Tom Maxwell, Damien Greathead, and Juliet Aurora, who shared their expertise and experience in their own companies with others in the session!
The tools and resources used in this amazing hands-on session can be downloaded for you to use to map out your own firm’s processes and you can even attend a webinar version of the workshop on-demand at CPA Academy compliments of Intuit Accountants!
Power Panel: Using Apps to Solve Key Issues for your Construction Clients Heather Satterley with Karine Woodman, Tonya Schulte, and Vic Madeira
Heather led a panel discussion on Monday afternoon with construction industry experts, Karine Woodman of 24hr Bookkeeper, Tonya Schulte of Schulte and Schulte, and Vic Madeira of ACS, Inc, where they discussed the types of apps used in the trades and construction industries.
The conversation was lively and attendees had lots of questions, from how to select the right app to solve the right problem and whether a small contractor can just get by using the Projects feature in QuickBooks Online (the answer is yes!).
The three apps that seemed to bubble to the top of the conversation were Knowify, who all three panelists agreed was a great solution for companies in the trades (like electricians, plumbers, or carpenters), CoConstruct for builders and general contractors, and AccuLynx (which the panelists and attendees alike raved about as THE BEST APP for roofing contractors!
You can download the supplemental materials for the session here.
All in all, QBConnect was a ginormous success, delivering quality education, facilitating networking between accountants, bookkeepers, and developers, and lots and lots of fun! We can’t wait until next year, so save the date! November 4 -6, 2020 in San Jose, CA.
To learn more, about drink recipes and show details follow us on our Facebook page, or check out our website: www.qbappyhour.com.
Register for the QB ‘Appy Hour by clicking here.
To learn more about the apps listed above you can follow the links below: Liveplan, Locate Inventory, Fundera, ADP Payroll, A2X, Greenback, AvaTax, Tsheets, CData, Bill.com, CoConstruct,AccuLynx, Knowify, Practice Ignition, Karbon, Receipt Bank, Aero Workflow