Quite happy with basing things on hourly rates as we've chatted about before but they just lost me totally at Sage, lol.
On the Norton front I tend to use it as an indicator but not conclusive. If its a big red don't go there sign I listen
Green doesn't always mean safe.
Grey means its not been tested which doesn't in itself make it dangerous.
Basically I just take a lot of notice of the red one's.
If a site is serious though they would apply to Norton to test the site so that it gets approved or rejected status rather than just staying as a grey questionmark.
Anyway, I will have a look at this when they're sites up.
Personally much more excited about taxcalc after chating with Mark today and seeing their new scalable practice management suit (despite rumours that I'm a new age luddite I actually love change when I can see a point to it, I'm just not one of the change for the sake of it brigade).
all the best,
Shaun.
p.s. did I ever tell you about a freind of mine who installed Norton for Win 3.1 on a Win95 machine (I think that was the way around, we're talking quite some time ago) and it recognised the operating system as a virus and ring fenced it meaning that his only option was a low level format of the hard drive.
-- Edited by Shamus on Thursday 17th of October 2013 09:17:17 PM
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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.
Looking for opinions and reviews. I've watched a few of their videos and attended a webinar but the only reviews I can find are the positive ones on their own website.
Of the 3 hours or so, only 15 minutes was a sales input. There are a few parts of the system I think are flawed, but it was something I was always going to do myself anyway. If it's as good as they say, then it'll be worth the money. I have ordered the pack and get 45 days to reconsider.
My only worry is that I can't find any reviews or opinions on it except from their site. I'll let you know better next week.
Norton gives the site an unknown classification. Not in itself bad, just doesn't inspire confidence.
Next it doesn't look very professional when their website comes back with a mysql error before even getting into the site.
If they can't get that right its not a very good sign for dealing with them.
All in all at the minute I'm getting the impression of a web based company thats launched before its websites ready which doesn't inspire me to do any business with them.
... Whatever it is that they might be selling but I don't know as I can't get on their site.
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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.
Don't read too much into the site being down folks. It has been up any time I've looked at it over the past 6 months or so, today they do seem to be having problems though. It happens to the best of us. With regards to Norton Shaun, how could you rely on that shower of.... I stopped myself. They've never impressed me much.
I was really just wondering if anyone had, or knows anyone who had bought their system. I'm going to give it a shot, it seems to be something else based on the e-myth so even if I end up butchering it and taking the good bits it's not so bad.
The two things which concern me are that they are in love with Sage, and in love with hourly rates. Who knows whether it'll be a long marriage between us or whether I'll be on to Shaun for a good quickie divorce lawyer.
I've never forgiven Norton for overtaking my computer some years ago. I feel that they made is secure by allowing no user intervention at all. I might as well have packed it up and put it in the cupboard.
I've got to say though, I've never applied to Norton to have my website checked. Imagine applying to every security package to check your website. It's a crazy state of affairs really.
I tried TaxCalc a few times, but I never really liked it. Always felt it was no better than Andica with a much higher price tag (for personal self assessment anyway). For practice management I looked at Logical Office recently. Although it had some 'would like' features I couldn't justify the money. My CRM cost about £100 and suits me just fine. That's not to say I don't constantly look for better, just not found it yet.
it seems that they've changed their pricing structure and the practice management software is included free if you purchase either of the main two (Accounts production or tax).
They even do it in several sizes now from micro business size of 12 companies (accounts, £99+vat)) and 12 individuals, 5 partnerships and 5 CT600's (tax, £175+vat)) right through to unlimiteds.
The price for the whole solution for Micro practices (excluding the bookkeeping bit for which I would still want to use VT) is now half the price that they used to charge for tax returns that excluded CT600's! Thats a big improvement... The micro sollution would not be big enough for me if I went completely over to Taxcalc but that said I'm nowhere near Marks stable of clients (100 and counting).
I'm actually thinking of giving it a try myself next year just before the VT renewal comes up and then making a decision as to which way I go at renewal date (although even if I do go down that route I may end up purchasing the smallest taxcalc for starters and VT accounts to run the two in tandem).
With my practice I currently just use Excel for my CRM as most of it seems like common sense plus it's one of those things where I want to control it rather than the software placing any restrictions on the methods that I employ.
I think that CRM is quite a personal thing that to work well really needs to be developed peculiar to one's own practice... That said, I've probably got best part of £100 worth of books covering various aspects of it so its not as if I'm actually doing it on the cheap, just doing it my way rather than via what some software company thinks that my CRM should be (although I will admit that not all of the books were purchased first hand).
O the norton front I think that there's only really two that one needs to concern themselves with getting their site approved for and thats Norton and McAffee. I even get the impression that once its been approved by one the others play ball so assume that they must talk to each other in a similar way to how the banks all speak with each other about the important things even though they're competitors in the same market.
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.
For anyone interested in the system who is IAB I have no idea of the details of the arrangement but the IAB gives money off it to their members.
I'll try to pencil in watching the video later but that Sage has already been mentioned in association with it is not winning it any brownie points with me.
I'll try to keep an open mind as I watch it though.
__________________
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.
Having watched the 30+ minute video at purebooking here is my opinion.
It's a marketing strategy on their part with bookkeeping as the byproduct. You pay £30 for a webinar, thats fine you will know doubt learn something in that 3 hours that will more than cover the cost. Watching the introductory video emphasised a couple of worthwhile points to me. Then its at least £600 for the system, which comprises a couple of manuals, some resources and cds/dvds. If you sign up for the 45 day trial its going to cost you nearly £3k for the system if you choose to go ahead. That's clever marketing! I'd sooner pay the £600 upfront through the growth accelerator fund. Then there's an annual cost of £600 a year as long as you continue with it. I can't quite see the benefit of that just to get updated resources?
Now in order to make it all work they suggest you be part of the most expensive bookkeepers in the industry, charging £25-£30 an hour! OK, that *may* well work in London but it certainly aint going to work in Yorkshire! It would appear to me that they are selling you a marketing system, not a bookkeeping system. Will probably do a webinar later next month but I would have to be mightily convinced before going further with it.
However, if you treat the £600 a year as a marketing cost to give you the tools to promote your business then fair enough, I think there's some mileage in that.
I could find no mention of sage but presumably you don't have to use Sage to run the system?
Would be interested to hear how you get on with the 45 day trial Kris.
OK, so I received the course and the package looked quite impressive. As I began to read through the two huge lever arch folders I started to realise just how Sage orientated the package actually was. To my mind, rather than being the great time saving systems and procedures it appeared to me to be, it was more of a really, really expensive step by step Sage guide.
I have now asked for my money to be returned under their 45 day guarantee. The package sounded like it had great potential, but lost it all in the execution. They did tell me that they would be looking at rewriting it for other packages, but I think what they really need to do is take an overview of the systems and processes rather than getting bogged down with a particular package.
Thanks for the quick reply Kris. It's good to read your thoughts.
It sounds like it may be more suited to new bookkeepers then, and Sage users at that. Might have to think of other options then. Back to the drawing board...
It'd be nice with them being so local and that I went to school with one of the guys there. I've had the odd trial disk and they phone up now and then. Can't say I was very tempted before but the pricing looks competitive now and I seem to think that wasn't always the case.
It'd be nice with them being so local and that I went to school with one of the guys there. I've had the odd trial disk and they phone up now and then. Can't say I was very tempted before but the pricing looks competitive now and I seem to think that wasn't always the case.
When it comes to running a successful bookkeeping business, the bookkeeping is the easy part! Many bookkeepers have faced the challenges of marketing, and finding great clients.
