The right tech stack can really alleviate stress, save time, and maximize your firm’s throughput, but only if you have a clear vision for each solution you are using. There’s a buffet of options out there, that’s for sure, and they all cost either time to implement or money to buy (or both) so it can be stressful to even think about which solutions to use. I get it and I want to help, that’s why I am sharing my softball strategy to help you build a tech stack that works with your firm not against it!
Imagine if hitting a home run when it comes to the profitability of your practice was as easy as watching a ball game. To me, it really is—running a profitable and highly efficient accounting, bookkeeping or tax practice is no different than coaching a softball (or baseball) team. Here’s a brief overview of how you can use softball strategy to knock it out of the park when it comes to your practice productivity and profitability, too.
You see, in softball, you have positions on your team that you have to fill. In addition, you have players that you need to recruit to fill those positions. Let’s stick with the defensive side of the game. You have a pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, etc. Imagine if hitting a home run when it comes to the profitability of your practice was as easy as watching a ball game. To me, it really is—running a profitable and highly efficient accounting, bookkeeping or tax practice is no different than coaching a softball (or baseball) team. Here’s a brief overview of how you can use softball strategy to knock it out of the park when it comes to your practice productivity and profitability, too. nd baseman, third baseman, shortstop, left fielder, center fielder, and right fielder.
As a coach, you need to know what the positions are and you need to seek the most talented players to fill those positions. From an accounting, bookkeeping, or tax practice perspective the game really is no different. You have certain positions to fill in order to run your firm, to create an amazing client experience, and to complete client work.
Every accounting firm has some positions that are necessary no matter what you provide for services. Then there are the tools you need that are specific to the services you provide. In other words, in order to pick the right software, you need to also accept that no one piece of software is going to solve everything.
Here are the solutions that I have chosen (Click on the name of each one below to get the overview of benefits):
However, you really need to choose your own based on your needs and by looking at the solutions and how they align with the problems you are trying to solve. Start by downloading the Team Brolin Starting Lineup Playbook here.
January 24, 2022
Did you know? This Friday, January 28, is National Privacy Day! Seeing as this international celebration is dedicated to the education and promotion of privacy and data protection best practices, I figured we could celebrate by looking at one of the safest platforms in the payments industry.
When it comes to online transactions (even international ones), Veem makes them safer, more affordable, and faster than sending traditional banking transactions. It’s all backed by Veem’s six layers of security, check these out if you are looking for the best security possible for online payments for you and your clients (and we all are, right?):
Veem uses Two-Factor-Authentication (2FA)
2FA adds an extra layer of protection to your account by making you authorize your login from an email or another device. This adds assurance that no one is able to hack into accounts, and if they try, you or your client are notified of an attempted login.
Veem is SOC 2 Certified
Now you might be thinking, what the heck is SOC 2? It stands for Service Organization Control 2, which is an internal controls report, capturing how a company will safeguard data and the status on how well those controls are operating. SOC 2 requires Veem to establish and follow strict information security policies and procedures, encompassing the security, availability, processing, integrity, and confidentiality of customer data.
Veem has a Secure Website
Veem is DigiCert certified. This means that Veem’s website offers the strongest encryption and highest authentication available. All information that is stored, shared, or uploaded on the platform will be encrypted with the highest, most advanced tools available.
Transactions are Monitored
All transactions on the platform are monitored for suspicious behavior. If our DigiCert, 2FA and SOC 2 certifications aren’t enough to make you feel comfortable running transactions, this will. Veem is fully compliant with The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. This provides the highest level of Anti Money Laundering assurance in the industry.
Veem is Globally Regulated
Whether you are sending a payment across town or across the world, they will make sure it makes it safely. Registered with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, and the US Department of Treasury, Veem is a certified Money Transmitter regulated to send payments in every country it serves.
Identity Verification
Veem has strict identity verification measures for customers. So when you are using any type of card, Veem minimizes risks and ensures that payments are secure and authorized.
I can’t think of a better way to celebrate National Security Day than to share how my Starting Lineup partner, Veem, is keeping online payments secure…no matter where you or your clients do business. Be sure to check out Veem for yourself and talk to their team about how you can better serve your clients by using their streamlined, secure payment solution.
Have a very happy National Privacy Day everyone!
Does your practice have a niche in accounting or tax preparation for e-commerce businesses? Maybe you’re a bookkeeper with clients who are moving toward an e-commerce model. No matter how your e-commerce clients find you, the best way to meet the opportunity to serve them is by providing an integrated, automated, comprehensive solution, including all of the technology and apps they need to succeed.
A key component of an e-commerce client tech stack is, of course, a robust and seamless payment platform. My recommendation for that is Veem, which I recently added to my Starting Lineup. In addition to the fact that Veem has seamless, real-time syncing and two-way integrations with QuickBooks Online, Xero and Netsuite, it also makes recurring billing and invoicing a breeze. And, did I mention, there’s no subscription fee? ? Even international transactions with Veem are much cheaper and fairly priced than the banks.
What’s the big deal about recurring billing, you might ask? Well, for e-commerce clients, it truly is a game-changer in terms of the way they offer services, manage cash flow and increase revenue. When you consider how the economy as a whole has shifted to predominantly online transactions for many businesses—and has spawned a whole new sector of e-commerce companies, it’s a trend that you are likely to see more of in the coming months and years. So it’s time to be prepared to help your clients with a solution such as Veem that can address key issues including:
If you have small business e-commerce clients offering subscriptions or who would like to do so, Veem can help implement the recurring billing and recurring payments effortlessly. One of the most amazing things about Veem is that no matter where your clients do business, they can utilize one centralized payment solution which saves time and stress.
Talking about reducing stress, Veem also provides peace of mind because it is an encrypted platform with the highest level of payment security possible.
My e-commerce clients (and myself!) are much more relaxed about the potential of cyber security breaches knowing that all of their customer’s data is safely stored and encrypted in the cloud.
When it comes to alleviating the challenges small e-commerce businesses face setting up a subscription model with recurring billing and invoicing , the best practice for productivity and profitability is to offer an end-to-end solution stack as well as your professional insights to position your firm as a true partner. For me, when it comes to payments and recurring billing for my e-commerce clients, Veem checks all of the boxes, including addressing all of the common issues I touched on above.
For me, having Veem playing on my tech team is invaluable. It also plays amazingly well with my bookkeeping, accounting, and tax software, which makes providing that trusted advice and insights to my clients that much easier.
Take a look at Veem for yourself and talk to their amazing team about supporting your ecommerce clients and becoming part of your firm’s seamless, streamlined and secure payment solution.
