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April 2009
 Message from Doug Sleeter  

I hope Doug Sleeteryou have had a chance to recover now that tax season has ended.

Our "content committee" is working hard to finalize the sessions for this year’s Accounting Solutions Conference and we’re just about there.  We’ve sought input from our Network Members and put together a top notch planning team to make sure this conference has the cutting edge information you need. We will be announcing the content and opening registration shortly, and hope you will join us in Orlando on November 9-12, 2009.

This month we announced two new solution partners for our Sleeter Group Consultants Network VAR network. The first is Results Software, an award winning Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution.  Results CRM is a 2009 Awesome Add-on Award winner and we use it here at The Sleeter Group for our CRM solution. We’re also happy to be working with Intuit Payment Solutions, offering merchant credit card processing to small and mid-sized businesses.

Every solution partner we add to our Sleeter Group VAR network gives members an opportunity for revenue beyond the hourly consulting rate. As a consultant, you aren’t just selling software, but offering a complete solution including integrating, customizing, consulting, training, and implementation services. In addition to revenue from sales, VAR opportunities often mean working with larger companies with deeper engagements. We have solution partnerships with Fishbowl Inventory, MISys SBM, and Bill Quick as well as Results and Intuit Payment Solutions.

 Owner Distributions Contributions and Loans  

Owners of small companies live and breathe their businesses. This is particularly true when it comes to the relationship between owners and the cash flow of the company.  Cash to fund operations often comes from the owner, and most owners also take cash out of the company as distributions.  It is common to see both cash inflows and outflows on a frequent basis throughout the year. 

In this article, Donald Leininger looks at owner distributions, contributions and loans for S Corporations in QuickBooks. To read the full article, click the link below.

 Our New VAR Partner - Results Software  

We Results Softwarehave formed a new VAR Partnership with Results Software to deliver an integrated business solution to the small- to medium-sized accounting software market, where Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions are in high demand. This new relationship empowers Sleeter Group Consultants Network members to offer the award-winning Results CRM products and services to their clients that are seeking to integrate QuickBooks with their office operations and customer relationship management needs. SGCN members, in their capacity as consultants and advisors to their own clients, can now offer installation, integration, and business process consulting services using the full suite of the Results CRM business solutions.

You can read the full article by clicking the link below.

 Consultants Reference Guide On Sale  

Our popular QuickBooks Consultant’s Reference Guide 2009 is available to our Desktop Accountant Newsletter readers for 20% off through the end of May. Enter code news555 to receive the discount.

The QuickBooks Consultant’s Reference Guide has been called a must-have resource for all QuickBooks consultants. We’ve added new chapters and updates throughout the book in our 2009 edition:

  • Comprehensive Coverage of the New Features in QuickBooks 2009
  • Extensive Material on QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions
  • New Chapter Covering QuickBooks Third Party Add-ons
  • Expanded and Updated Content to Properly Set Up QuickBooks in a Networked, Multi-User Environment
  • Tricks and Workarounds for Difficult Client Situations
  • Much More

The Consultant’s Reference Guide is available as a downloadable PDF for $79.95 ($63.96 with discount) and a printed book for $89.95 ($71.96 with discount). Members of the Sleeter Group Consultants Network receive a free copy of the PDF as part of their membership.

Purchase your downloadable version today (or order the printed book or CD ROM) here.

 Sleeter Group Annual Conference Update  

The Sleeter Group Conference has a new name!

"The Next Generation Accounting Solutions Conference" will be held at the Wyndham Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida, November 9-12, 2009. The hotel room rate for the conference is ONLY $139 per night! On Monday, November 9th we will offer our popular "pre conference" full day in depth training sessions. The three day main conference will be held Tuesday, November 10th to Thursday, November 12th. The conference will provide at least 32 CPEs.

Conference registration will begin shortly!

Accounting Solution Vendors:  Exhibitor Registration is now open. Click here to view our 2009 Exhibitor Prospectus.

Questions? Please give us a call at 888-484-5484 (+1-925-416-6300 outside the U.S.).

 Chuck's Reporting Corner - FREE Webinar  

Chuck Vigeant will be offering a FREE Webinar Introduction to Business Analysis ES, on April 30, 2009 from 12 to 1:00 PM PT. This Webinar offers an overview of the new Business Analysis tool for QuickBooks, how it works, and what data it contains, plus a look at the pre-built offerings and custom report builder; and the benefits for accounting professionals and their clients. Presented by Chuck Vigeant, data architect, business rules analyst, and Business Objects specialist for the current BA offering. Question and answer time will be available. Take advantage of this opportunity to grab a rare inside glimpse of this new offering.

Although the Webinar is free, we do require pre-registration. You can find out more and register at the Sleeter Group Website.

 Educational Webinar Series  

The Sleeter Group continues our Educational Webinar series through the summer. We have excellent Webinars, both by Bonnie Nagayama, this May. Internal Control and Fraud Reduction addresses the common sense (and not-so-common sense) steps you can take to make sure your clients are as protected from fraud as possible. QuickBooks File Set Up and Conversion, our most popular Webinar, covers assessing the QuickBooks file to determine when a new file is the best alternative and what steps are necessary to move transactions. Bonnie Nagayama is a powerhouse of knowledge and brings an incredible amount of experience to both of these courses.

Internal Control and Fraud Reduction
Bonnie Nagayama – $69 Bonnie Nagayama
May 21, 2009 from 9 to 11 AM PDT

QuickBooks File Set Up and Conversion
Bonnie Nagayama – $69
May 21, 2009 from 12:00-2:00 PM PDT

Tips and Tools for Training Online
Amy Vetter – $69
June 2, 2009 from 8:00 to 10 AM PDT

QuickBooks Accounting for Nonprofits
Anna Sheets – $69
Jul 07, 2009 from 9:00-11:00 AM PDT

QuickBooks Accounting for Houses of Worship
Anna Sheets – $69
Jul 07, 2009 from 12:00- 2:00 PM PDT

Our Webinars are hosted by CPE Link. Members of the Sleeter Group Consultants Network receive 20% off Webinars where The Sleeter Group is the content provider. SGCN members should ensure that they are logged into our Website with their member credentials in order to receive the discount.

For more information and to sign up for CPE Link Webinars, please visit www.sleeter.com/webinar.

 Tricks of the Trade  

Every day, members of The Sleeter Group Consultants Network tackle the day-to-day problems of their clients in the real world. The following is an example problem and solution that surfaced this month on our Sleeter Group Consultants Network E-Mail Group.

Question: If I set up a file using QuickBooks for Windows 2009, can I give a backup to a client and have them seamlessly import it into their QuickBooks for Mac 2009?

Pat Carson replied: Yes, as long as you use the backup feature for the Mac.

Nancy Gomez answered: What qualifies as a "seamless" import? Theoretically, yes, you can import a QuickBooks for Windows 2009 file into QuickBooks for Mac 2009. However, there is some loss of functionality in the Mac version.

Leslie Yoon added: Yes, as long as you save it as a Mac file and the client imports it as a Windows file saved for Mac (through File > Utilities). However, if you customize the icon bar, for example with customized reports or certain screens, they will not show up in the Mac version. It is very frustrating. If the client has Mac OS 10.5 or newer, they have Boot Camp already installed and they can use the Windows version of QuickBooks.

If there is any troubleshooting to do, I would advise doing it in the Windows version.  This version has so much flexibility and ability to “manipulate” the data.  For example, if you need to sort any of the registers by date, dollar amount, and cleared status, you will want to do this while still using the Windows version.

  The Sleeter Group Consultants Network  

The Sleeter Group Consultants Network is the nation’s premier accounting software consultant’s network. With over 600 members located throughout the US, Canada, and beyond, our members serve over 150,000 small businesses. They provide expert QuickBooks consulting, add-on integration services, business process workflow consulting, outsourced bookkeeping services, and financial statement preparation.

In addition to client consulting, many of our consultants provide consulting services to software developers who seek advice on the best practices for integrating their applications with QuickBooks and other accounting software products. To locate one of our certified consultants visit our Find a Consultant page. To learn more about becoming a consultant visit our Become a Consultant page or call our office at 888-484-5484 5484 (+1-925-416-6300 outside the U.S.). Members of the Network receive a substantial discount on our resource products as well as our annual Accounting Solutions Conference.  Membership also includes a copy of our Consultant’s Reference Guide, as well as an array of additional benefits.