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Donna Rantz, CPA MST is now a member of the BBCPA team.  Read more about Donna Link

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JANUARY 2013
2013 A Year for Change
Greetings!
  
Here it is 2013!  For many the number 13 signifies death and despair but actually the number signifies change from upheaval.  We have had a lot of upheaval lately; the Fiscal Cliff; a contentious election; Hurricane Sandy; and of course the possible ending of the world.
  
13 is actually a very cherished number of our founding fathers starting with the original 13 colonies as symbolized on the first national flag with 13 stars and stripes. Now consider the dollar bill, it has 13 steps on the Pyramid of the Great Seal.  The motto above the seal reads "Annuit Coeptis", which has 13 letters. The eagle on the right side has a ribbon in its beak that reads "E Pluribus Unum", which again has 13 letters.  The eagle has 13 tail feathers, and breast shield has 13 stripes. The eagles talons holds 13 arrows and the olive branch has 13 leaves & berries. Then above the eagle's head are 13 stars.
  
In the spirit of 13, our newsletter carries the 13 theme.  I would like to think that this year is a year of change for BBCPA and our clients.  We look forward to helping you and wish you all the success that our founding fathers experienced after much upheaval.

 

 Donna's 13 Highlights from the

The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012
  
Believe it or not, in the first few hours of the New Year, Congress came to a compromise and passed The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. The 2001 Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA) and the 2003 Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (JGTRRA) were permanently extended, with modifications aimed at wealthier Americans. There will also be an additional Medicare tax that takes effect in 2013 as part of the 2010 health care reform. So how much will you be paying in additional taxes? Here are some of the highlights that will help you answer that question.. Read More Link

Beth's Top 13 Tech Game Changers
 
Here are 13 tech tools we implemented in our office that have changed how we do business. Rating 5*'s is the best.
   
1. EchoSign***** - All BBPCA clients have utilized EchoSign either to sign engagement letters or Efile authorizations. This year, we have added an EchoSign widget to our website for signing of documents.
 
2. Hosted Server****** - We can now work from anywhere by simply logging into our offsite server which is hosted by NewCityIT.  I can access my server from my mobile devices using the App PocketCloud.
  
3. MS OneNote***** - Organize, consolidate, email, and share information online or on your PC with notebook navigation. We use this extensively in the office to share and organize client information. Evernote is the equivalent App.
  
4.Expensify***** - This is an App that allows you to snap pictures of receipts with your mobile device which is then uploaded to your Expensify account. Create expense reports to organize receipts.   Great for credit card and debit card receipts.
  

5. SmartVault***** - This document management system sealed the deal on our office's goal to be 100% paperless. Thanks to all of you that utilize SmartVault, you have made our office more efficient. Dropbox is another great alternative.

 

6.Fujitsu ScanSnap**** - This scanner is FAST and scans double sided in a snap.

 

7. Bill.com**** - Has changed how I pay bills and manage cash-flow. The cash-flow dashboard can provide a 3 month cash-flow projection. Also, you can invoice clients from your mobile device.

 

8. LastPass**** - Can't live without my password APP which helps me manage all my passwords. Never remember a password again.

 

9. Apple IPAD **** - When I first got the IPAD I wasn't exactly sure what to do with it but now that the mobile offerings have expanded I see this as tool that allows met to connect any where - anytime. 

 

10.SKYPE**** - Love it for instant messaging with clients and team members. Don't forget video calling with family.

 

11. SNAG-IT***-This screen capture tool and video creator is the best around for only $49.

 

12. ShoeBoxed.com - I have not used this service but have referred clients and they have endorsed. I equate Shoeboxed to Netfilx . You receive a blue envelope, send them your receipts, they scan and upload to your own web-based database that can be downloaded.

 

13.Pandora ********** - we all need an escape and listening to our favortie music makes us happy!

13 KPI's for 2013 Biz Success

"What management measures, gets done." Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) are utilized to monitor business performance against targets and goals to insure business is moving in the intended direction based on the company's Critical Success Factors (CSF's). CSF's are the essential areas of business activity that must be performed to achieve the company's mission, goals, or objectives. For more information on CSF's, check out this article on the MindTools Website.

 

There are many CSF's that can be measured utilizing KPI's. As a business owner, what KPI's should you monitor? However, each unique business requires its own defined management reporting that provides a process to capture key data that provides relevant and useful business intelligence. A key to establishing such a system is to ask the following questions:

 

1 - What information needs to be analyzed each day, week, month to provide results needed to align with the company's CSF's?

2 - How will this information help management steer activities?

3 - What information is needed to assist managers in making the necessary decisions to align with the company's CSF's?

4 - How often does this information need to be analyzed?

5 - There are decisions made every minute of the day, but what decisions are critical? For example: what to charge for product or service; what is the margin % spread; what employees need to be deployed to insure success; what bills should I pay today?  Read More
 

Beth Bockenhauer, CPA | | [email protected] | http://www.bethbcpa.com
131 Cajon Street
Suite 6
Redlands, CA 92373

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