I am working on a new Website that will provide free advice, tips, resources and (in time) tools for accountants/bookkeepers to assist them with practice development.
I will be putting content on the site and have been promised contributions from well known names.
What I'd like to know is what would like to know more about?
Would it be developing a practice strategy, lead generation, selling, pricing or management?
It sounds very similar to this forum and the network websites, would it be worth asking the site owners if you could write on their weekly blog as everything would be in one place?
In terms of things that would help, I think that marketing is the biggest issue for most bookkeepers and accountants, as it doesn't come naturally. Also, managing your clients (I guess - Practice management) is an issue too once you get past so many clients too. This is just my opinion though.
@Ben - there is no set plan but the idea is to bring advisors together in one place rather than them doing their own thing in isolation. The site is not commercial so there is no paid content.
This morning I sat in on a 90-minute training session on Xero and add-ons with a firm I am working with. What I can say (hand on heart) is that there is massive change coming for bookkeepers. I just cannot see how bookkeepers will be making a living (let alone a profit) from processing. There are online applications that scan and code into Xero with rules.
As regards marketing, I'll be writing a post about the concept of "Being brave enough to attack yourself" with a new proposition. This is because for marketing to be as successful as bookkeepers/accountants want it to be, it needs to be done at the strategy level and then rolled out tactically.
Basically, this means developing a service that is distinctively different and compellingly attractive; a bit better isn't enough to make a difference. Xero and new technology can help you do that.
on sites such as this one where we bring together many like minded individuals with different approaches and knowledge bases the idea works really well as this is an industry where there are often diametrically opossed ways of achieving the same end.
This site suceeds where I feel that others such as the ICB one fails somewhat in that people here are free to put forwards their opinions for debate about any subject or organisation without risk of ridicule or censorship (where such opinions are based in fact).
For example, if someone on your site were to offer an opinion against cloud offerings / Xero could you really see it being accepted by your site?
I don't think that Ben's suggestion of writing in the sites weekly blog would be found acceptable as that would be alligning this site with crunchers whereas the site is totally independant of it's contributors.
On the idea of site experts.... That's pigeon holing the contributors into those giving the advice and those taking it where from my experience every expert (myself included) is flawed and every contributor, no matter how little their knowledge generally has some valid input whether from the field in question or other experience in their life.
The point about bookkeepers being replaced by Xero... That would be the people selling Xero telling you that... I've had similar conversations with many software vendors including IBM and real life doesn't tend to pan out the way of demonstatrations.
Why would people go to your site? Same reason that they come here. For technical advice on products that they already use, for how to find more clients / make more money and for unbiased views as to break into this industry.
The sucess of your site will depend upon the quality. objectivity and independance of your experts which means that anyone trying to sell anything or treating those asking the questions as anything less than equals will quickly see your audience disappear.
.... On that matter, who is your audience?
Bookkeepers and accountants have this site and accountingweb both of which are excellent resources (although this one is definitely more freindly). What selling point does your site have that it's competition doesn't?
kind regards,
Shaun.
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
@Shaun - at this stage the Website is not a discussion platform, it offers advice, resources and (in time) practical tools. I accept the content quality is key to the success.
My view is that Xero won't replace bookkeepers, but it will change what they do and in doing so give them a future.
On the other hand, this is the type of thing thst will force bookkeepers to seek for new (added value) revenue http://www.receipt-bank.com/.
On the other hand, this is the type of thing thst will force bookkeepers to seek for new (added value) revenue http://www.receipt-bank.com/.
I know a number of the bigger (top 20) accountancy firms who are already starting to develop systems like this for their clients. The idea is the client scans and uploads all their invoices, receipt's etc and then they are processed by a dedicated team who can even be offshore.
The idea is they will then start targeting the smaller end of the market with very agressive pricing, which will have a knock on effect for the smaller book keepers as prices will start to tumble.
@Paul - the speeds of change is getting faster and I can see Receipt Bank style offerings being common in all firms within 5-10 years.
The thing is that accountants can afford to not make a margin on bookkeeping because they have other services. Bookkeeping could even become a loss leader which is why Crunchers have moved.
When someone can do what you can do for free and/or afford to make a loss you are in trouble.
I know the firm I used to work for did bookkeeping for free if you signed up for their tax services, audit etc
They were also very into doing smaller bookkeeping jobs as a factory process, so whilst each one didn't make a lot, once you get 200-500 on-board then it makes a turn.
The thing with most accountants is that they simply don't really understand what their clients actually do. We offer R&D tax advice to clients and it's amazing how many times we hear "Why didn't my accountant tell me about this?"
