Small Business Solutions

You’ve decided to take the plunge.  Finally go off the deep end.    You swing open the door to your manager’s office, walk back to your desk and begin to sweat.  A cocktail of stress and jubilation spills down your body from head to toe.   Your feet start to move and then you are walking, out the door, down the elevator, into the city, and then out into the world.  You’ve decided to start your own business- escape the grind and finally pursue your dreams.     You’re free.  You’re screwed.

Then comes the details.  You need to strategize – figure out what needs to be done to get it rolling.   What kind of paperwork do you need to fill out?  How are you going to find your employees- designers, developers, sales, recruiters?  Where will your office be?  Where can you find advice from those who have already gone through this chaos?  What if you have a patent to submit?  How will you collaborate with your contractors?  How can you keep track of money, prepare for taxes?  What about business cards, business plans, PR initiatives and exit strategies?

These are just a fraction of the questions a small business owner needs to answer when forming a start up.   Fortunately, there are a host of new and cutting edge Web 2.0 software tools that have been created to help answer these questions.  Today’s entrepreneur can utilize a variety of enterprise software applications that will help them get on their feet without giving away an arm and leg of their nest-egg.  I’ve created a list of some of my favorites- feel free to contribute with any others that you know of.

Basecamp: For your project management and collaboration needs, basecamp is a web tool that allows a small business to interface with clients and collaborators.  It has an incredibly intuitive UI that allows an entrepreneur to keep their head on straight while managing several projects at once.

Dropbox: A nifty web application that rids you of need to carry around USB flash drives or larger external hard drives.    Dropbox allows you to synchronize various computers to common accessible folders.   Its as easy as drag and drop, and allows several collaborators to share files wherever they are, without the hassle.

http://www.getdropbox.com/

Google Docs: Google Docs provides a suite of online MS-office-esque applications that all are extremely accessible and easy to utilize.  Whether you want to create a spreadsheet that tracks potential clients, or an online word-doc business plan, Google Docs allows multiple collaborators to contribute simultaneously, instead of the tediously sending a document back and forth via email.

Odesk: Odesk is an online web tool that allows a small business employer to outsource work to freelancers around the world.  While an entrepreneur must be weary about those bidding to do work from overseas for a fraction of the cost, very often Odesk provides a great interface for a variety contract jobs.    The online application allows an employer to adeptly track their freelancers, from up-to-date progress updates to an actual live webcam feed of their hire.

LinkedIn: LinkedIn is the most popular and free social networking tool for business professionals.  You can essentially post your online resume and qualifications, as well as list your current business venture and why its great.  One useful feature on the social-networking side of things is the ability to get in touch with other local small business owners, who may have helpful advice for you.  It also provides a great forum to let your client’s tell the world about all the great work you’ve done for them through the recommendations engine.

Newton On Demand: Newton provides an online software service for your company’s recruiting and applicant tracking needs.   Easier to use than many of your favorite websites, Newton’s online recruiting software enables your entire hiring team to access, manage and share recruiting information across your entire company.  The great thing about this piece of software is that it is extremely intuitive to use, allowing hiring managers and recruiters to easily collaborate from wherever they are.

http://www.newtonondemand.com/

Zazzle: Whether you want to design your company’s business cards, coffee mugs, or kickball Tees, Zazzle provides a great online tool for enterprise branding.   Although things like these may seem ephemeral when trying to make deadlines, some branding can go along way for your small business identity and marketing.

Twitter: If getting some attention in your niche is what your small business needs- Twitter is a great tool to keep fans, clients and family alike updated with the latest news.  If utilized effectively, Twitter can be a modern day PR agency, minus the headache of management and associated costs.

QuickBooks:  This time-tested financial software package is still as relevant as ever.   I recommend getting set up with QuickBooks from day one to track every dollar going in and out of your business.  The intuitive interface and online access makes it a breeze to create invoices, track payments and manage your small business expenses.



By: Darwin Redshield

About the Author:

training

What a chartered accountant does exactly is something of a mystery, which is of course if you’re not an accountant yourself. We know they can assist us with our yearly tax returns, but what else? An accountant is not only experienced to deal with the financial aspects of your business, they often have knowledge of the legal laws in many other areas and you can turn to them for assistance and direction.

Accountants can help out in your private life too. They should be aware of everything going on in your life, such as the arrival of a newborn in the family, as they can then use this information when dealing with your tax issues and areas of investment. If there is a baby born or your daughter is intending to get married it can help your accountant to know. If your accountant is well informed of the financial conditions that surround you, they can put this information to good use by making up strategies that will ultimately save you money present year and for following years to come.

The job of a good accountant is to design a long-term strategy aimed at helping you save money, for example, funds towards your children’s college fees or daughter’s future wedding or for your retirement.

Chartered accountants operate in various business and finance sectors. These can include the private sector, public practice work and government. In Australia they belong to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia and use the elected letters CA, higher-ranking members of the Institute are nominated as Fellows and use the letters FCA.

Here are a few of the tasks you can expect a chartered accountant to perform.

Personal or business income tax returns can be prepared by accountants. Business tax returns for partnerships, trusts, companies, superannuation funds, rental properties and capital gains tax can all be assisted with. They also provide services to assist in legally decreasing tax payments and other related issues. Advice can be given on issues like sale of shares or property, business tax, business acquisitions or disposals and most suitable tax structure for you personally or your business.

Chartered accountants in Sydney and other parts of Australia will deal all the time with the Australian Tax Office (ATO), and be able to advice on Business Activity Statements and Goods & Services Tax.

Financial planning is an important concern for everyone, both for individuals and for businesses. It is about designing a strategy to safeguard you and your family’s future. An accountant will work trough certain areas and then devise a strategy that suit your needs. Financial planning is simply putting together a strategy and plan that will enable you to save towards costs of weddings, buying a house or retirement. Chartered accountants will look at your finances and outgoings and make a plan to suit you. A financial planning service should involve superannuation products for maximising retirement benefits, investments for building wealth together with shares, property, managed funds and fixed interest. Insurance should also be covered as protection from economic loss in the event of death, disablement, accident or illness.

Superannuation is a way to save and invest money whilst you are working for future use, the largest asset of most Australians after their home. Chartered accountants can offer advice on Self Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSF) and whether it is the right choice for you. For accounting services and for registering a new business, you might find chartered accountants very useful.

If you are already established business wise they can give you advice on how to increase profits by applying effective financial plans and systems. Strategic planning, business planning, business valuations, accounting services, payroll services and salary packaging, financial statement preparation and computer accounting software are other areas an accountant deals with.

Accountants today are computer friendly, meaning there is no need to make appointments to go into the accountancy office. Most things can be done online, communication and files the most common. Income tax returns can even be arranged from computerised accounting files, such as MYOB and Quickbooks. Personnel at the agency you decide for should also be informed and knowledgeable on any tax related issues and have the capacity to answer any queries you might have regarding your business or personal account.  

Look for a chartered accounting firm offering professional financial planning services. If you are seeking a proficient financial planning service or want help setting up a small business then they can help you realise your goals.



By: YATIN

About the Author:

training

What a chartered accountant does exactly is something of a mystery, which is of course if you’re not an accountant yourself. We know they can assist us with our yearly tax returns, but what else? An accountant is not only experienced to deal with the financial aspects of your business, they often have knowledge of the legal laws in many other areas and you can turn to them for assistance and direction.

Accountants can help out in your private life too. They should be aware of everything going on in your life, such as the arrival of a newborn in the family, as they can then use this information when dealing with your tax issues and areas of investment. If there is a baby born or your daughter is intending to get married it can help your accountant to know. If your accountant is well informed of the financial conditions that surround you, they can put this information to good use by making up strategies that will ultimately save you money present year and for following years to come.

The job of a good accountant is to design a long-term strategy aimed at helping you save money, for example, funds towards your children’s college fees or daughter’s future wedding or for your retirement.

Chartered accountants operate in various business and finance sectors. These can include the private sector, public practice work and government. In Australia they belong to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia and use the elected letters CA, higher-ranking members of the Institute are nominated as Fellows and use the letters FCA.

Here are a few of the tasks you can expect a chartered accountant to perform.

Personal or business income tax returns can be prepared by accountants. Business tax returns for partnerships, trusts, companies, superannuation funds, rental properties and capital gains tax can all be assisted with. They also provide services to assist in legally decreasing tax payments and other related issues. Advice can be given on issues like sale of shares or property, business tax, business acquisitions or disposals and most suitable tax structure for you personally or your business.

Chartered accountants in Sydney and other parts of Australia will deal all the time with the Australian Tax Office (ATO), and be able to advice on Business Activity Statements and Goods & Services Tax.

Financial planning is an important concern for everyone, both for individuals and for businesses. It is about designing a strategy to safeguard you and your family’s future. An accountant will work trough certain areas and then devise a strategy that suit your needs. Financial planning is simply putting together a strategy and plan that will enable you to save towards costs of weddings, buying a house or retirement. Chartered accountants will look at your finances and outgoings and make a plan to suit you. A financial planning service should involve superannuation products for maximising retirement benefits, investments for building wealth together with shares, property, managed funds and fixed interest. Insurance should also be covered as protection from economic loss in the event of death, disablement, accident or illness.

Superannuation is a way to save and invest money whilst you are working for future use, the largest asset of most Australians after their home. Chartered accountants can offer advice on Self Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSF) and whether it is the right choice for you. For accounting services and for registering a new business, you might find chartered accountants very useful.

If you are already established business wise they can give you advice on how to increase profits by applying effective financial plans and systems. Strategic planning, business planning, business valuations, accounting services, payroll services and salary packaging, financial statement preparation and computer accounting software are other areas an accountant deals with.

Accountants today are computer friendly, meaning there is no need to make appointments to go into the accountancy office. Most things can be done online, communication and files the most common. Income tax returns can even be arranged from computerised accounting files, such as MYOB and Quickbooks. Personnel at the agency you decide for should also be informed and knowledgeable on any tax related issues and have the capacity to answer any queries you might have regarding your business or personal account.  

Look for a chartered accounting firm offering professional financial planning services. If you are seeking a proficient financial planning service or want help setting up a small business then they can help you realise your goals.

Did you find this article useful?  For more useful tips and   hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to credit card, do please browse for more information at our websites.

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By: ansaar

About the Author:

web hosting review

Accounting is an integral part of every business and should be handled with utmost care and precision. Small or large, every enterprise has to maintain its market and accounts. There are number of tasks involved in the process of maintaining accounts and it should not be misjudged as a simple and easy task. It is in fact a tedious affair that is required by law, and fast and perfect solutions to all kinds of accounting needs are the need of the hour. Today, numerous of accounting software like QuickBooks, are available in the market that proves to be efficient and reliable.

There are several corporate and enterprises whose business requirements are not fulfilled by one accounting software and thus they require several customized tools of this particular trade which meet their specific needs and provide with special features as well as functionality.

Business demands are diverse. Every business requires specific tools that carry its business effortlessly and immediately. As for instance, back-office functionality or vertical-specific are some of the functions that are not supported by QuickBooks. This led to the development of other tools which then came into existence.

Thus, IDN (Intuit Developer Network) was designed that bridged the problems for small businessmen and individual developers and even enhanced QuickBooks experience. The software reduces the entry and calculation errors. The integration of the software in QuickBooks solved numerous issues that were earlier unresolved. The Intuit integrated QuickBooks by now has presented over 400 service solutions to their buyers.

There are other accounting softwares too that have helped many entrepreneurs. Sage Master Builder, the QuickBooks Contractor and QuickBooks Point of Sale are some of the examples of good, reliable accounting softwares that proved beneficial to the business owners. These assist in creating and maintaining payroll essentials, constructing balance sheets, and information of other depreciations, taxes and assets.

Apart from these, there are several software that have been created to address the different and specific needs of businesses and accounting needs. For example, Peachtree, a software developed by Sage has specific solutions based on the number of users (accountants) and solutions developed for construction, manufacturing, non-profit organizations and distribution networks.

Even Microsoft offers an Accounting package that works with Quickbooks files, and can also import data from Excel or a CSV file. It also offers several online banking features along with the ability to create eBay listings and download PayPal transactions.

To list all the different software and their features is an exhaustive task. But from this brief look, we can understand how each software development company is trying to further its reach by providing accountants with several different tools of their trade, which are chock full of features that are specifically designed for their particular industry, trade, or business practice.



By: Erik Johnson

About the Author:

small business articles

Your online business is doing much better than you ever dreamed. Orders are pouring in from everywhere and you’re finally out of the woods and into the new millennium; except that your shopping cart is speaking a different language from your accounting books. Redundant data entry is taking up too much of your valuable time. What if you could integrate your systems? Sure, it’s possible and it is easier than you think!

The solution is to use a Quickbooks integrated shopping cart.

Quickbooks shopping carts are among the most powerful and highly integrated shopping carts available in the market today. Quickbooks focused shopping cart solutions automate orders, item data, customers and payment. Thus they automatically synchronize items, orders, customers and payments between your storefront and your Quickbooks financials.

But, what if your shopping cart does not allow automatic integration?

Fortunately, Quickbooks allows you to import online transactions that were created in your shopping cart. A special file format called the IIF (Intuit Interchange Format) is produced by your shopping cart software and this can be integrated with your Quickbooks, without your having to re-key the information.

There are two kinds of shopping carts: shopping carts with built-in Quickbooks integration and shopping carts that need add-on software for Quickbooks integration.

Carts with built-in integration have buttons or links that enable you to generate files that can be put into Quickbooks, without the use of any additional software. A couple of mouse clicks and your online transactions are posted.

Using add-on software that bridges the gap between the shopping cart and Quickbooks is a complicated process. You will have to ensure that your add-on software is compatible both ways – with Quickbooks and your shopping cart program.

The most vital feature for integration, whether it is using in-built software or add-ons, is that the shopping cart should produce accurate and complete data. Quickbooks requires orders to be properly classified into the appropriate type of transaction. The items should match flawlessly for Quickbooks integration to work.

To make the entire process easy, you must choose a shopping cart software that allows easy, menu-driven installation, initialization and set-up of Quickbooks files. Your cart and/or add-on software should be able to handle large orders, if needed.

Quickbooks integration allows you to synch orders, items and customers easily. Since you don’t have to key-in entries, your inventory will always be accurate. Thus you can save precious time and energy – time that you should spend selling your products, instead of playing around with the numbers on your keyboard!



By: natisha

About the Author:

mediation

Custom database software development is facilitated by the use of a checklist of standard questions to be answered before a system is created, and before analysis begins. This checklist is provided to assist in the Analysis/Requirements phase of a new custom software development project.

If you are interested in having 21st Century Technologies, Inc. create a new system for you, then the following checklist and the associated answers will facilitate the analysis process. The answers can be e-mailed or faxed to us at the email address and fax number at the bottom of the page.

BUSINESS CONSIDERATIONS

1. Desired delivery date or proposed project schedule.

2. Business reason for, and urgency of project.

3. What are the cost constraints?

4. Use cases – description of how each group of users will be using the system.

a. General business process – web user will buy a product, web user will add a customer, web user will add contact information, etc.

b. Input/Output – web users will enter data into forms, data will be imported, administrator must run many management reports, administrator needs to export to Excel and text, etc.

c. Frequency of activity – many times each day, once daily, weekly, etc.

d. Cycles of activity – weekly sales reports to all sales managers on Monday morning, close books at end of year, etc.

NATURE OF APPLICATION

1. Do you have a desired development tool or technology in mind? You may want to split the application into some parts that can be run on a Windows workstation computer, while other parts (like reports, or timecard entry screens) are accessed via a web browser on your local intranet. Web applications and reports can be viewed on all computer types and operating systems that are capable of viewing web pages. Some tools currently available to build the system are listed here:

a. C#/VB.NET

b. ASP.NET

c. Active Server Pages or Cold Fusion for robust database driven Web applications

d. ColdFusion

e. Visual Basic

f. SQL Server

g. MS Access

h. JavaScript – for cross browser compatibility,

i. VBScript – for server scripting, and client scripting if Internet Explorer is the only client browser

j. Dreamweaver – for higher ended client functionality

k. SQL Server Reporting Services

l. Crystal Reports – for Windows and Web based reports

m. ActiveReports

n. Excel

o. PowerPoint

p. Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Systems – dial 1 for English, 2 for Spanish…

2. If other applications are involved (MS Word, MS Excel, QuickBooks, etc.), what version will be used?

3. Desired screen resolution (800×600, 1024×768, etc.),

4. Screen Size (15″, 17″, 19″, 21″)

5. Preferred Font and size (Arial 10, Times New Roman 12, etc.)?

6. Target Windows version for each client computer in the system (98, NT 4.0, 2000, XP, 2003 Server, etc.),

7. Web Server – MS Internet Information Services (IIS), Apache, etc.

8. Target computer Operating System if not a Windows Platform – Apple, Unix, Linux, etc.

9. Target workstation hardware for all client stations,

a. Clock speed -1333, 1500, 2000, 3000, etc. MHz,

b. Hard drive space – 100, 200, 400, etc. Gbytes,

c. RAM – 128Mb, 256Mb, 512Mb, 1Gb, etc.

10. If a network application, which network and version? -Windows, Novell 3.1, Novell, etc.

11. What are the drive letters for the networked back end databases if a network application? F, G, H, etc.? This reduces the deployment effort by developing in the same environment as the target workstations.

12. If available and pertinent, please provide a network configuration diagram with paths to server (where database will reside) and all clients, security/user groups, etc.

13. Is 24×7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) uptime required? If so, please explain the business need. We will discuss this further. The cost goes up as more uptime is required. More resources are needed – various personnel on pagers, redundant computers or components like power supplies RAID or mirrored hard drives, etc.

14. Is Internet/Intranet data access desired?

a. For data entry?

b. For report reviewing only?

c. To disseminate existing documents?

d. To email notification of pre-determined business trigger events (project milestone met and approved, employee appraisal ready for approval, etc.)?

15. Is Security desired?

a. Extremely high network (Internet) security – firewall, proxy server, etc.

b. Database level security – MS Access has security, but SQL Server has a much tighter security model tied in with the Win 2000/NT operating system.

c. Application level security

d. Minimum (pseudo) security algorithm – low cost

e. Please specify User Groups that may have special Security needs requiring different levels of security:

i. Administrative Assistants

ii. Analysts

iii. Engineers

iv. Managers

v. Company Owners

vi. System Administrators

16. Are Backup Scenarios currently in place? Backups will be an integral component of the system. The importance of this cannot be over emphasized.

a. Daily, Weekly, Monthly onto tape

b. Daily, Weekly, Monthly onto CD or other optical drive

c. Onto another computer

d. Regular backups located at a remote site

17. Are Anti-Virus protection and policies in place? It is an important part of ensuring that a system stays up and running.

18. Will remote troubleshooting be desired? The addition of Error Processing and Logging software will facilitate remote support and troubleshooting.

19. Desired Documentation?

a. None

b. Installation

c. User

d. Administrator

e. Software

f. On-line help

g. Special

h. All of the above

20. What is the proficiency level of all users for the target tools and environments – Windows, Excel, etc.?

21. Will interfaces to other systems (accounting, payroll, another database, GIS, truck routing, etc.) be required? This will affect the data model and system configuration, so early planning for these interfaces is critical to their successful inclusion into the system.

22. Is an audit trail function desired for changes to existing data? What parts of the system will need to be audited?

23. Is government reporting or data security required – Sarbanes Oxley, HIPAA, etc.

24. Number of reports. A sample hardcopy or at least hand drawing of each will significantly help in determination of report prices and commonalties (company headers, formats, etc.). Important items are:

a. Number of sections including sort groups,

b. Definition of the source data for all fields in each section and their calculation method,

c. Summaries,

d. Desired output format:

i. Windows screen preview

ii. HTML

iii. E-Mail

iv. PDF

v. Delimited Text

vi. Excel spreadsheet

vii. Other outputs

25. Is an ad hoc user-defined reporting, data retrieval, or analysis (On Line Analytical Processing (OLAP), Data Mining, etc.) capability desired?

26. Is an installation program needed for distribution of an application to many users?

27. Is an automated network or internet installation desired?

28. Are custom point to point communications needed? This may also include automated faxing.

29. Special Considerations:

a. Unique business rules, calculations, desired warnings, etc.

b. Significant text parsing

c. Known or possible issues and problems that may be alleviated with testing

d. Voice driven capability

e. Multiple databases (Access and SQL Server, Oracle, etc.)

DATA AND VOLUME

1. How many users are expected on the system in the near (first 6 months) and long (1 – 3 years and past) term?

2. How many users are expected to use the system at the same time during peak periods in the near and long term?

3. What type of data traffic will be on the network for the near and long term – numbers, text, images, video, multi-media, etc.?

4. What is the expected volume of traffic for the near and long term?

5. What is the estimated number of data records to be stored for the near and long term?

6. Do we need to import data from existing files or systems? Note that Characters like ‘ ” # have special significance in data processing and conversion, and require special code handling. Names (D’Joy) and other data fields may contain these characters.

a. No. Example data will usually be provided in database, text, or spreadsheet format. This helps significantly in system testing and allows for error discovery and error trapping before the system is delivered.

b. Yes.

i. Is all or part of the existing data needed? What parts?

ii. Can use of the existing data be stopped while we convert the data into the new system?

iii. Is this a one time data conversion, or will we have to import data from existing systems regularly?

iv. Are some fields mostly blank?

v. Are some desired fields missing?



By: Michael Cordova

About the Author:

small business articles

If you are like most real estate investors, your goals include building a business of substantial size; not a small side business. To create a successful long-term business, your platform must be scalable. If your business is not scalable, it will reach a plateau- something that many business owners of all kinds will reach. One of the easiest solutions required when working to create a scalable real estate investment business is to create systems.

Property Evaluation

Before you build any other systems, you need to create a system for identifying and selecting properties in which to invest into. Most successful commercial real estate investors will develop criteria that a property must meet in order to be considered, and then another more specific set of criteria that a property must meet or exceed in order to be a viable investment option. Developing stringent criteria such as this will effectively remove emotion from the overall investment equation, a common reason for individuals making poor investment choices.

Ongoing Property Management

Once you have begun to build a real estate investment portfolio, you need to have systems in place for effectively managing the properties on an ongoing basis. Develop relationships with general contractors, electricians, plumbers, landscapers, and others so that in the event that work is required on your property, all that will be required on your part is a simple phone call. Or, leverage the services of a real estate management company to handle any and all issues with regards to your property on your behalf, saving you time and money in the short and long runs.

Business Management

Utilize a business management system such as QuickBooks so that all of your income, expenses and taxes are organized. You will be required to possess a variety of financial documents when you file your annual income taxes and depending upon how you have legally structured your real estate investment business, there may be additional tax and paperwork filings required by your individual state of residence.

Systems are the key to saving time today, and for creating a sustainable and scalable real estate investment business.



By: Dave Lindahl

About the Author:

training

In many countries and especially in the United States, tax legislation is generally difficult and demanding especially in the corporate and business sectors. Almost all businesses are required to file and clear precise tax. The problem is that not all companies are healthy to appendage well their tax preparation initiatives. That is ground Intuit software is very in-demand and sought after all over the country. For quite whatever time, it has always been an accepted practice for businesses to allot budget and expenses in specifically and specially hiring certified public accountants to appendage and control filing of set responsibilities. As always, taxation is a difficult, demanding, and tiresome task because there are so many factors to think about, numerous numerical figures to account for and so such venture at stake. It is a common understanding that the United States’ biggest companies are spending so such to handle, manage and work out their respective taxation jobs. And because companies know the efforts are costing them too much, code developer and marketer Intuit Inc has come up with machine programs that would replace actual public accountants in the set filing process. Thus, by merely installing an Intuit software program, companies are healthy to ascertain, assess, and compute their own taxation filings and dues. Proof of the ascension demand for this code is the continuously and robustly growth of such machine programs. Looking at the revenues will easily prompt inference of the mart need and clamor for such branded products. Currently, sales of assorted useful Intuit software is accounting for about $2 billion of the company’s overall annual sales. Since its humble beginning in the 1990s, Intuit has risen to become a $10.8 billion giant software company, which is among the most admired and respected not just in the US but also in many other countries.

Target users for who is an Intuit software program? The program is simple and easily adoptable. That is because from the start, it has been used out and known specifically for small companies and businesses. Its assorted programs out in the mart are also marketed to meet and direct the requirements for set preparation functions of accountants and even tax-paying individuals. Thus, if you are an owner and cause of a small and minor enterprise, there is no reason ground you should not invest into an Intuit software program. For quite whatever time, small businesses, individuals and accountants have been acknowledging the fact that indeed, it is a must and a requisite for handling, maintaining and managing tax filings and preparations. Now is the time you effectively prevent unintended set frauds and evasion charges. For Canadian users Tax preparation and filing in whatever other countries are also as tough and stringent as those in the United States. Specifically, taxes on the neighboring country of Canada are also hard and challenging to file. That is ground there is also a particular and specific Intuit code program for Canadian set users and filers. Introducing the company’s QuickTax package. To begin with, this software is especially and specifically developed and designed in accordance with the Canadian set laws. It is known that Canadian taxation legislations are also as stringent and tough as US set laws. Thus, to assist accountants and small businesses in the nation, the QuickTax has been launched. The Intuit software provides users with step-by-step and guided procedures on how to file and control companies’ and individuals’ tax returns. QuickTax is prefabricated acquirable on the accessible formats of online and CD-ROM.



By: Ron Marshall

About the Author:

bookkeeping

Data Quality Concerns

The overwhelming concerns surrounding unclean data have convinced many companies that a robust and flexible solution is the only way to handle data hygiene issues. A quality data is the foundation on which every company’s strategy is build as well as  many by which it is communicated to various stake holders and customers.

A Gartner Inc’s research report has predicted that ‘dirty data’ will cause 50 per cent of the insurers to have compromised decision-making assumptions by 2012. Data cleansing (also called as data scrubbing) is the act of detecting and removing corrupt or inaccurate records from a database

MIDAS

Bodhtree’s MIDAS (Multi Industry Data Anomaly Solution) Provides scalable and flexible technique of giving customers the choice to opt for Application Integration, Data Integration, Data Quality and Advanced analytics. MIDAS is becoming popular among the various verticals, because it not only provides customers the data integration and hygiene issues. It also allows organizations to valuable options to seamlessly integrate the solution into various applications.

Data Anomaly issues across the Globe

Companies that can’t address this unclean data are going to pay heavy price, not only will they lose customers, but industry experts predict a huge law suits stemming from providing wrong data.

According to the Data Warehousing Institute, a US-based organization that provides high-quality education and research in the business intelligence and data warehousing industry, businesses lose more than $600 billion every year due to poor quality data, while direct marketers in Europe spend 195 million pounds annually on incorrectly addressed international mails.

Data Quality: Prime Agenda

The best way for companies to stay ahead by managing their data hygiene issues is to make sure their clean data becomes a goal not only of individual departments but of the corporation as a whole. CIO’S need to make quality data a corporate goal. Quality data needs become fundamental pieces of culture and put it on the same level as other profitability. Quality data creates satisfied customers

MIDAS Addresses data hygiene issues

Organizations across multiple industries can now save millions of dollars wasted on unclean data. Bodhtree’s MIDAS – Multi Industry Data Anomaly Solution helps solve data completeness, accuracy and integrity problems. MIDAS integrates across various applications and databases with its proprietary tools.

MIDAS offers a viable and convenient options:

–        SaaS (Software as a Service), where in customer data has been transmitted to Bodhtree servers using secure FTP layer. Bodhtree performs data hygiene operations and report back results and enriched data through web based portal.

–        On Premise, where in Bodhtree installs MIDAS at customer premises using data hygiene jump start templates. Jump start templates are set of tools and processes that Bodhtree has built over years of experience in handling critical customer needs. These templates enable faster deployment of solution at customer end.

–        Turn-key Solutions, where Bodhtree’s proven processes would be applied at customer location using customer specific tools. MIDAS process is tool agnostic and can be applied on customer data using any existing toolset that customer owns.

MIDAS – Technology

MIDAS is open standard based J2EE application which adheres to best industry practices in form of vertical specific pre-canned data / application integration steps, data connectors and reports. SOA & JSR 168 compliant architecture Comes with Role based access control (RBAC) mechanism Inbuilt data connectors for industry leading OLTP / ERP / DSS systems such as:

–        SAP, Oracle EBS, JD Edwards, People Soft

–        Salesforce, SugarCRM, Siebel On Demand

–        Quickbooks

–        EDI Connectors

–        JMS, XML

–        CSV and Excel Files

24/7 support from global delivery centers (GDC) SAP Certified Product Oracle certification in progress



Key Drivers for MIDAS to Conceive

One of the key drivers behind the development of MIDAS is the burgeoning global data cleansing market segment and the unprecedented growth of data generated by individuals that requires constant optimization attention. The market for data cleansing solutions is pegged at $100 billion in the US alone, of which the healthcare sector accounts for about $20 billion, which holds huge potential for solutions like MIDAS.

MIDAS Case Studies

1.     MIDAS – Data Anomaly Solution

Client Background

The US client is the world’s largest infomercial company, with sales of more than USD 3 Billion, operating in US, Europe, Japan and Autralia, with a customer base of 30 million customers. The marketing channels used by the client are web, 1-800 numbers and kiosks

.

Business Situation and Challenge

The client had outsourced the entire operations, where order calls are received by tele marketing companies and call centers and deliveries are handled by fulfillment centers. These centers are spread across the world in numerous locations. Orders come through various channels and geographies. Data from these companies are transmitted back to client at pre-defined intervels, and need to be loaded to client ERP and then to Data Warehouse.

The challenge faced by the client was the consolidation of customer records received from different data sources. A clean customer master was essential for the realization value of campaigns run by the client marketing teams.

Bodhtree MIDAS Solution

The customer master contained 30 Million records with anomalies such as incomplete, invalid, incorrect and unstructured data and customer duplicate records. The MIDAS solution provided by Bodhtree helped in elimination of 10 million duplicate records, enrichment of the customer data and mapping of the actual customers to the corresponding sales and inquiry records. MIDAS provided the client a “single version of truth”, which helped the client to calculate the actual realization value of the various marketing campaigns.

2.     MIDAS – Critical Applications Integration

Client Background

The client is a leading global pharmaceutical company, pioneer in global drug discovery and pharmaceutical sales and has presence in more than 100 countries. It has wholly-owned subsidiaries in the US, UK, Russia, Germany and Brazil; joint ventures in China, South Africa and Australia; representative offices in 16 countries; and third-party distribution set ups in 21 countries. It is the first pharmaceutical company in Asia outside of Japan to be listed on the NYSE.

Business Situation and Challenge

The client has various applications such as SAP, forecasting applications, project management applications and third party .NET applications for stockist data maintenance which are part of their supply chain nodes. There is constant flow of crucial data between these applications. Currently data is being transmitted in different modes right from FTP, customer ABAP coding and custom .NET coding. Since the data transferred between the applications are crucial, any loss of data or delay in transfer will result in a down time in the application processing, which would in turn have a huge impact on the company’s supply chain operations.

Tracking and monitoring the flow of data between the systems was a huge challenge. The use of multiple technologies with out proper coupling for data was not reliable due to the increased instances of failures. Tracking the failures, finding the missing data etc. were non-productive as well as time consuming, apart from the other impacts it had on the business due to the downtime.

MIDAS Solution

Bodhtree’s MIDAS has the ability to integrate data and applications including ERPs. MIDAS was used as an intermediary for data transfer between the applications. MIDAS also provided a real time console for monitoring the status of data being transferred. MIDAS also provided automated critical alerts via and email and sms to the concerned personnel, to ensure timely attention and smooth processing of the applications.

MIDAS helped the client’s applications to integrate seamlessly and made the crucial data transfer flawless. It eliminated the downtime and resource overheads and ensured smooth flow of the supply chain operations.



By: Arvind

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Naperville Illinois Accounting Firm vs. Online Tax Providers

For those who live in or around Naperville, Illinois, an accounting firm that can handle your taxes is available to offer you service, attention to detail and quality over what you’ll get with online tax providers.  No matter where you’re located, in fact, accounting firms are available to handle your tax preparation needs.  Though many people use online tax providers, there are some differences that may make you want to hire a Naperville, Illinois accounting firm to do your taxes this year instead.

Millions of Americans use a professional tax preparer each year, and for a good reason.  Having a professional in Naperville, Illinois or anywhere across the country to do your taxes minimizes the chances that there will be an error in your tax filings.  Accountants are well versed in tax law and on top of any changes made to the tax code each year.  They’re professionals, and not likely to make a mistake.

But when you use online tax providers, you’re essentially using that provider’s software to prepare your taxes.  You’re inputting the information according to the questions asked by the software.  If you’re usure about something asked or confused, despite the things built into the software to make sure nothings missed, you could make a mistake that the software won’t catch.

The tax code changes regularly, and professionals like those in a Naperville Accounting Firm keep abreast of all the latest changes and developments to make sure you get every deduction possible and don’t overpay.  Online tax providers update their software too, but if you come to something you’re unfamiliar with, you might miss something that a professional wouldn’t.  Online tax providers also can cost more than a person thinks at the outset.  There might be extra fees associated with electronically filing the state form, or certain forms necessary to complete your taxes, as well as extra fees if the returns are rejected and need to be filed again.  You should read the fine print before preparing your taxes with an online provider.

And while it doesn’t happen often, if your taxes are audited you’ll definitley see the benefits of hiring professionals.  If you used a Naperville, Illinois accounting firm, that firm and all of your tax records are right there to back you up and make sure everything is taken care of.  If you’ve done your own taxes through an online tax provider, mistakes you’ve made can cost you in late fees and penalties.  You can get auditing back-up from online providers, but typically that incurs an extra charge, bringing the price up.  When you use a Naperville, Illinois accounting firm, you get not only personalized service and attention to detail that can save you headaches later, but the utmost in security and professionalism regarding your financial matters.



By: Elle Wood

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