5 Tools You Need for a Successful Accounting Business

Knowing what your client wants and how to deliver it is the most important part of running a successful business. This trick is being ahead of the game and keeping an eye focused on the market and industry to keep your clients happy and focused as time progresses.
In order to run a successful accountancy firm, you'll need to procure a number of vital tools. Nowadays, many tools that were once hard-copy are now online, and cloud computing has revolutionised the way accountants approach their business. Consider these tools you need for growing and maintaining a successful accounting business:

• Use your job management system to analyse your business data. Job management software is essential for keeping track of your client work, for tracking your time and managing invoices. But you can also use it to watch for trends which indicate your high and low times and develop strategies for dealing with them.  Keep regular and accurate records to track how your business is progressing.
• Do market research.  Know what is happening in your industry today and how it is expected to change. Are people still using your software or expertise? Why or why not? Are tough financial times meaning your software and accounting services are more or less in demand and how are your customers responding to your support? Analytical tools for measuring the market, and businss and industry publications will keep you in-the-know about what your client wants is the most important part of running a successful business.
• Evolve your business approach. Be constantly evaluating your methods for doing business. Does my branding need work? How do my existing customers perceive my brand? How to potential clients perceive my accounting business and what can we do to reach out to these groups? Being accessible and forward-thinking will count for a lot with both maintaining your existing clients and sourcing new ones.
• Customer Service. Providing competitive and efficient customer service will set you apart from your competitors. Having customer representatives who know your products and services well, and who are available on the phone and in person is key to securing and gaining new customers. Nothing turns off a client more than a bad customer service experience, and lengthy waiting times on a phone call or gaining false information can be both frustrating and time consuming. Keep your training for your staff on-going and strive to provide the best customer service that you can. And, of course, provide a great product.
• Take Risks. Taking risks is the only real way to gain rewards.  A risk may come in the form of an advertising campaign, taking on a new client, opening a new branch etc…but putting expenditure into your business will hopefully result in a positive outcome further down  the track. Seek advice from your business mentors with important decisions you may make.
• Keep Your Files in Order. How are you storing important client information? What will happen to your firm in the event of a natural disaster? Think about storing your client data in the cloud, as it provides a simple, cost-effective and secure solution for data storage.

Does your accounting firm have all the tools you need for success? What are you missing?
WorkflowMax is a cloud-based software tool that will take the pain out of running your business. A total solution covering all operations from prospecting to quoting, time sheeting to invoicing and everything in between. Ideal for creatives, agencies, consultants, professional services, IT, and trades - if your business is job focused then WorkflowMax is the tool you need.

Acer Iconia A3, A Android Tablet with larger display

The Acer Iconia A3 is an Android tablet with a ten-inch large display that offers optional UMTS module. The IPS touch screen of the Acer Iconia A3 is 10.1 inches tall and has an HD-ready resolution of 1280x800 pixels. The 10.15-millimeter-thick tablet weighs less than 600 grams and offers it for the mid-range - matching the price. It is equipped with Cortex-A7 processor clocked with 1.2 GHz. The internal memory is either 16 or 32 gigabytes and can be expanded via microSD card. The Acer Iconia is loaded with A3 battery to store enough energy for up to nine hours of video playback. The camera produces photos with a resolution of five megapixels and manufacturer installed the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean operating system. In addition to a micro-HDMI port, the tablet also has a Wi-Fi and a Bluetooth module. In the 3G version in addition a UMTS module is inserted for access to the mobile data network.

Apple Airport Express

Apple Airport Express offers Wi-Fi and AirPlay at an affordable price. For many users, the Airport Express base station is a simple solution for wireless surfing and streaming on your home network. The Big Apple stores in the United States have fewer Airport Express copies in stock. Also, the retail chain Best Buy is no longer able to deliver, according to Apple Insider news. In both cases, customers put off by pointing to a delayed order. The online store of Apple, meanwhile, still shows a delivery time of 24 hours. Usually an increasing scarcity of a particular item indicates the end of each model. Since Apple has not revised the current version of the small wireless station for over a year, is actually expected to happen soon. As a fresh function including support for the new 802.11ac standard is feasible, since Apple already supports this with the current series of the MacBook Air and the Great Airport Extreme wireless station has been upgraded accordingly. According to Apple, data rates of up to 1.3 gigabits per second are possible thanks to the faster transmission.

Facebook corrects a flaw that allowed removing the photos of other users

Facebook has paid $ 12,500 to a security researcher in India for the discovery of a flaw that allows an attacker, through the identification of a photo and easily delete a photo. Unlike Palestinian hacker Khalil Shreateh, Arul Kumar has received a reward, 12,500 dollars, from Facebook to the discovery and disclosure of a security lapse on the site. The security researcher has discovered on the social network, and more specifically in the setup menus (Support Dashboard), a critical bug. The attack was done from the Facebook menu to send a request to withdraw a photograph published on the social network. These requests can be sent to Facebook or directly to the owner of the image. The process automatically generates a link, which if clicked then automatically generates the suppression of the image. Arul Kumar had found a way to send the request to another recipient and could remove at will and photos on the social network. For this, the attacker needed the id of the photo and the user ID (available on the Facebook Graph). The flaw in it has been corrected by Facebook's security team, and therefore rewarded Arul Kumar.

Microsoft takeover Nokia for 5.4 billion Euros

Microsoft announced the acquisition of Nokia and majority of its assets including devices and services and a license agreement on the patent portfolio and mapping services of the Finnish firm. Some had predicted, others are still waiting but Microsoft has finally created a moderate surprise this morning by announcing its decision to acquire the devices and services division of Nokia to 5.44 billion. The two companies were closely spaced from February 2011 under an agreement that Nokia was the main promoter of the Windows Phone platform. The transaction amount includes 3.79 billion that is spent on purchase of Nokia Devices & Services (Lumia Smartphones, tablets, mobile Asha) and 1.65 billion for licensing the patent portfolio and services maps. In addition, Microsoft will provide 1.5 billion Euros in convertible bonds that Nokia may avail. Stephen Elop will take the head of this extended terminal division at Microsoft Stephen Elop, Nokia CEO so back to the fold to lead an expanded terminal division. 32,000 Nokia employees will work at Microsoft, which 4700 are based in Finland, and 18,300 are involved in the manufacture, assembly and packaging.