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August 2010
 Message from Doug  

Happy summer. It’s been a very busy year, and the whole online world is finally taking off. We’ve just about finished evaluating over 50 products for the 2011 Awesome Add-Doug Sleeteron awards, and there are some very exciting products coming into the market.

As we’re preparing for our annual conference, I couldn’t be more excited about  the keynotes and sessions we are planning. I’ve been hard at work with various speakers to make sure each session is as informative, useful, and current as possible.

We have five keynotes planned, including new faces as well as some regular favorites. Rick Richardson will present Technology Futures: 2010 -2015. Rick has an unbroken 30 year record of predicting our technology future. We’ll be able to see for ourselves if that record extends toward 35 years! Leslie Shiner will be presenting Delivering Dynamite Client Services. If you attended last year’s Conference, you know that she could also discuss delivering dynamite keynotes! Randy Johnston will give a Technology Update. This is always an incredibly popular presentation, full of ideas and usable gems that you can adopt in your own practice. Darren Root returns to present a keynote on Leading Firms through the Next Generation of Change. And Shane Hamby will be back with us again this year to give insight into What’s New In QuickBooks.

Stay tuned for more information about specific sessions!

 2010 Accounting Solutions Conference  

The Sleeter Group Conference will be held Nov 8-11, 2010 in Las Vegas, NV.
The Conference is a three day event plus a one day optional off-site excursion to Hoover Dam.

Yet Another Keynote Added

Accounting Solutions ConferenceWe just announced a fifth keynote for this year’s Conference. Shane Hamby, Intuit QuickBooks Product Manager, will discuss what’s new in QuickBooks. This is always one of our most popular sessions.

"Early Bird #2" Pricing Ends August 31: Pay only $789 by registering before August 31. This represents a savings of 10% off regular (late) pricing. Sleeter Consultants and those registering three or more people save even more! Conference details may be found at our Conference Web site.

Space remains for the All-Ages Hoover Dam Excursion on November 11: Book early to ensure your space at our funtastic off-site event, the All-Ages Hoover Dam Adventure.

No Conference Recording This Year: Please note that we will not be recording, nor offering for sale any recordings of, the Conference this year.

See you in Las Vegas, November 8-11!

 

 Michelle’s Successful Consulting Corner  

Find Michelle LongNew Clients for Free Through Your Library

This is the inaugural article in Michelle Long’s new regular column Michelle’s Successful Consulting Corner. Keep an eye out for more business solutions in the coming months. If there is a topic you would like to see addressed in a future column, please email questions and suggestions to Michelle.

Michelle Long is a well respected leader in QuickBooks Consulting and helps coach entrepreneurs and small business owners to start and grow their own business. Her first book Successful QuickBooks Consulting: The Comprehensive Guide to Starting and Growing a QuickBooks Consulting Business has helped thousands of consultants launch their business.

Have you ever bought a mailing list or leads?  Did you know that some people spend thousands of dollars buying lists from Salesgenie, InfoUSA, USAData, or others to help get new clients? In this article, Michelle Long shows you how you can create your own mailing or contact list for free using ReferenceUSA.

 The Sleeter Group Supports MeetUps and Local Groups  

MeetUpsFor several months, we’ve published a list of MeetUps and local QuickBooks groups at http://www.sleeter.com/resources/local. Now we’ve taken our participation with local groups one step further by sponsoring some MeetUp and local groups.

Sponsorship includes organizer startup help and coaching, content, speakers, and more, available to local groups that register with us. The only requirement is that the organizer of the group be a member of the Sleeter Group Consultants Network.

Here’s how the new support program works:

  • Send an e-mail to let us know that you would like your local group to be a part of The Sleeter Group’s sponsorship program. We will list your group on our Local Groups page and also highlight various groups in our outbound communications.
  • Use our logo on your MeetUp site.
  • Tap into our rich resources of content and speakers (coming soon). Speakers will be available live and/or virtually (using Skype, GoToMeeting, etc.).
  • Arrange your selected speakers’ participation in your meetings directly with them.
  • Let us and the Sleeter community (members and non-members alike) know the details of your meetings by entering them into our Calendar — groups that register with us will be given access to add meetings to The Sleeter Group’s Calendar.
  • Offer your members opportunities to participate in other Sleeter Group programs and services, and purchase products, at discounted prices.
  • If you would like to start a MeetUp or local group in your area, or have recently started one, and would like coaching services or other startup assistance, please contact us.

We are excited about supplementing the virtual and national nature of our community with a live and local platform! We encourage you to participate fully in this opportunity, either as a leader or a member of a group in your area.

 Live Seminar: Taking Your Clients Online  

Sleeter Group Seminars Register today for next week’s Chicago * Taking Your Clients Online: How to Transform Your Client Relationships Using Cloud Computing seminar. Learn how cloud computing and online technologies are changing the paradigm for the accounting services business. This seminar is designed for individuals and firms that want to increase their competency in serving their clients in the online world, and who want an in-depth day of learning of this one, all-important topic.

Seminar Dates and Locations:

Doug Sleeter will be presenting, along with Darren Root, CPA.CITP, President of RootWorks and Executive Editor of The CPA Technology Advisor.

Thanks to our generous sponsors, we’re able to offer this seminar at only $179 for Early Bird pricing (up to seven days prior to the event date in your chosen city), even less for Sleeter Consultants.

Additional details about this timely and relevant day of education may be found here. Earn 8 CPE. We’re looking forward to seeing you in your area!

*Use promo code DTA at checkout to get early bird pricing for Chicago through Sunday, August 22 at 5pm PDT. May not be combined with any other offer.

 Upcoming Webinars  

Our 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 and offer 2 CPE credits. Sleeter Consultants receive a 20% discount. To receive the discount, members must log in to our Web site with their member credentials before registering.

Featured WebinaBonnie Nagayamar:

Beyond QuickBooks Reports
with Bonnie Nagayama
Sep 24, 2010, 10:00 – 12:00 p.m. PDT
Reports are the cornerstone of any accounting system. QuickBooks accounting software is no different. But what do you do when the standard reports are just not enough? This interactive Webinar is designed to provide an easy-to-use alternative for your QuickBooks reporting needs. We will start with some tips and tricks for getting the most from QuickBooks reports, and look at how XpandedReports can be your solution when you need more.

Other Upcoming Webinars:

Basic QuickBooks for Accountants with Bonnie Nagayama
Aug 31, 2010 10:00 – 12:00 p.m. PT
Troubleshooting QuickBooks Files: A New Engagement with Amy Vetter
Sep 14, 2010 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. PT
Internal Control and Fraud Reduction Using QuickBooks with Bonnie Nagayama
Oct 22, 2010 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. PT
Setting up QuickBooks the Right Way, the First Time with Amy Vetter
Oct 26, 2010 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. PT
Construction Accounting Using QuickBooks with Leslie Shiner
Oct 28, 2010 10:00 – 12:00 p.m. PT

For a complete schedule, including self-study and on-demand titles, 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 Consultants Experts Forum.

Question: What are the benefits and problems associated with using inventory subitems to categorize inventory available in multiple colors?

  • Option 1 – No subitems – all uniquely tracked inventory receives a unique Inventory Part Item
    • 20" Boy’s Bicycle – Red
    • 20" Boy’s Bicycle – Blue
  • Option 2 – Use Items and subitems to categorize
    • 20" Boy’s Bicycles (Parent – Not used in transactions)
      • 20" Boy’s Bicycle – Red (Subitem)
      • 20" Boy’s Bicycle – Blue (Subitem)

Does anyone have suggestions for blocking transactions to the parent inventory items?

Kathy Coffman responded within 10 minutes with: I like option 2 for reporting purposes and grouping these like items together. I don’t know about blocking parent accounts. For my clients, I type a description such as: **ERROR – PLEASE SELECT SUBITEM

Karen Siewert added: I love your comment on ERROR! My suggestion is to use a Point of Sale system! It is far more robust and will eliminate your need to configure the **ERROR Comment!

Laura Dion chimed in: I use a description, "Parent item: Do Not Use!!!" (similar to the ERROR idea). Another idea – if you put a period in front of each parent item, when auto-filling the item field – typing "20" will only bring up the subitems as available options.

Final response: Thank you! I am using subitems for tracking Inventory items in multiple colors.

The Sleeter Group Consultants Network is the nation’s premier accounting software consultants’ network. Sleeter Consultants provide expert financial accounting software consulting, add-on integration services, business process workflow consulting, outsourced bookkeeping services, and financial statement preparation. 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 or +1-925-416-6300. Members of the Network receive discounts on our resource products and Webinars, as well as our annual Accounting Solutions Conference. Membership also includes a copy of the Consultant’s Reference Guide.