July 2001

Taking Advantage of Recent Technology, A Priority for CPAs

Although e-mail accounts and Internet access have become virtual staples in accounting firms, CPAs attending the New York State Society of CPAs’ Business & Technology Conference in April flocked to two different presentations focusing on the advantages of these tools for the certified public accountant.

The first of these sessions featured Laurence Zuckerman, vice president of Accountants World, LLC, who discussed free Internet resources for CPAs. Some audience members, such as Richard Smolin of Bway.net, a New York City-based company providing Internet services, did not have any specific expectations beyond “keeping current” and “expanding his knowledge base.”

“There is always new stuff on the Web. It’s worth attending this session just to become aware of new tricks and tips in terms of using the Internet,” Smolin said. “There’s so much information, and being here gives me a chance to capture some of it.”

Michael Taylor of controllersoncall.com agreed with Smolin. For Taylor, “learning what’s out there” would “help [him] to access information more quickly and further [his] relationships with clients.”

Zuckerman recommended visiting banx.com/rates.asp and bankcd.com to reference free CD rates, and downloading software at gator.com in order to save time on filling in forms. The point of the presentation, he said, was to not only “show accountants the vast amount of resources available on the Web, particularly those they can access at no charge” because the Internet features “free information and software that can make [accountants’] professional lives easier” but also to “impress upon [CPAs] how mandatory it is for every business to have its own website.”

“Years ago, accountants wouldn’t have considered doing business without business cards and stationery,” Zuckerman said. “In the twenty-first century, accountants shouldn’t consider doing business without a website—it is just not acceptable. A website, especially one with unique functionality, is as ubiquitous as a fax machine.”

Plus, Zuckerman added, websites enable small accounting firms to advertise themselves and promote their services as aggressively as larger accounting firms, which traditionally have had more resources to do so than most small firms.

“I, as a small accountant, can create a website that’s every bit as functional as that of a big five firm. Technology is a tremendous democratizer,” Zuckerman said.

The second presentation featured Peter Frank of Cornick, Garber & Sandler, LLP, on the benefits of e-mail for the CPA. Frank’s session covered all of the basics related to using e-mail, including the equipment that is needed in order to access an e-mail account, as well as more advanced topics such as using e-mail in conjunction with palm pilots. But most important, perhaps, was the advice Frank provided that would facilitate relations with clients and colleagues.

“Be conscious of what type of equipment people have. For some people, large files will take a long time to download,” was one tip. “Don’t bother formatting messages, because it slows down mail service for some recipients,” was another.

Indeed, Frank hoped that his audience would gain an understanding of e-mail not only in terms of its functional attributes, but also as a legitimate form of communication—which, like letters and telephone calls, comes with its own set of rules and etiquette. While he wanted his audience to pick up some “basic skills,” Frank also wanted the CPAs at his session to learn “when e-mail is the right or wrong tool, some protocols to follow, and potential legal issues surrounding e-mail.”

“Don’t use smiley faces. Don’t include private and/or proprietary information in e-mail messages,” Frank cautioned.

CPA Leonard Green, who attended Frank’s session on April 18, concurred with the speaker regarding the importance of e-mail as a form of exchange.

“E-mail is all about communication, and more and more of that is going to be happening,” Green said. “There are a lot of positive things about e-mail: It reduces everything to writing, and you don’t have to meet with people.”

Speaking for the accounting profession as a whole, Green added that CPAs are “in the communications business.”

But for Janice Carlino, a member of the NYSSCPA Emerging Technologies Committee, the goal was to learn about the technological advances offered by e-mail that can save CPAs both time and money. Frank’s demonstration of how to send attachments was extremely pertinent to Carlino’s interest in portable document format (PDF) files.