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Website
of the Month: CPA2Biz
By
Susan B. Anders
MAY 2008 - CPA2Biz
(www.cpa2biz.com)
is a for-profit marketing and technology subsidiary of the AICPA.
The web portal debuted in 2001 and was reviewed in this column in
September 2002. Much has changed on the site, which was redesigned
about a year ago. Readers who have been using CPA2Biz only to order
materials will find that the website has much more to offer, including
free resources.
Website
Organization
The redesign
offers more navigational features, including tailored search aids
for specific areas of the site. All pages have a top navigational
bar for the “homepage,” “store,” “member
benefits,” “for your clients,” “CPA marketplace,”
and “newsletters,” each with additional drop-down
menus. Above the main bar are links for “my account,”
“sign in,” “catalog quick order,” and
“shopping cart.”
A navigational
index can be found below the keyword search on most pages. Left-side
indices target the most popular features on the homepage. The
bottom of each page has links to customer service features. Finally,
the top of each page has a navigational path.
The homepage
presents a broad overview of the site with highlights of particular
materials. From the left-side index, users can browse by type
of product, topic, or other resources. The center of the homepage
promotes for-purchase resources. At the bottom of the homepage,
a banner highlights “what’s new.”
Free
Resources
Some of the
best free features are located at the bottom of the main pages
“store,” “member benefits,” “for
your clients,” and “CPA marketplace.”
CPA2Biz offers
webcasts that are free if users choose to receive no CPE credit,
and low cost for those who choose the CPE option. CPExpress, also
found on the CPE page under “more CPE options,” offers
a free 30-day trial for up to two free credits to registered users.
Offerings include hundreds of CPA2Biz regular one- and two-credit
courses.
The AICPA’s
free “Competency Self-Assessment Tool” (CAT) can be
accessed from multiple locations, most easily via a link at the
bottom of the CPE page. The CAT is designed to identify strengths
and weaknesses in topical areas such as taxation, fraud, or audit,
as well as leadership qualities and personal attributes.
“Member
benefits” provides links to discount programs offered by
a variety of companies. Under “additional member benefits”
are links to the AICPA’s “CPA marketing tool kit,”
“global accounting alliance,” and “career development”
webpages.
“For
your clients” promotes a free webinar on practice management
and links to the AICPA independence and ethics guidelines, both
at the bottom of the main page. The ethics link includes a quiz,
downloadable “Interpretation 101-3,” and a free hotline
for AICPA members.
“CPA
marketplace” has a career center and classified ads. The
career center has a free job search, resume posting, and beginning
career tools, as well as resources for employers to post positions
and review resumes. Classified ads cover practices for sale, in
addition to products and services. The bottom of the “CPA
marketplace” page includes useful links to the AICPA’s
“audit committee matching system,” “PCPS firm
practice center,” and “tax center.”
“Newsletters”
allows users to sign up for one free e-newsletter, chosen from
CPA Insider, Career Insider, Corporate Finance Insider, Corporate
Taxation Insider, Tax Insider, or Wealth Insider.
Archives of these publications are available even without a subscription
or registration. A search by topic returns articles from the AICPA
and other publications.
Susan
B. Anders, PhD, CPA, is a professor of accounting at St.
Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, N.Y.
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