Category: Data Management
-
Meet the client where they are: Cloud avoidance syndrome
“I will NOT put my clients information in the cloud!” wrote a bookkeeper, on the cloud, in a forum where we all have our information stored. I still occasionally hear comments like that. But it was surprising coming from a bookkeeper. The bookkeeper went on to say that she had to run her accounting business…
-
Tech changes this week rock small businesses
Both of these issues came in the last days of September. As of today, I only know that both issues deserve more attention. MICROSOFT: This is significant technical news for the legal and accounting fields as well as many other small businesses who use a Windows based system to manage data. Bottom line: I will…
-
New problem with cellular internet
Preface: Of course Murphy’s Law dictates that this internet access issue rose to a crisis status in the last two business days before the business tax filing deadline on Monday. I’ve been thinking how ironic it would be if lack of internet access is the factor that finally causes me to leave my home office…
-
Encrypted Email, Secure Messaging and Secure File Transfer
“Encrypted Email”, “Secure Messaging” and “Secure File Transfer” are three terms that most people doing business online should know about today. This seems like a good time to review the options as we begin the tax filing season. While these security measures are probably not needed for most people most of the time, I include…
-
Manage these five key relationships for a happier 2018
Recently there’s been a media blitz about the power and influence of what the New York Times calls the “Frightful Five”: Amazon, Google, Apple, Microsoft and Facebook. Despite this media blitz I suspect that most of us know little about this topic. The more we learn, the more we are likely to know why they…
-
The Paperless Office
I began the move toward a paperless office more than 20 years ago. Back then I operated a 5 person inter-discipline office with technology dominated by cables running from one machine to another. I was the the firm owner as well as the ‘technology guy’ by virtue of my early adoption of PC technologies1. By…
-
Rant against desktop accounting
I’ve been critical of accountants and business managers who have not adapted to online hosted accounting platforms. Their logic in using local desktop-based accounting software programs just does not make sense to me because almost all the sources of accounting data are already hosted online and almost all the output of accounting data are already hosted online. Why…
-
It’s time for a fresh look at computer backup
I revisit this topic of data backup occasionally and I think you should too. The simple question is ‘What’s the best way to keep my digital data safe from disaster?‘ The conversation involves several steps. First, it is important to recognize the range of risks. It does no good to have a backup system that…
-
Keep the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Independent
In 2008 the United States suffered a previously unimaginable financial blow stemming from negligence, scandal and fraud at multiple levels of banking, Wall Street investment firms and government. We suffered but survived it by coming together, accepting the major financial setback to our lives, and taking steps to ensure that it did not happen again. One…