Inside this Issue

• Message from Doug Sleeter
• 2008 Sleeter Group Conference Update
• Doug Sleeter Honored in Annual Top 100 List
• Pre-Conference Session Highlight - QuickBooks Point of Sale Consulting
• 2008 ASCC Exhibitor: TrueCommerce
• New Low Price for Sleeter Group Webinars
• QuickBooks for Not-for-Profit Organizations Version 2008 is On Sale Now!
• QuickBooks Seminars Attract Clients
• A Message from Sage Software
• 2008 ASCC Exhibitor: CircleDog
• Tricks of the Trade
• The Sleeter Group Consultant's Network VAR Update
• The Sleeter Group's Consultants Network

 

Message from Doug Sleeter

As reported in last month’s newsletter, we spent most of the summer evaluating over 75 QuickBooks add-on software products (including the products of our forty plus 2008 Conference Sponsors and Exhibitors) for our 2009 Awesome QuickBooks Add On Award. The process has just concluded, and the winners include some very interesting products.

I will announce the 2009 Awesome Add-on winners at the upcoming Accounting Software Consulting Conference in November. You’ll also see the complete list of winners in my QuickBooks Advisor column in the November issue of The CPA Technology Advisor.
I’m really looking forward to seeing all of you in November.

2008 Sleeter Group Conference Update

The Sleeter Group’s 5th annual Conference will be held in Phoenix, Arizona November 10-13 at the Renaissance Glendale hotel.  The conference is for accounting professionals, bookkeepers, CPAs, and small business technology consultants.

Early Bird Discount Date Extended!
Our original early bird discount date was 9/30/08. With the current economic environment we have chosen to extend the early bird discount date to 10/15/08!!! Save up to $330 by registering under the early bird price.

The Schedule of Sessions (and descriptions) are now posted! We have some great new topics this year taught by leaders in the accounting software field. Our schedule of sessions and speaker names are now available: Check it out here.

Conference Hotel Availability:
At the time of this newsletter there were still a few hotel rooms available at the Conference hotel (The Renaissance Glendale) as well as the Hampton Inn (rate $139) which is located just across the parking lot from the conference hotel. Please book early and reserve your room before the prices go up on October 10th!

Getting There! Air Fare Update: This information was just released by the Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau:
Round Trip Air Fare to Phoenix From:

Atlanta	$303		DC	$311
Chicago	$201		Orlando	$288
Los Angeles	$138		San Francisco	$196
Denver	$138		New York	$318

(Flight information was retrieved from Priceline.com and Travelocity.com on 9/22/2008. Flight prices reflect a November 2008 flight with a Wednesday – Saturday pattern. Prices and availability may vary, does not include taxes and fees).

2008 FREE Exhibitor Webinars – Join Doug Sleeter as he hosts some of our 2008 Conference Exhibitors in a series of free webinars demonstrating some fantastic accounting software solutions. Visit www.sleeter.com/webinars. All of our Exhibitor Webinars are recorded and available to watch at your convenience. You do not need to attend the conference to view these webinars. Most of these webinars are recorded, you can view them at your convenience.

Questions about the conference? Please visit our conference web pages or give us a call at 888-484-5484.

Doug Sleeter Honored in Annual Top 100 List

Accounting Today, the premier news source for the accounting profession, has named Doug Sleeter, president and founder of The Sleeter Group, to its 2008 “Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting.” The magazine’s annual list recognizes “those who are spearheading the profession’s journey into brave new worlds,” according to publisher Bill Carlino. He also noted that this year’s list surpassed previous years’ because of the “expansive sphere of influence that many in the profession wield.”

The September 22 issue of Accounting Today noted that Mr. Sleeter “has earned a reputation as one of the nation’s leading QuickBooks and accounting software experts, training thousands of accountants who rely on him to help run their firms more effectively.”

Click below to read the full article.

Pre-Conference Session Highlight - QuickBooks Point of Sale Consulting

QuickBooks Point-of-Sale Consulting Training

Our annual conference includes three "Pre Conference Sessions" which are full day in-depth training on topics that are hot! One topic we have selected for a third year in a row is "QuickBooks Point-of-Sale Consulting". This optional session is NOT limited to attendees of the main conference. Anyone interested can attend, but conference attendees receive a special discounted price. Earn 7 CPEs for attending. All attendees will receive a free copy of QuickBooks Point of Sale – Best Practices for Success Version 7

Just Some Of What You Will Learn in the QuickBooks Point of Sale Session:

• Learn What’s New in QuickBooks Point-of-Sale Version 8.0
• Is POS right for your client?
• How QB POS interfaces with QuickBooks Financial Software
• Setting up QB POS properly – the first time!
• Developing end-of-day processes for your clients
• Importing data from other vendors and other software into QB POS
• Setting up QB POS merchant account processing
• Creating QB POS reports
• Tips and tricks to make QB POS run smoothly and avoid problems
• Expanding your practice with POS installation services
• Becoming a QB POS expert
• QB POS Certifications
• Marketing your QB POS services
• Pricing your services

Leslie Capachietti, MBA, Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, Certified QuickBooks Point of Sale ProAdvisor, Certified QuickBooks Trainer, Certified Sleeter Group Consultant, Principal, Automated Financial Solutions will facilitate this session. Leslie has been working with small businesses for over 15 years, helping them both streamline and gain a better understanding of their financial operations using QuickBooks software. Having successfully owned and operated her own businesses, Leslie has a personal understanding of the unique needs and resource constraints (both time and money) of business owners. Leslie is a national speaker and trainer for Intuit and is one of the country’s leading experts on QuickBooks Financial and QuickBooks Point of Sale software. Leslie holds an MBA degree in Finance and Accounting from Boston University and was a member of Intuit’s Accountant and Advisor Customer Council from 2003-2005.

This Pre-Conference session is one of three choices at the 2008 Accounting Software Consutling Conference. Visit www.sleeter.com/seminars for complete information.

2008 ASCC Exhibitor: TrueCommerce

New Low Price for Sleeter Group Webinars

The Sleeter Group’s Fall Webinar Series is now open. Our 2-hour webinars are now only $79 (20% off for Sleeter Group Consultant Network Members).

Nonprofit Consulting – 10/15 11-1 PM PT
NEW! QuickBooks Accounting for Houses of Worship – 10/22 11-1 PM PT
Case Studies in Networking QuickBooks – 10/28 11-1 PM PT
Become an Expert Construction Consultant – 11/6 11-1 PM PT
Tips and Tools for Training Online – 12/2 11-1 PM PT
File Conversion In-Depth – 12/3 10-12 PM PT
Internal Control and Fraud Reduction – 12/10 10-12 PM PT

FREE Recorded "Conference Exhibitor" webinars covering some great solutions from a few of our Conference Exhibitors are available at www.sleeter.com/webinars.

QuickBooks for Not-for-Profit Organizations Version 2008 is On Sale Now!

ON SALE this month only!

Our popular QuickBooks for Not-for-Profit Organizations Version 2008 is on sale this month! Written by Christine L. Manor, CPA, QuickBooks 2008 for Not-for-Profit Organizations will help your organization use QuickBooks properly and provide management with the data needed to make informed decisions.

Includes methods for setting up and using QuickBooks in a not-for-profit organization, addressing the needs of management, boards of directors, grantors, and the IRS Form 990. From how to handle grants and contracts, to managing proposals, tracking funding sources, recording in-kind transactions, bank reconciliations, allocations, budgets, and restricted funds, this book has everything you need to get up and running with QuickBooks in a nonprofit environment.

Special Sale price is $48.00 (a 30% discount!) Offer ends October 31st.

Click here link to order your copy today!

QuickBooks Seminars Attract Clients

In this economic climate, many consultants are looking for ways to reach new clients. Offering QuickBooks seminars is a powerful and effective way to attract new business and establish your creditability. Our Learning QuickBooks Step-by-Step Seminar System (QBSS) has all the resources consultants need to begin offering QuickBooks Seminars in your community.

Our QBSS Seminar System comes with the Seminar Planning Guide, two seminar workbooks, and a CD packed for of marketing templates, planning checklists and PowerPoint presentations. Our Seminar Planning Guide includes helpful advice for getting started including securing a venue, pricing, advertising and using seminars to market your practice. There is also a new chapter on webinars.

Each seminar book, Seminar I and Seminar II, is over 200 pages and is designed with your clients and your practice in mind. QuickBooks Seminar I covers accounting basics, tracking revenue and expenses, bank reconciliation and file setup. QuickBooks Seminar II covers inventory, sales tax, payroll, budgets and estimates. (These books are only available to those who purchase our seminar system and members of Sleeter Group Consultants Network.) A copy of each comes with the system and additional books can be purchased for your clients for $29 each.

To find out more about the QBSS Seminar System, visit http://www.sleeterstore.com/servlet/Detail?no=155.

A Message from Sage Software

We look forward to seeing everyone in Phoenix next month at the 2008 Sleeter Accounting Software Conference.  Please stop by our booth to talk to our product experts and learn what’s new with our accounting solutions such as:  Peachtree by Sage, Sage MAS 90 and 200, and Sage ACCPAC.  We’ll have technical breakout sessions on each of the 3 products so make sure to check out the schedule on Sleeter’s conference web site and join us and many of your peers. 

Your role as an accountant is evolving at an incredible pace. But even as it does, your goals remain the same. You want to help your clients run their businesses more effectively and efficiently. And you want to grow your practice. This is why we’d like to discuss with you our Sage Software Accountants Network (SSAN), it helps you do both.  Please check out the program at http://www.sageaccountantsnetwork.com/.    And, by attending the Sleeter Group’s conference, we would like to offer you a $100 promotional discount when you sign up for the SSAN program. 

And you will not want to miss the keynote from Nina Smith, President of the Sage Software Business Management Division, “Helping Enable Success – Both Yours and Your Clients”.  Nina will detail the many ways Sage strives to take a broad view to help enable your success across your entire enterprise, from listening carefully to customers’ views and desires, both long- and short-term, to keeping up with trends in technology, to providing services and programs that can help you better serve your clients

Thank you from everyone at Sage Software. 

2008 ASCC Exhibitor: CircleDog

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: I need help with a file. I need to do a huge list of bill imports and when I couldn’t make that work, I thought that maybe I need to split each transaction to 2 lines. I just need the bill total. I’m sending the expense side to Uncategorized Expenses. On the first entry, I am now getting the message that I need ACCNT on line 5 7 & 9, then it went into the missing SPL message. Any suggestions?

Doug Sleeter responded: I looked at the file and it definitely in need of fixes. But first, instead of trying to create the IIF yourself, there are tools that might work better. Here are some options:

• Transaction Pro Importer (Bay State Consulting):
  http://www.baystateconsulting.com/products.htm

• Data Flow Manager (Atandra):
  http://www.atandra.com/Prod_DFM.htm

• IIF Transaction Creator (Big Red Consulting):
  http://www.bigredconsulting.com/AboutCreator.htm

You might be close on the IIF file creation, but it’s so hard for a human to get it right. Better to let the tools do the work.

Response: I went to the Big Red site and downloaded the trial. On my 4th try, I was confident I could make it work the way I needed it to. So, I purchased it. I’m in the process of importing the 800+ bills into my trial company, but I think I’m going to be very happy with this solution. Thanks for your help.

The Sleeter Group Consultant's Network VAR Update

Sleeter Group Consultant Network members receive value added reseller benefits and opportunities from Solution Partners of The Sleeter Group.  By working with software that extends the functionality of QuickBooks, consultants are able to deliver better business solutions to their clients while earning additional business revenue.  From time and billing and project management to manufacturing and inventory control – Sleeter Group Solution Partners deliver the software, but it takes a Sleeter Group Consultant to make it into a client solution.

Fishbowl Inventory

Fishbowl Inventory is in the 2008 Inc. 500 Software Companies list. Fishbowl placed #20 in this year’s rankings, posting 831.6% growth –  an effort heartily supported by the Sleeter Group Consultants and value added reseller community.  Congratulate yourselves and the team at Fishbowl for the great achievement.  If you’re not already working with Fishbowl Inventory but you have clients who need inventory solutions that integrate with QuickBooks, there’s never been a better time to get involved.  Becoming a Fishbowl Inventory Value Added Reseller is a benefit of membership with The Sleeter Group. To learn more about Fishbowl Inventory visit www.fishbowlinventory.com

BQE Software

BillQuick time billing and project management solutions from BQE Software create a competitive advantage for professional services providers such as attorneys, engineers, architects, CPAs and IT consultants.  Particularly in tough economic times, professional services firms need to manage their personnel and project resources as efficiently as possible, and get their billings done as quickly and accurately as they can.  Sleeter Consultants are able to resell BillQuick solutions and earn additional revenue on licensing, implementation, training and support.  With in-depth marketing, training, and technical resources, advisors have the tools they need to learn the solution and convey that understanding to their clients – earning additional revenue at the same time. Visit the BillQuick Advisor Blog http://billquick.wordpress.com/ and register to access resources available only to authorized resellers and advisors.

MISys Small Business Manufacturing

MISys makes it easy to get control of manufacturing business operations by reducing inventories, helping get control of production elements, and streamlining  production activities.  MISys software is modular, so businesses can get the functionality they need now and add modules and functionality as business needs demand.  MISys is a proven manufacturing solution for mid-size companies, and now has a version designed just for the small business manufacturer:  MISys SBM.  Sleeter Group Consultants are able to become MISys SBM value added resellers as part of their Sleeter membership, so there is no additional financial investment required to get involved with this highly capable, scalable solution.

MISys is offering a special opportunity for Sleeter Consultants to take Basic Operations Training on MISys SBM (Small Business Manufacturing) for QuickBooks.   While the training is available to the public, only Sleeter Group Consultant Network members receive deep discounts on these training fees. In the 2-day training session, consultants will learn about MISys SBM Administration and setup, database and master files setup, physical inventory, stock check and transfers, production work orders, cost adjustments, custom dashboard alerts, and various reporting and housekeeping options.

The training is scheduled for October 21st and 22nd, and seating fills up quickly, so register today and reserve your place. Fill out the registration form and fax to MISys at 802-457-4602. Get the registration form at www.sleeter.com/misys/MISYS-BOT-reg.pdf.

The Sleeter Group's 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 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 Accounting Software Consulting Conference.