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June 2009
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| Message from Doug Sleeter |
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This month Intuit announced that it intends to purchase PayCycle. As a PayCycle user, I am ecstatic, and I hope it leads to further tightening of the integration between PayCycle payroll and QuickBooks.
If you haven’t taken your clients payroll online, you should really look into the PayCycle service. Tell them I sent you.
Speaking of innovative companies founded by Rene Lacerte, this month I’m happy to announce a three-way alliance between The Sleeter Group, Bill.com, and CPA2Biz to promote the Bill.com web-based service that makes it easy for accountants and  bookkeepers to manage client bookkeeping and make payments online. Bill.com helps you automate the process of managing your Accounts Payable. When you receive a bill, you email or fax it to Bill.com where it is automatically uploaded into the system and can be seen on the Bill.com interface. You then send it through the accounts payable process including online approvals and payments without any checks or postage. And it synchronizes all the transactions directly into QuickBooks with no additional data entry needed.
With this new alliance, members of The Sleeter Group network can extend a 10% discount to their clients, in addition to earning commissions from the program. For more information, check our web site. If you haven’t joined us, now is a great time to join our group of over 600 top QuickBooks and small business accounting advisors. Join us today.
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| Sleeter Group Annual Conference Update |
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Register Now for the 2009 Next Generation Accounting Solutions Conference in Orlando, Florida!
 The Sleeter Group’s 6th Annual Conference will be held at the Wyndham Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida, November 9-12, 2009. The conference is for accounting professionals, bookkeepers, CPAs, and small business technology consultants.
On Monday, November 9, we will offer our popular "pre-conference" full day, in-depth training sessions. The three-day main conference will be held Tuesday, November 10 through Thursday, November 12. The conference will provide at least 32 CPEs for those who need continuing education, as well as an informative exhibit hall of accounting technology solution providers who want to introduce their solutions for you and your clients.
Pre-Conference Sessions: Monday, November 9
- Taking Your Practice Online
- Train the QuickBooks Trainer
- Preparing for the QuickBooks Advanced Certification Exam
Main Conference Tracks: Tuesday, November 10 – Thursday, November 12
- Consulting Tools and Best Practices
- Technologies and Trends
- Taking Your Practice Online
- Developing, Managing, and Marketing Your Next Generation Practice
- Intuit Academy
- Specializing your Practice to Maximize Profits
Just Announced—Yoga Classes!
Namaste – Rise and Shine with Sun Salutations to Begin Your Day!
Join Amy Vetter in a Yoga Flow practice to clear your mind and focus on the present before contemplating the next generation accounting solutions!
Low Pricing
We are pleased to announce that conference registration fees for 2009 are as low as $683 per person for the full conference (including pre-conference and main conference)! Visit www.sleeterconference.com for complete pricing information. The hotel room rate for the conference is only $118 per night.
Conference Registration is Now Open
Be sure to register early to ensure availability and get the best pricing. Please click here for more information and to register. Registering now will give you 20% off your conference registration fees (even more if you are a Sleeter Group Consultants Network member), and you will be automatically entered into our raffle to win a seven-day pass for Walt Disney World, a $278 value!
Questions? Please give us a call at 888-484-5484 (+1-925-416-6300 outside the U.S.)
Interested in showcasing your small business accounting technology or service solution? Exhibitor registration is now open. Please click here for more information.
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| Fishbowl Inventory |
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This week, Fishbowl Inventory announced the formation of their new Customer Service Team. This new department was formed to provide their customers with the highest level of customer service possible – one where every customer knows they have a single and personal point of contact at Fishbowl who will ensure their long-term satisfaction. This helps SGCN members who are Fishbowl VARs by providing your clients with an inside rep at Fishbowl if they need one – another arrow in your quiver.
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| A Note from our Community Manager |
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TOP FIVE REASONS NOT TO ATTEND THE SLEETER GROUP’S NEXT GENERATION ACCOUNTING SOLUTIONS CONFERENCE… and why they shouldn’t matter
It  would be really easy for us to tell you why you should come to The Sleeter Group’s Next Generation Accounting Solutions Conference, but it gets tiring spending days and nights coming up with positive marketing language. So instead, we’re listing for you the top five reasons not to join us in Orlando in November … but why those reasons don’t hold water! These thoughts might just give you a whole new way of looking at the investment in time and money it takes to come to a valuable event such as this! Read on…
1) It’s too far away.
Well, Orlando isn’t the West Coast, but after a year in Arizona and three years in Las Vegas, we figured it was time to head back east. East Coast folks will find Orlando extremely easy to get to – some may even choose to drive. And it takes less than five hours by air to get to Orlando from the West Coast, even less for our friends who live in the middle of the country. You can use airplane time as either productive work time, relaxing “me” time (watch the movie and have a nice bring-on-board picnic—they don’t mind if you bring food through security), or take a much-needed nap! Just book your flight early to get your airplane seat of choice. And use your flight home to organize your notes, thinking about everything you’ve picked up during this mega-productive week of learning.
2) It’s too expensive.
For several reasons, we’ve been able to keep the pricing to this year’s conference pretty close to what it was last year (watch that August 31 early bird date!), plus we’ve negotiated some very inexpensive sleeping room rates (just $118 per night). And with Orlando’s status as a major tourist and business destination in a bad economy, airfares have come way down. Plus, you can tack on some leisure time either before or after the conference, and you can write off much, if not all, of the trip as a business expense (please consult your tax advisor, if you aren’t one!). All of this adds up to one of the least expensive learning environments you can imagine.
Click here to read the full article, with 3 additional reasons.
We certainly hope that your negative thoughts about taking time off in November to attend the Sleeter Group’s Next Generation Accounting Solutions Conference are slipping away. Send to david_horwitz@sleeter.com any other thoughts you might have about overcoming objections to attending! And we’ll see you there!
- David Horwitz
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| Handling Two-Party Checks |
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In the   construction industry, the bookkeeper will occasionally have to handle receiving a "two-party check." A two-party check is payable to two companies, usually the prime contractor and a materials supplier, or other subcontractor. The reason is most often to ensure that the supplier is paid in a timely manner and that there is a direct link between the payment from the job and the payment to the supplier. It is also intended to prevent suppliers from attaching liens to the property by making it impossible for the prime contractor to fail to pay the supplier. Here is our suggestion for how to handle two-party checks.
We’ve reprinted this classic Sleeter Group article by Bonnie Nagayama and Doug Sleeter. It is also an excerpt from the QuickBooks Consultant’s Reference Guide. To read the full article, click the link below.
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| July Webinar Schedule |
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We have several exciting webinars in July. Our popular webinars have become the "Graduate School" for QuickBooks and small business accounting technology. Our webinar presenters are among the country’s leading experts in accounting software.
All two hour webinars are $69. Member of The Sleeter Group Consultants Network receive a 20% discount. (Members must log in to our site before registering to receive the discount).We’ve partnered with CPE Link to offer these upcoming webinars.
QuickBooks  Accounting for Nonprofits
Anna Sheets
Jul 7, 2009, 9:00 – 11:00 AM PDT
Whether you have one or hundreds of not-for-profit clients, you know they require diverse solutions. It is imperative to know the accounting tricks of the trade regarding NFPOs. Often the biggest question is where to draw the line between accounting and management solutions. This webcast will demonstrate solutions that enhance QuickBooks, Peachtree, MAS and other software products to serve the NFP community. We will also share answers to the most frequently asked not-for-profit questions. And we will have our updated advice on best practices for handling in-kind donations, programs, grant funds, restrictions, and allocations.
QuickBooks Accounting for Houses of Worship
Anna Sheets
Jul 7, 2009, 12:00 – 2:00 PM PDT
In our usual arena of guidelines and regulations for accounting, houses of worship bring interesting challenges. While many churches operate within the framework assigned by their governing hierarchy, some answer to no one but their respective higher power. Helping a church or house of worship establish a sufficient accounting system involves not only accounting and software knowledge, but requires: understanding of unique taxation status, obligatory reporting or procedures and working with good-intentioned volunteers with little or no practical experience.
Profitable  Business Growth for You and Your Clients
Leslie Shiner
Jul 8, 2009, 9:00 – 11:00 AM PDT
Do your clients ever wonder why doubling their sales cuts their profit in half. Have you ever had the experience of increasing your volume of work and finding that it wasn’t any more profitable? This webcast explains the stages of company growth, enabling you to work with your clients and guide them through each phase.
Tracking Labor Costs and Setting Billing Rates
Leslie Shiner
Jul 8, 2009, 12:00 – 2:00 PM PDT
Whether you set your own billing rates, or help your clients set theirs, it is crucial to understand and measure the true costs of labor. Discover ways to track and account for billable and non-billable time. Learn how to use the tools in QuickBooks, such as zero dollar checks, shadow payroll and actual payroll to create accurate burdened costs. Analyze different allocation rates to not only cover overhead costs, but improve your profitability.
Also Coming Soon:
Managing Your Business to Greater Heights Aug 19, 2009, 9:00 – 11:00 AM PDT
Building a Remote Consulting Practice Aug 19, 2009, 12:00 – 2:00 PM PDT
Consulting with Mid-Sized Businesses Aug 20, 2009, 8:00 – 10:00 AM PDT
QuickBooks Troubleshooting and Data File Analysis Aug 27, 2009, 9:00 – 11:00 AM PDT
Working With Your Clients Online Sep 2, 2009, 9:00 – 11:00 AM PDT
Understanding Your Network Options Sep 3, 2009, 8:00 – 10:00 AM PDT
Optimizing and Troubleshooting QuickBooks on the Network Sep 3, 2009, 11:00 – 1:00 PM PDT
Managing Inventory with QuickBooks Sep 23, 2009, 9:00 – 11:00 AM PDT
Internal Control and Fraud Reduction Using QuickBooks Sep 30, 2009, 9:00 – 11:00 AM PDT
QuickBooks File Set Up and Conversion Sep 30, 2009, 12:00 – 2:00 PM PDT
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| BQE Software |
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| Magnificent Member Awards - Michelle Long |
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We asked members of The Sleeter Group Consultants Network (SGCN) to nominate recipients for the Magnificent Member Awards. There are five categories for these awards. We announced the winners at our 2008 conference. The winners in each category were:
- Solution Sharer Award – Michelle Long of Lee’s Summit, Missouri
- Sleeter Group BillQuick VAR Top Seller Award – Bonnie Nagayama of Moraga, California
- Best Business Coach Award – Michael Crosa of Ocala, Florida
- Sleeter Group Fishbowl Inventory VAR Top Seller Award – Scott Taylor of Spring, Texas
- Sleeter Group MISys SBM VAR Top Seller Award – Mary Brettman of Tustin, California
- Prolific Poster Award – Jeanne Tarazevits of Costa Mesa, California
- Top Techie Award – Mario Nowogrodzki of Pembroke Pines, Florida
In  each of the next few newsletters we’ll bring you an interview with one of these award winners. This month, we interviewed Michelle Long, winner of the Sleeter Group Solution Sharer Award.
How would you describe your practice?
We specialize in QuickBooks consulting, training and troubleshooting with an emphasis on helping entrepreneurs and small business owners start and grow their business. Lately, I am doing a lot more speaking and writing and I really enjoy it.
How has being a member of SGCN affected your practice?
The Sleeter Group has been a great resource. It helps you take your practice to the next level – including working with more advanced clients and more difficult engagements. For me, connecting with other members has been a great support.
How has the SGCN group benefitted your practice?
I feel more confident now because I have people I can turn to if there is something I don’t know. I.T. isn’t my strongest area. I feel more comfortable taking engagements that include technical I.T. issues because I know I can find someone who can help me if I need additional resources.
What are you working are working now?
My first book Successful QuickBooks Consulting: The Comprehensive Guide to Starting and Growing a QuickBooks Consulting Business covers how to get started with your QuickBooks practice. I’m working on a new book, Beyond Successful QuickBooks Consulting that covers taking your practice to the next level. It addresses the needs of consultants with existing practices but want ideas about how to find advanced clients and assignments and grow their business. Hopefully, it will be available this summer.
How does the Sleeter Group’s email list (Yahoo Group) work with your practice? Is it something you turn to?
Yes, I do. I think the Yahoo Group is a great networking opportunity. It’s like having virtual co-workers, especially if you are on your own or if you have a small practice. People are helping each other rather than competing with one another.
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| Chuck's Reporting Corner - FREE Webinar |
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Chuck Vigeant recently gave a FREE Webinar. Introduction to Business Analysis ES gave 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. The recorded webinar is now available on the Sleeter Group Website. Click the link to this webinar at the bottom of the page.
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| The Sleeter Group's Consultants Network |
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The Sleeter Group Consultants Network is the nation’s premier accounting software consultant’s network. With over 600 members located throughout the US and Canada, our members serve over 150,000 small businesses.  We 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. Members of the network receive a substantial discount on our resource products as well as our annual Next Generation Accounting Solutions Conference. Membership also includes a copy of our Consultant’s Reference Guide.
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