At a conference recently, Ian was recognised as one of the
first certified Advanced QuickBook Pro Advisors in Northern
Ireland.
Back in February, TaxAssist announced that it had selected
Intuit QuickBooks as the exclusive partner for its network of
accountants. Since then, Ian has gone on to take the Advanced
Advisor qualification, and is proud to be leading the way for his
clients by future proofing businesses and using cloud based
accounting solutions.
According to Intuit, 88 per cent of small businesses expect
their accountants to embrace cloud based solutions, yet only 37 per
cent of accountants do so.
Ian, who runs TaxAssist Accountants in Linehall Street in
Ballymena in Northern Ireland said: “small businesses, especially
start-ups, have been particularly transformed by cloud
software.
"Currently Northern Ireland’s small business sector is
thriving and along with advances in technology, client’s accounting
expectations have evolved.
"With one click, you can upload files and data, quickly
discover and rectify errors, access financial figures in real time
and use this information to make strategic decisions and changes
straight away, all the while you’re on the go.
"I turned to QuickBooks simply because it helps to save me
time, money and most importantly it ensures I provide the most
efficient service to all my clients. By using this software,
I can immediately learn current financial situations, without
having to make my way through numerous tedious spreadsheets, it’s
now as simple as glancing at a bank balance.”
This cloud based solution operates in real time, so every time
an invoice is sent, a customer makes a payment or employee gets
paid, this information is tracked and is updated automatically,
which then offers an immediate picture of what the business’s
financial situation is.
Ian added: “I am much better connected to my clients at any
time and from almost anywhere from any web-enabled device (e.g.
i-phone, i- pad etc.) which offers greater control over my time and
my client’s time. For example, being able to check their
figures in real time means you can flag up any potential problems
to the client, discuss or suggest a change in strategy that would
benefit them as the need arises.
"Customers want to feel valued and confident that they will
get the service they expect, which is prompt replies, willingness
to go the extra mile and the ability to explain complex technical
concepts in a clear and simple way, this helps us to build trust
with our clients.
"The key to future-proofing your accounting business is to be
proactive, rather than reactive and boldly adopting new
technologies like cloud accounting solutions is an essential part
of that to survive and thrive in this fast-changing world.”
Sarah Robertson, Group Business Development Director at
TaxAssist Accountants added, “TaxAssist strives to be at the
forefront of industry developments and Quickbooks enables our
accountants to provide an efficient and proactive accountancy
service. It is fast becoming the online accounting product
chosen by small business owners across the UK as they become
increasingly digital. We're delighted that clients can gain
the benefits of using QuickBooks to manage their finances in the
cloud, with the added advice provided by our network.”
