LogoSerotta Maddocks Evans, CPAs

701 Greene Street, Suite 200

Augusta, GA 30901

706.722.5337

www.smecpa.com

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June 2011:  Summer Time Sizzles  
Dear ,
    

This time of year everything seems to slow down.  The kids are out of school, vacations are planned and there is always time for a BBQ with friends.  What are your summer plans this year?  While you are thinking of things to do for some summer fun, take time to seek out opportunities to do something right here in your community.  Take a bike ride on the canal, visit the museum or volunteer some of your time to a local non-profit.  There is a website you can use as your guide.  It lists upcoming events and also the needs for the event.  It is www.volunteer-augusta.com.  Be sure to check out the calendar of events and the wish lists for the different charities in need. 

 

While things may slow down during summer, we want you to know that SME is a year-round CPA firm.  Our doors are open to help assist you with your tax and accounting needs.  While you are thinking about a boat trip on the lake, we are thinking about your financial records.  Call us to be there for you, so you can enjoy the boat!

 

-Rebecca Best

Director of Marketing

In This Issue
Mac QuickBooks Users Workshop
Marketing Tip by Jessica Neville
Technology Tip by Eric Clark
Tax Tip [Right hand column]
Upcoming Events [Right-hand Column]
Attention Mac Users

 

SME is offering its first Mac QuickBooks Users Workshop!  This workshop will cover topics such as invoicing, reconciling, writing checks, receiving payments and more.  There will be plenty of time for discussion and sharing of helpful tips and tricks from fellow QuickBooks for Mac users. 

 

The workshop will be held in our training room on Thursday, June 23 from 3:00pm until 6:00pm.  The cost of the workshop is $59.  If you are interested, please email Rebecca Best today to sign up.  Also, if you know of someone who uses QuickBooks for Mac, please feel free to forward this information. 

 
Marketing Tip from Jessica Neville
What is a QR Code? 

 

Have you ever seen those crazy, barcode-type images in magazines or on posters?  These are called Quick Response, or QR, codes.  Smartphone users can download an app that reads these codes and then scan the code to reveal an exclusive offer, direct their browser to a specific webpage, send contact information to their phone and more. 

 

This is a wonderful marketing tool.  Think about it.  Instead of saying "Visit our website." and hoping for traffic, with QR codes your customer is able to visit your website in that moment.  There are so many possibilities with these codes.  The U.S. Postal Service is embracing this new technology by offering a discount when you include one of these mobile barcodes on your mail piece.  This article has more details.

 

The best part is, you can create your own QR code for your marketing purposes.  I recommend delivr.com.  Give it a try.  Download a QR scanner app on your Smartphone and scan this barcode to see what appears.

Technology Tip from Eric Clark

Fake QuickBooks Security Updates

 

Technology has been beneficial to most individuals and organizations, unfortunately there are some people who abuse the power of it.  These scam artists send out "phishing" emails hoping to fraudulently obtain sensitive information from their victims.  

If you are a QuickBooks user, there are some things you should be aware of in order to avoid being a victim to this type of scam.  QuickBooks will never send an email with an attached software update or download.  Instead, they will provide you with information on how to securely download any updates for your computer.  Also, QuickBooks will never ask you for your login information or any other personal information via email.  If QuickBooks needs you to update your account, you will be asked to log into your account to do so.  

This article from Intuit provides some ways you can protect yourself from common types of phishing scams. 

Thanks for taking the time to read our newsletter.  Stay tuned for next month's tips and features.

 

Sincerely,
 
Serotta Maddocks Evans, CPAs
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Tax Tip


Tommy Vigneri gives some tips on what you should do if you receive a notice from the IRS.

Upcoming Events

QuickBooks  for Mac 

Workshop

June 23 3:00-6:00pm at SME.  Call for more details and to sign up: 706-722-5337

 

Eggs & Experts

7:30-9:00am

Second Tuesday of every month in the

Training Room of SME CPAs

July's Topic:  What Can I Get for $0 Down?  Capital Investments/Buy vs. Lease