I consider myself a workflow geek. Developing checklists, target dates, and processes and seeing them through until the end genuinely excites me. As founder and CEO of One 8 Solutions for the past two-plus decades, I am always looking for ways to master the newest work management platform to help my team and me streamline routine business processes for optimal efficiency.
For example, my commitment to streamline and maximize accounting and bookkeeping processes has been recognized over the years through certifications and awards from several leading accounting and bookkeeping titans. These include a QuickBooks Online Advance Certified and the Elite Level Designation, the "Insightful Accountant Top 100 ProAdvisor" list for the past five years, as well as "QBO Integrations ProAdvisor" by Insightful Accountant in 2019.
I believe that these achievements along with One 8 Solutions’ mission of being “a process-driven firm” are the things that distinguishes us from other boutique accounting and bookkeeping firms across the country.
The Issue
As we built our team from two in 2002, to a team of nine full-time and part-time employees and contractors in 2022, we used to manage our workflow/task using three disparate technologies:
- Work in QBO Accountant
- Spreadsheets
- Instructions in Word or OneNote
This resulted in deadlines being missed, the quality of work was hard to manage, and communication among a growing team was challenging. Clearly, as we continued to grow, we needed a more robust platform to enable us to perform effectively at a higher level.
Enter Shahram Zarshenas, owner and developer of Financial Cents. Shahram reached out to me in April 2020. After a brief ramp up period, we hired an Operations Manager to help us implement and manage the workflow.
The Result
Financial Cents has been a game changer for us. It has provided our team with an accounting practice management software that allows us to scale our firm. In one comprehensive dashboard, we are able to improve upon five key areas:
- Time tracking and invoicing
- CRM accounting software
- Tasks and auto reminders
- Delegate and track recurring work
- Collaborate with my staff
A Few Takeaways
Workflow management is only one part of the solution to business growth. Workflow capacity is the other critical component by addressing these vital building blocks:
- The ability to see how much work and what the team is doing
- Do we have enough internal capacity to fill immediate new engagements?
- Is there enough capacity to support the growth of the firm?
My inner workflow nerd has taken me to a whole new level with Financial Cents—and so has my company’s output. Workflow management is critical to the growth of any business and is directly related to the quality of the work that you can deliver.
Regardless of what workflow management platform you choose, it is important to consider the security measures when managing existing clients or onboarding new clients to keep their data safe. Doing business via the internet is a hacker’s paradise and those of us in the financial services industry are at a higher risk for a cyberattack.
To learn more about ensuring the security of your clients’ data, check out this recent article on “Safety and the Onboarding Workflow Process” by Insightful Accountant.
Be sure to look for our blog next month on “Workflow Capacity,” where we will review the benefits of Workflow Capacity Planning including:
- Increase in project efficiency
- Enhance your long-term strategic goals
- How to plan for capacity by tracking
Jonathan Bello the founder, CEO and Principal Accountant for One 8 Solutions, which celebrated its 20th year in business in 2021. The award-winning bookkeeping and accounting firm still stands true to its mission—to provide the latest financial insights and strategies with a team of accounting and bookkeeping experts to support the growth of small- to medium-sized businesses in the Greater Boston area and beyond. Jonathan was awarded "QuickBooks’s Online Integrations ProAdvisor of the Year" and "Insightful Accountant’s “Top 10 QuickBooks ProAdvisor” in 2019. An Insightful Accountant “Top 100 ProAdvisor” for five consecutive years, he also is a member of Intuit's Writer/Trainer network and an Intuit Elite Reseller. For more information on One 8 Solutions' workflow platform or to schedule a Zoom consultation at no cost to you, CLICK HERE.
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