4 Tools You Need to Boost Business in Your Tax Practice
Managing and running a business is no easy feat. But the truth is, you don’t have to take on all the day-to-day housekeeping yourself. As technology continues to improve, so does your ability to rely on apps and software to help do the job better and more efficiently. So, if you’re looking to boost your practice and get more done, consider a few of these tips and tools.
Cloud-based Software
Cloud-based technologies are completely changing the way accounting firms do business. What was once a clunky process has now been streamlined from end-to-end, with everything from creating an organization system to executing professional tax filing—all in one place. For example, Intuit’s ProSeries software has a variety of timesaving features that will help you avoid the hassle of tracking down client data. Other options allow you to quickly pinpoint input fields that are missing critical information and then send a client email with just a click. The ProSeries also allows you to automatically transfer data to individual returns while also generating a list of tax planning suggestions (up to 73, in fact!) on how your clients can help reduce their future taxes… which only better ensures you’ll be seeing return customers!
Slack
Slack is a team communication wizard, which completely revamps internal communications by organizing conversation channels by either project, group, client or really, whatever makes the most sense for your business. Slack also allows you to create private channels or to disable notifications from channels you no longer want to be a part of. Even better, Slack offers integrated file sharing. Simply drag and drop PDFs, images, videos and a variety of other files into the chat window or channel, allowing you to not only share quickly, but it also creates an archive of file sharing history so you can easily search and find things you’ve shared. If you’re currently juggling communication platforms for your remote teams, Slack also has a chat and video capacity, so you can streamline your product suites.
Better Project Management Software
Project management is often a company’s most challenging task. It’s complex, multi-layered, and dependent on many moving parts. And when it comes to tools that help support, Mavenlink is perhaps one of the most impactful options available. Whether you need to track project health or chart financials, fast-track collaboration, or aid resource management, Mavenlink has the capacity to create better visibility around these metrics. Mavenlink’s platform also provides up-to-the-minute reporting for all your projects—no matter how many you’re juggling—so you don’t have to worry about losing sight of budgeting, timeline or resource allocation.
The Human Touch
Technology is amazing, but don’t forget to lose sight of your best resources: your people. Coupled with peak season stress, it’s easy to forget about the people working in the trenches alongside you—and sometimes even the people behind the numbers you’re crunching. If you continue to invest in your employees and express how much you value their talents and hard work, you’ll continue to see better quality work and happier clients. And speaking of clients…
You don’t want to forget about them either. Especially when things get busy and tax season is in full swing, make sure you remember to maintain the best customer service possible. If necessary, delegate one of your team members to run point of contact during the most hectic weeks. Keep in mind, customer service extends far beyond just doing the transactional work, and clients who feel valued are much more likely to return to you for their business if they feel their needs and questions are met promptly and with consideration. Use your team. Rely on their individual strengths and talents. At the end of the day, they are your best, and most valuable assets.
Every business could use a little boost—whether you’re in accounting or advertising. Keep these pointers in mind when you want to drive up profit margins and improve your bottom line.