For Educators
Bob Jensen's threads on tools and tricks
of the trade are at
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/thetools.htm
"So you want a new desktop accounting package?"
by David Carter, AccountingWeb, June 5, 2007 ---
http://www.accountingweb.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=103569
David does not mention my oft-preferred alternative of a
Webledger system (such as NetSuite) that can be accessed at a range of needs and
sizes and prices with some huge advantages over installing accounting software
on your own hardware --- at
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/Webledger.htm
Bob Jensen's helpers on accounting software
alternatives are
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/Bookbob1.htm#AccountingSoftware
Peachtree Accounting Practice Sets ---
http://www.perdisco.com/peachtree/
"Technology 2012 Preview: Part 1 Experts explain what should be at the top
of your tech wish list for the new year," by Jeff Drew, Journal
of Accountancy, November 2011 ---
http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/Issues/2011/Nov/20114310.htm
December 3, 2011 message from Rick Newmark
For collaboration tools, we used Sharepoint in our
intro to MIS course, which is required for all business students. Since we
adopted Pearson products, Pearson provided with the full version of
Sharepoint and 200 access codes. Students can rent the ebook for 180 days on
Coursesmart for $24 (list price of hard copy is $56). My techphobic students
struggled with learning Sharepoint, and all of us, I included, did take some
time to get the hang of it. I think Sharepoint makes a great tool for an AIS
course because students have to make many security/control/access decisions
for their own group sites. For example, what kind of permissions do you
grant to various people/groups? How are you going to control access to
documents? Are you going to use check-out/check-in for documents or are you
going to let multiple people edit simultaneously?
I am going to use it in my graduate AIS course next
semester for the reasons stated above and because they will likely use
Sharepoint or some other set of collaboration tools in their professional
careers.
Rick Newmark
"2010 Tax Software Survey," Journal of Accountancy,
September 2010 ---
http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/Issues/2010/Sep/20102892.htm
AccountingWeb's 2009 Tax Software Review for Professionals, November 2009
Featured Tax
Software
Bob Jensen's accounting software helpers ---
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/Bookbob1.htm#AccountingSoftware
Bob Jensen's taxation helpers ---
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/Bookbob1.htm#010304Taxation
Business Technology from Business Week Magazine ---
http://bx.businessweek.com/business-technology/
The Journal of Accountancy has a great monthly technology section
(with particular focus on things you never, ever thought you could do with MS
Office, particularly Excel) ---
http://www.journalofaccountancy.com/
The Q&A modules are particularly informative and should be centralized in one
place in addition to monthly editions.
Bob Jensen's threads on accounting software ---
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/bookbob1.htm#AccountingSoftware
Bob Jensen's threads on education technology ---
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/000aaa/0000start.htm
RIP: The End of Microsoft Office
Accounting
Microsoft is formally backing away from the small
business accounting market after announcing that the Office Accounting program
will no longer be distributed after November 16, 2009. In addition, the
Microsoft Professional Accountant's Network (MPAN) will no longer accept new
members as of that date.
AccountingWeb, November 4, 2009 ---
http://www.accountingweb.com/topic/technology/end-microsoft-office-accounting
Bob Jensen's accounting software threads are at
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/Bookbob1.htm#AccountingSoftware
Software Buying Guides
SMB
Finance and Accounting Checklist
February 6, 2008 message from CHRISTINE KLOEZEMAN
[ckloezem@PRODIGY.NET]
At Glendale Community College in California we
teach our Financial Accounting and Basic Accounting without a computerized
accounting program. I have previously included both a tutorial computerized
accounting program and later a commerical accounting program. It took too
much time out of the class that meets 5 hours a week.
Instead we have a Computerized Accounting class
that uses Quickbooks Pro that is required for the Accounting AA. We also
have Payroll accounting that uses Quickbooks pro. We were using Business
Works (lower version of MAS 2000) but Quickbooks was suggested by our
Advisory Committee. We also have a Advanced Computerized Accounting class
that teaches Peachtree and others. We also require students to take Excel to
get both a certificate and an AA.
Christy
February 6, 2008 message from Carol Flowers
[cflowers@OCC.CCCD.EDU]
We have the financial /managerial accounting class
meeting 5 hours per week and using epacks. However, we have a "computerized
accounting" course that stands alone and is required for an AA degree. In
that course, the student completes an integrated accounting package and also
excel. We also offer stand alone courses in Quickbooks, Payroll and MAS
90/200.
We have found that our population learns the
concepts better with pen and paper (for lack of a better word) and then we
use the Computerized Accounting to re-enforce their principles while
exposing them to industry software and excel.
June 7, 2007 message from Ray Slager
[slgr@CALVIN.EDU]
I wonder if anyone is currently using commercial
software in their courses. I tried to use QuickBooks at one time but the
company makes it very difficult to use. First of all it must be loaded on
each computer - not on the network. Secondly it needs to be updated each
quarter for the payroll module to work and of course the entire package must
be "upgraded" every two or three years. Does anyone know if this is still
the case?
Does anyone use other commercial software that is
easier to administer? I currently am using MYOB and find it very easy to
use. I currently am looking at their latest version and think it is very
promising. It can be loaded on a file server and comes in a "10 pack" - good
for use on 10 computers for about $300.
Ray Slager
Calvin College
June 7, 2007 reply from Davidson, Dee (Dawn)
[dgd@MARSHALL.USC.EDU]
We use Peachtree and get the software free for the
network. Use this link.
http://www.peachtree.com/training/educational_partnerships.cfm
Find the license and application forms. Fax them to
Peachtree and the software CD will be mailed to you. They send you last
year's version - we just received 2006 - but the changes are very minimal
year to year. Each spring we send in the forms and get a new CD to be
installed on the network for the following school year. We develop our own
exercises, but they also have education material available. Hope that helps.
dee davidson
Leventhal School of Accounting
Marshall School of Business
University of Southern California
(213)740-5018 tel (213) 747-2815 fax
dgd@marshall.usc.edu
June 7, 2007 reply from Formosa, Jim
[Jim.Formosa@NSCC.EDU]
We are using QuickBooks but are looking at
Microsoft's accounting software for small business. We have the same
problems you describe with QuickBooks.
Jim Formosa, MS, CPA
Certified Senior WebCT Trainer
Associate Professor of Accounting
Nashville Community College
615-353-3420 FAX 615-356-1213
June 7, 2007 reply from Fisher, Paul
[PFisher@ROGUECC.EDU]
I have found that Peachtree is much better. I am
running an older version, but it does not seem to matter. Peachtree provides
an educational version that does not lock the student out after 25 visits,
and does not have the payroll deadfall. It also has a "tutorial"
embedded that makes it almost textbook free if you
are willing to produce class handouts. I am going to be attempting
Timberlake for a construction program. Anyone have experience in that?
Paul
June 7, 2007 reply from Prachyl, Cheryl L
[cprachyl@UTA.EDU]
I use Peachtree. They provide a free educational
site license. The educational version is one year behind the currently
marketed version, but I don't find that to be a problem.
I tried using Quickbooks for one semester but we
had no money in our budget to purchase the software. We got a donation to
the department for a one year site license but we had problems with the
installation in our labs.
I have found that Peachtree works well. It also can
reinforce the "cycle" approach to business through the navigation aids.
Cheryl Prachyl
University of Texas at Arlington
June 7, 2007 reply from Leslie Kren
[lkren@UWM.EDU]
I use SAP in my cost management courses. SAP is the
leading ERP system and using it in the classroom provides exposure to the
'big systems' most of our students see in practice. The startup cost for me
was quite high several years ago, but now the SAP University Alliance is
quite active and provides summer workshops and substantial assistance with
instructional materials to interested faculty.
Leslie Kren, PhD, CPA
Associate Professor
Lubar School of Business
University of WI - Milwaukee
3202 N. Maryland Milwaukee, WI 53201
414 229-6075 fax: 414 229-6957
lkren@uwm.edu
http://www.uwm.edu/~lkren/
June 8, 2007 reply from David Fordham, James Madison
University [fordhadr@JMU.EDU]
Ray,
I guess my answer is no and yes. I don't use it in class, but I use it in
the course.
The first half of our basic systems course is spent
on systems concepts relating transaction cycles and the traditional
accounting systems flows and operations. We don't demonstrate any commercial
software, we mainly concentrate on manual paper document flow to teach them
the use of documents like reqs, PO's, receiving vouchers, invoices, etc. and
mention that "most of this flow is now computerized." During the second half
of the course, while the classroom activities are covering stuff like REA
(organization), XBRL (retrieval and reporting), SDLC, information security,
PoET, networking, etc., the students are engaged in a lengthy homework
assignment (5 weeks long): a group project wherein they, without help or
assistance from anyone, keep the books for a small hypothetical company for
a month (the shoebox full of receipts concept), by using a commercial
software package of their choosing.
They not only choose the package, they must buy it,
and then teach themselves how to use it, on their own. This includes setting
up the master files, creation of the chart of accounts (or modification of
the stock chart to eliminate the hundreds of fluff accounts not required by
this company), entry of the month's of data, creation of reports (including
some involving the report writer), plus the internal controls necessary for
the company to use their particular software package, which might involve
form design and creation, etc.
The project is done in student groups (3, 4, or 5
students). The students must first evaluate several packages, and then get
approval from the professor for the package of their choice. Since I don't
use a textbook for the main part of the course, I expect them to pool and
spend their "Textbook" money on a legal copy of the commercial software
($150 per student should give them about $400-700 for software, although
some groups try to find suitable packages for under $300). I'd say the
average group spends about $400 for their software.
The case is complex enough that the "demo" versions
and the low-end versions of packages like Quickbooks and Peachtree
absolutely won't suffice. In fact, even the mid-range versions won't be
usable UNLESS the group goes to a heckuva lotta trouble designing manual
internal controls, in which case their controls usually begin interfering
with the efficiency and effectiveness of operations. What's more, low-end
package groups often must resort to additional tools to provide some of the
required reporting information: excel, etc., and eventually their accounting
"system in toto" begins to get quite cumbersome. Students learn valuable
lessons in software features versus advertising, features vs. usability,
software-based controls vs. manual controls, etc. Plus, during the
evaluation phase, they get to compare packages based on the criteria we
cover in the first part of the course vis-a-vis the handling of the
critical/non-critical data elements, transfer of data between job fun! !
ctions within the company, etc.
They learn one package well enough to put it on
their resume, and they get some exposure to one or two others. The fact that
they learn it on their own surprises most of my colleagues from my
generation, but I've found that after having the accounting system concepts
explained to them, and getting some "manual or semi-automated" transaction
cycles demonstrated and illustrated, they can pick up the software a whole
lot better than my generation. They use the tutorials, they use on-line help
(they can use any aid except for a living human -- they can't use email
help, for example -- but they can use existing on-line user group posts,
blogs, etc. as long as they haven't posted something to the source in
question). They get two 30-minute "consulting" sessions with the professor
if they get in trouble. Most groups need at least one of those sessions, but
I never need to teach them how to use the software, their problems are
usually more related to efficiency vs. controls.
Yes, it is a boatload of work, for both the
students and for me. But the project counts the same as one of the two major
exams, and although they complain about the amount of work while they are
doing it, in the end, their deliverable is immensely personally satisfying.
Very few of them recocmmend dropping the project from the course (or even
scaling it back) in the end-of-course evaluations.
The ability of today's students to rise to the
challenge of teaching themselves the intricacies of today's complex
commercial software is truly amazing to some gray-haired baby boomers like
myself. Thus, I don't spend class time on any commercial package anymore.
(Yes, some groups do make some mistakes in their
selection, and learning from their mistakes often turns out to be one of the
most effective learning strategies.... this is education, after all, and
mistakes aren't fatal.)
So we use commercial accounting software in the
course, but not in class.
David Fordham
James Madison University
June 10, 2007 reply from Tom Sentman
Hi David,
I really like your approach to exposing
students to accounting software in your class.
Do you teach this course to beginning or
second year students?
What are some of the accounting software
packages your students have used?
Is there a way that I could obtain an
outline and/or syllabus for your course? It would be most
appreciated.
Tom Sentman
Springfield, MO
June 11, 2007 reply from David Fordham, James Madison University
[fordhadr@JMU.EDU]
Tom, my course is designed to be taken in
the junior year, but some put it off until the first semester senior
year. Students arrive having taken principles 1 and principles 2,
plus Intermediate 1. Some have also taken Intermediate 2, Tax, and a
few have even taken Cost. My course is the pre-req for auditing.
Students have used lots of different
packages, but the high-end Peachtree Pro Plus, Great Plains,
Microsoft Small Business Pro, and similar packages (those in the
$250 to $500 price range) seem to be the most popular. My case calls
for more than simple 'sell four products to two customers'. It
requires departmental sales reporting, consignment, commissions,
differing terms for different customers, taxable and non-taxable
sales, different tax rates, freight prepaid and collect, FOB
shipping point and destination, and even some non-traditional stuff
(I call them "easter eggs" because the students have to find them --
critical thinking exercise!) such as a sale that isn't really be a
sale, a sale that might or might not be a sale, a purchase that
isn't really a purchase, etc... I don't stick to the easy
accrual/deferral stuff, I want them to have to stop and think. The
reports I ask for are analyses not normally found in the $19.99
packages.
I use Blackboard for the course, and my
institution is pretty stingy with the guest log-ins since we put
copyrighted materials on our Blackboard webs. Can you give me a
personal email and I'll shoot you a PDF copy of the syllabus and
course calendar.
The case is one that I came up with. I've
been using it and polishing it for about 15 years, and about a dozen
other AIS profs (including Nancy Bagranoff) have used it too, but no
one is interested in publishing it -- I'm too busy to waste time
coming up with the darn "learning bjectives", "teaching notes", and
"assessment instruments" junk that the gatekeepers demand these
days. (I'm at the point in my career where I don't have to lick
quite as many boots as I used to, back in the days when I was young
and foolish...) I'll be happy to send you the case and give you
permission to use it if you think it would help your students. Like
I said, it basically is an exercise in thinking as well as software
learning. What I like about it is that the students have to do this
"on their own", with only two "consulting sessions", so it forces
them to think before they come into my office. It is amazing how
many students rise to such a challenge and can think and think well
when calle! ! d upon. And as I said before, learning software is
something that the kids today can do with their eyes shut (... or
glued to their iPhone, or YouTube, or MySpace, etc.)
David Fordham
PBGH Faculty Fellow
James Madison University
New and enhanced features in QuickBooks 2010 ---
http://www.accountingweb.com/topic/technology/new-and-enhanced-features-quickbooks-2010
2008 Quickbooks Update
December 12, 2008 message from Scott Bonacker
[lister@BONACKERS.COM]
Hello
Scott,
Thank you for
contacting me. Here is some information for your records. Click on any of
the hyperlinks below for more information and please let me know if you have
any questions.
The
Instructor's Resource Center for QuickBooks is located at
www.accountant.intuit.com/iep.
Go to
Register Now
and enter your institution's information. If
you do not have your license number (it
is a required field) you
may enter "IEP" in the license number field.
This will give you full access to the fifteen
lesson plans, reviews and PowerPoint presentations. The lesson plans are
for your use only.
DON'T FORGET the
Educator's Corner!
Discussion forums, tools, resources and allows the sharing of curriculum
from review exercises and quizzes to test questions.
Pricing is
as follows for software used for instructional purposes:
Site
licenses come with a 2 year site license agreement to be filled out by the
user and returned to Intuit. Site licenses are strictly for classroom
installation for instructional purposes.
NEW ! ! -
QUICKBOOKS PREMIER ACCOUNTANTS EDITION IS HERE
-
Access other versions of
QuickBooks 2009 through
the Accountants Edition with the
toggle feature.
Click here
to learn more! The
appearance and basic workflows are the same as Pro, but you will also have
access to all versions of QuickBooks 2009
(Simple Start, Pro and all of the Industry Specific Versions).
-
10 Pack $259.95 -
QuickBooks 2009
Premier Accountants Edition for Windows
-
25 Pack
$399.95 - QuickBooks 2009 Premier
Accountants Edition for Windows
-
50 Pack
$599.95 - QuickBooks 2009 Premier
Accountants Edition for Windows
-
2008
QuickBooks Student Guide $36.95. The 2009 text
is be $45.95,
and
includes
a 140 day trial CD that student can install on their personal
equipment.
-
QuickBooks Pro
Academic Version - CLICK
HERE for eligibility requirements and description
QuickBooks Pro for
their individual academic use at a special discounted
price: Bookstores can purchase four or more licenses at
15% discount
direct through Intuit's Education Program. Students can purchase
independently by contacting one of Intuit's approved resellers:
Academic Superstore, (800) 817-2347 or
Genesis, (800) 433-6326.
QUICKBOOKS USER CERTIFICATION
CLICK HERE for more information. Get 50% off the regular price!
Get the Training & Exam for only
$49.98! Please
let me know if this is something you would like to include in your
curriculum. I will need to assign a code to your class so they
receive the discount. Initially each user will need to sign up for
the certification through the web site. Bulk pricing and sign up
will come at a later date.
INTEREST IN PERSONAL FINANCE AND QUICKEN?
- Go to
www.quickeneducation.com for more info.
Additional Resources and Tools
20% off Interactive CD Training!
- A great tool to help you learn and teach QuickBooks in your classroom.
Wonderful for overhead presentations.
ProSeries PowerTax Library
- Free software for educators. For classroom/instructional purposes only.
Click here
to view the License
Agreement
Ordering Information
FAX or
email
- DO NOT MAIL - Purchase
Orders and State Tax Exempt Certificate to 520-844-6412 or
education@intuit.com
The Intuit payment address
that will appear on your invoice is Intuit Inc., PO Box 513340, Los Angeles,
CA 90051-3340
Credit card and EFT orders
are also accepted
If you have any questions,
please feel free to contact me.
LISA SCHWARTZ - INTUIT
EDUCATION PROGRAM -
TUCSON, AZ
(866)
570-3843 - Fax 520-844-6412
education@intuit.com
-
www.accountant.intuit.com/iep
Bob Jensen's threads on accounting education software are at
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/Bookbob1.htm#software
Bob Jensen's threads on accounting software in general are at
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/Bookbob1.htm#AccountingSoftware
Peachtree Accounting Practice Sets ---
http://www.perdisco.com/peachtree/
New and enhanced features in QuickBooks 2010 ---
http://www.accountingweb.com/topic/technology/new-and-enhanced-features-quickbooks-2010
Also see Accounting Software at
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/Bookbob1.htm#AccountingSoftware
Excel, JavaScript, and Other Helpers
and Videos --- http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/HelpersVideos.htm
Free Access to Back Issues of The Accounting Review ---
http://maaw.info/TheAccountingReview.htm
Auditing and Audit Sampling Software
May 2, 2006 message from Douglas Ziegenfuss
[dziegenf@ODU.EDU]
I teach a graduate IT Auditing course in
which we use both ACL and Idea. Both are taught because both are
used in the business world. We use the version of ACL that comes
with Hall's IT Auditing book. Idea sells the students a version and
workbook for $25 per student and gives us a free copy of the
software and workbook. The students then load the software on their
laptops and bring them to class. This turns any classroom into a
lab. The students generally like IDEA better but still enjoy ACL.
I hope this helps.
Douglas E. Ziegenfuss
Professor and Chair,
Department of Accounting
Room 2157 Constant Hall
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia 23529-0229
ACL Business Assurance Analytics ---
http://www.acl.com/solutions/audit.aspx?bhcp=1
ACL is bundled with some auditing software textbooks, such as the
Rittenberg text ---
Click Here
IDEA Data Analysis Software ---
http://www.audimation.com/product_feat_benefits.htm
May 2, 2006 reply from Roger Debreceny
[roger@DEBRECENY.COM]
Over the years I have switched between ACL
and IDEA. I currently use IDEA in my teaching. A major factor is
that students greatly value having the ability to work on their own
computer. I do not think there are substantial differences between
the products or that the file size restrictions is a major problem.
Roger
Bob Jensen's threads on accounting and auditing software are at
http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/Bookbob1.htm#AccountingSoftware
Top Ten Emerging Technologies According to CFO Magazine in October 2002
THE NEED-TO-KNOW LIST
1. XBRL
2.
Business Intelligence
3.
Wireless Connectivity
4.
Grid Computing
5.
Multivariable Testing (MVT)
6.
Digital Cryptography
7.
Rich Media
8.
Internet2
9.
Biometrics
10.
Small Technology
XBRL tops the list. Bob Jensen's threads on XBRL are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/XBRLandOLAP.htm#XBRLextended
Recommended Reading in Accounting, Finance, and Business
"Recommended Reading," by Beckey Bright, The Wall Street Journal,
March 26, 2006 9:21 p.m.; Page R2 ---
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114305346764805424.html?mod=todays_us_the_journal_report
Bookkeeping and Accounting
• "Streetwise
Finance and Accounting ... How to keep your books and
manage your finances without an MBA a CPA or a PhD,"
By Suzanne Caplan
"While sales and marketing are the driving forces to get
the cash register ringing, it's the dull task of
crunching numbers that determines what the business
owner gets to keep! The problem is that most small
business owners hate dealing with numbers. This book is
an easy to understand primer for the business owner who
wants … and needs … a basic understanding of accounting
and finance."
• "Small
Business Accounting Simplified," By Daniel Sitarz
"Every year tens of thousands of small businesses fail
because the owners have been unable to manage their
financial affairs properly. Simplified for use by
nonaccountants, this book explains the fundamentals of
small-business bookkeeping in plain language and
provides a comprehensive set of clear and understandable
forms for tracking a small business's finances."
Finances and Investing
• "Savvy
Investing for Women," By Marlene Jupiter
"This book takes a basic approach to help readers
understand the world of money and investments, how to
evaluate your risk tolerance, and how to create and
manage a wealth-building strategy that works. Whether
you are just starting out in the work force, recently
inherited a family fortune, or have arrived at the peak
of your career, it presents a very good base of
information on strategic investing and protecting your
assets as your life changes."
• "Wake
Up and Smell the Money," By Ginger Applegarth
"For those of you who have come to realize that if your
stock broker was so smart he (or she) would be retired
by now, it's time to take a hard look at your financial
habits and get some good old fashion money smarts. This
book offers readers an excellent guide to build wealth
on real street savvy time tested methods. While this
book doesn't promise you a windfall or that you will
become a multi-millionaire … it does offer valuable
advice and guidance and just might be the best
investment you'll make this year."
• "Values
Based Financial Planning," By Bill Bachrach
"While there is a never ending stream of books on
investing, most of the books were written by people who
presume the reader already has bushel baskets of money
lying around to invest. So what about the people who are
not at the point where they have substantial money to
plant and grow? This book takes a solid business
approach to financial planning and a program similar to
a business plan. In other words, one philosophy doesn't
fit every person. Before you can achieve better
financial success you have to determine what your
priorities are and what will motivate you."
Taxes
• "Schedule
C from A to Z - The Sole Proprietor's Guide to Tax
Savings," By Robert Hughes, CPA
"With more and more sole proprietors taking on the task
of doing their own bookkeeping and tax returns, not
having a solid understanding of what makes up the
Schedule C return means that many, if not most, sole
proprietors overpay taxes by hundreds or thousands of
dollars. This guide de-mystifies taxes that apply to the
self-employed with the aim of helping business owners
increase cash available to help their businesses prosper
and grow. It takes the reader step-by-step through each
line of the Schedule C and includes information to help
them understand and comply with IRS rules. The updated
full version for the 2005 tax year is available at
www.NASE.org/scheduleC."
• "Tax
Savvy for Small Business," By Frederick W. Daily
"Most people don't go into business to be tax experts,
but not having a basic understanding of business taxes
is an expensive error to make. One of the most common
mistakes small business owners make is thinking that
they can just turn all their financial matters over to a
bookkeeper or accountant. However, the first rule of
business finances is that nobody, absolutely nobody, is
going to have as much concern for your money as you
will! This book is one of the best plain language books
on small business taxes. Unless you have an army of
accountants working for your business this book is a
must read.
Raising Money
• "Where's
the Money?" By Art Beroff and Dwayne Moyers
"Raising capital can be frustrating for any business.
While there is no book that can guarantee you will find
the money you need to start or grow a business, this
guide slashes through much of the red tape and confusing
jargon to put financing solutions at your fingertips.
Unlike many other books on small-business financing,
this book offers up expert tips, advice and secrets for
writing financial statements that appeal to different
audiences, filling out loan applications that get
results, anticipating investor questions, and how to
present your business, and yourself in a professional
manner.
• "Investors
in Your Backyard: How to Raise Business Capital from the
People You Know," By Asheesh Advani
This is an excellent resource to find the information,
documents and calculators you need to put a deal
together and negotiate all the particulars to convince
people to invest in your business. You'll find
step-by-step instructions on how to raise business
capital from non-traditional sources such as bank –
capital in forms such as gifts, loans or equity
investments – from people you already know or who know
people you know. Once you have the investment team
together Investors in Your Backyard will help you create
the paperwork to formalize the deal and protect both
sides' interests.
Marketing
• "Money-Tree
Marketing," By Patrick Bishop and Jennifer A.
Bishop
Written for business owners who want to achieve higher
than normal yields from their marketing efforts, this
book helps entrepreneurs generate customers, regardless
of the business owner's budget or marketing experience,
by keeping to the basics and capitalizing on what the
competition "might not be doing". This book helps a
small business owner increase their profits by using
some unique techniques that entice potential customers
into their business. More importantly, it identifies
ways to make a business more customer friendly, use a
customer profile to get in-depth knowledge about
customers and to keep those customers coming back for
more.
Legal
• "The
Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business,"
By Fred S. Steingold
Legal questions come up everyday that make business
owners scratch their head and wonder what to do. Will
incorporating your business give you more liability
protection? Do you have all the proper permits and
licenses? These are just a couple of the hundreds of
questions that are routine in everyday business. Having
a resource to get a basic understanding of small
business legal issues is not any further away than
reaching for this excellent resource of street savvy
small business legal information.
• "Small
Business Legal Smarts," By Deborah L. Jacobs
"This simple to understand book will offer readers
enough information about legal issues in business to
raise those little red flags in your head when something
needs closer attention. Actually, it is more like a big
Q&A book and a reference tool with a twist. It's
organized completely around the needs of micro and small
businesses. This book filters out the legalese and
untangles some of the most frequent questions an
entrepreneur might encounter."
• "The
Employer's Legal Handbook," By Fred S. Steingold
For any employer, with 1 or 50 employees, having access
to a well laid out reference book of "answers" is
important to staying out of trouble and getting the most
out of their employees. In this case this book offers a
sensible, real life, approach to dealing with employees
and all in easy to understand language from the initial
hiring process - and asking or saying the right things -
to firing an employee without getting your pants sued
off.
|
Financial Statement Analysis Software
September 3, 2005 message from Angela Lee
Dear Robert Jensen,
In case you missed our demonstration at the
American Accounting Association conference in San Francisco, we hope
you will find the information below helpful.
FinancialZ, Inc. is a financial software
company based in Tempe, AZ. We have an Educational version of our
software, Financial Grammar, which is currently being used at
universities across the country.
The software is best utilized in managerial
finance courses to teach analysis of financial data. It is designed
as a teaching enhancement tool to accelerate students' learning of
financial analysis concepts (i.e. how to spot red flags). It can be
used in either MBA or undergraduate classes. In addition, some of
our client-universities currently use it in entrepreneurial courses,
financial statement analysis and business development courses. The
software is CPA- engineered, (US) GAAP compliant and can be used for
AICPA review courses.
In order to download a trial version, go
to:
www.financialzinc.com . If you look under
the PRODUCTS tab, a PDF formatted brochure can be downloaded.
The software can be delivered via CD-Rom or
downloaded to the student's computer. The cost is $34.95/per
student/per course. If you are interested in incorporating this tool
in just one class it can be purchased, by the student, directly from
our website using a designated school code.
I invite you to download and experience our
software. I will follow up with you again next week to answer any
questions that you may have. In the meantime, please don't hesitate
to contact me at the number below.
Best regards,
Angela Lee Director,
Marketing FinancialZ, Inc. 480.941.4567
www.financialzinc.com
For 20 years Cougar Mountain Software has been a leading developer of
not-for-profit accounting software. Many of the nation's largest
non-profit organizations and government agencies depend on Cougar
Mountain to provide a fully-integrated software solution, powerful
enough to meet their growing needs.
Click below to learn more about the Cougar Mountain FUND Accounting®
for Windows® software package. http://www.as411.com/DomBanAd.nsf/WebAdClick?OpenAgent&A=COUGAR-LNK1
"Consolidation In The Accounting Software Industy: Two
Perspectives," by Scott H. Cytron, AccountingSoftware.com --- http://www.as411.com/AcctSoftware.nsf/00/TIS22003246
February 16, 2003 message from Gerald Trites [gtrites@STFX.CA]
The Canadian Institute of Chartered
Accountants has a publication "Information Technology Control
Guidelines" which was published in 1999. The book is quite large
and there has been some talk about a possible decision support system
that might be developed, loaded with the ITCG guidelines, placed on a
CD and used in the field for assistance in analyzing system controls
for particular systems/companies and developing recommendation
letters. I would think the preferred approach would be to find a
suitable shell and then build the system around it. In the course of
my research of a good system, I came across VP-Expert which at one
time was highly recommended, but it is DOS based and appears to be out
of date. There is a variety of others. Does anyone have knowledge of a
good DS shell that might be useful for this application and that would
run on current Windows platforms? It should have run-time capability
so the CD can run on its own.
Any advice you might have would be most
appreciated.
Gerald Trites, FCA
Professor of Accounting and Information Systems
St Francis Xavier University Antigonish,
Nova Scotia Tel.
Website - http://www.stfx.ca/people/gtrites
The CICA home page is at http://www.cica.ca/
October 12, 2002
message from Scott Bonacker, CPA [scottbonacker@moccpa.com]
I don't know
anyone that is using this yet, but this product may be of interest. It
doesn't seem to be all that expensive."...a fund accounting
software solution that's designed to meet the specialized needs of
nonprofit organizations. Designed as a companion application to
Intuit's popular accounting programs
QuickBooks
Pro 2002..."
http://www.nonprofitbooks.com/qbpro_info.asp
http://www.nonprofitfinancial.org/sw/
http://quickbooksusers.com/nonprofit.htm
http://www4.compasspoint.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=385
http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/biztools/article.php/1025041
November 29, 2002 message from CompAcct Solutions Ltd. [csl@COMPACCTSOLUTIONS.COM]
Our company has recently developed an entry
level computer accounting program called Breeze Basic Bookkeeper. We
have received a positive responce from educators who have tried the
program. The program is designed around GAAP using an approach that
you might find in a 1st year accounting textbook. The program was
designed by an accountant to do basic bookeeping without the glitz and
glitter that a lot of programs use to purposely hide basic accounting
principles. You will see no flashy invoice or check screens in this
program. Journal entries are made in standard Debit/Credit format in
an easy to use Journal Form. The program has a Debit/Credit Helper to
assist the beginner get orientated into the proper use of debits and
credits.
You can download a Free Demo at http://www.compacctsolutions.com
The price of a single user license is
US$69.95. However, Lab Discounts, which combine a volume and
educational discount, are available by request for qualifying
Educational Institutions. The lab discounts range from 45% to 65%
depending on the number of users starting at a 5 user license. Send an
email to csl@compacctsolutions.com for complete information on the
discounts available and how to take advantage of the discounts.
Bryan
Software at huge educator discounts www.edu-software.com
or call us 800-679-7007
Business office software tools (including accounting and tax
software)
Phil and Mac's Secret Free Place --- http://www.maxpatch.com/misc4.html
Readers should definitely take a look at this annotated software index,
although some items appear to be out of date.
A review of accounting software (commercial not academic apps) http://www.cfo.com/buyers_guide/index_article.html
High-End
Accounting Software Vendors
http://www.cfo.com/buyers_guide/high_end_chart_1.html
Search the high-end packages that generally target companies with
revenues over $100 million. Vendors are listed by the integrated
functions, integrated manufacturing, Internet functions, platform, and
pricing.
Midrange
Accounting Software Vendors
http://www.cfo.com/buyers_guide/mid_range_chart_1.html
Search the midrange packages that generally target companies with
revenues under $100 million, and find which vendors offer the right
mix of functions and compatibility.
Bob Jensen's Threads on Webledgers
(e.g., NetLedger) for Distributed Network Computing of Accounting Systems and Business
Services http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/webledger.htm
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the
North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) have announced the
launch of a new Web site designed to provide information about money managers,
financial planners, and other investment advisors.
http://www.accountingweb.com/item/59363
Accounting Software 411 (AS411) --- http://www.accountingsoftware411.com/
Accounting
Software 411 (AS411)
is the place on the Web where you can find the latest news and
information on accounting software products. This site is targeted to
software consultants, software vendors and anyone who is either
researching or is interested in information about accounting software
and related solutions. Our goal is to create a community whereby
everyone can learn and share their knowledge about the accounting
software industry.
There
is a great review of tax software in the following cover story:
"Ranking
the Products," by Stanley Zarowin, Journal of Accountancy,
October 2001, pp. 28-32 --- http://www.aicpa.org/pubs/jofa/oct2001/zarowin.htm
| Vendor |
Tax
program |
Address |
Telephone |
E-mail
address |
ATX
Forms |
Saber,
Max
and Taxsolver |
PO
Box 1040,
Caribou, ME 04736 |
800-944-8883 |
sales@atxforms.com |
| CCH |
ProSystem
fx |
21250
Hawthorne Blvd.,
Torrance, CA 90503 |
800-457-7639 |
cust_serv@cch.com |
Creative
Solutions |
UltraTax |
7322
Newman Blvd.,
Dexter, MI 48130 |
800-968-8900 |
sales@CreativeSolutions.com |
Drake
Software |
Drake
Tax
Solution |
235
E. Palmer St.,
Franklin, NC 28734 |
800-890-9500 |
drakeinfo@drake-software.com |
Dunphy
Systems |
1040
Professional
Tax Preparation |
6740
Huntley Rd., Suite 103,
Columbus, OH 43229 |
614-431-0846 |
dunphy@dunphy.com |
| Intuit |
ProSeries |
2535
Garcia Ave.,
Mountain View, CA 94043 |
800-934-1040 |
www.proseries.com |
| Lacerte/Intuit |
Lacerte
1040
Tax Software |
13155
Noel Rd., 22nd Floor,
Dallas, TX 75244 |
800-765-7777 |
www.lscsoft.com |
Micro
Vision
Software |
Tax
Relief 1040 |
140
Fell Court,
Hauppauge, NY 11788 |
800-829-7354 |
www.microvisioninc.com |
Orrtax
Software |
IntelliTax |
13208
NE 20th St.,
Bellevue, WA 98005 |
800-377-3337 |
webmaster@orrtax.com |
| TaxACT |
2nd
Story Software |
5925
Dry Creek Lane, NE,
Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 |
800-573-4287 |
www.taxact.com |
Taxworks
By
Laser Systems |
TaxWorks
By
Laser Systems |
350
North 400 West,
Kaysville, UT 84037 |
800-230-2322 |
www.taxworks.com |
Universal
Tax Systems |
TaxWise |
6
Mathis Dr. NW, PO Box 2729,
Rome, GA 30164 |
800-755-9473 |
sales@universalsystems.com |
| Xpress
Software |
Xpress
Individual
Package |
P.O.
Box 280760,
Columbia, SC 29228 |
800-285-1065 |
www.xpresssoftware.com |
Accounting Software Library http://www.excelco.com/tal.htm
Ed Scribner provided the following links:
http://www.4accountingsoftware.com/
http://www.2020software.com/acct.htm
The following has lots of great links. You might have to right
click on it and paste it into your browser.
http://www.ecompany.com/webguide/0,1660,14554%7C121%7C0%7C0%7C1%7Ca,00.html
The 2/20/01 PC Magazine has an article (pp. 144-152) that
includes reviews of ePeachtree 3.0, NetLedger 5.0, Peachtree Complete
8, QuickBooks Pro 2001, and QuickBooks for the Web. The reviews
are linked at:
http://www.zdnet.com/eweek/stories/general/0,11011,2678673,00.html
Peachtree Accounting Practice Sets ---
http://www.perdisco.com/peachtree/
Another great website is Payroll Online at http://www.payrollonline.com/
A great set of links to electronic journals and databases (unfortunately
the software database links now have restricted access)
http://www.lib.polyu.edu.hk/electdb/index.htm
- Accounting
Journals Index
http://www.businessfinancemag.com/archives/appfiles/Topics.cfm?Action=Lookup
ABC Costing Glossary and Software http://www.rpm-abm.com/cami_idx.htm
Jensen & Sandlin Survey of U.S. Accountancy Education
Programs
- Bob Jensen's Links to Accounting Software and Vendors
AccountingStudents is the complete online resource for
accounting students
Bob Anthony’s Essentials of Accounting multimedia CD
ROM http://www.cstone.net/~ivysoft/
Dan Gode (Accounting Tutorials)
- So, you want to learn Bookkeeping! by Bean Counter's Dave Marshall ---
http://www.dwmbeancounter.com/tutorial/Tutorial.html
RJ Interactive Home Page (Online Accounting, Publishing)
(Richard J. Campbell)
- Omnis Mus (George
Bodnar)
- Bruce Hutton CGA -
Accounting: Software, Publications and Bookkeeping Software
- Software Vendors
Omnis Mus (a general ledger practice
set)
- Accpac User Area
- Accounting Systems -- Accounting System
Locator / Selector
- High Q Learning Products - Courseware -
Software - Accounting Courseware, Accounting Education, Accounting Training
Great Plains Software - Higher education
site
- Microsoft's Accounting Industry Page
- Peachtree Software
Peachtree Accounting Practice Sets ---
http://www.perdisco.com/peachtree/
- SBT
- Solomon Software
- The CMA Review
Online!
- AccountingStudents.com
- RJ Interactive Home Page (Online
Accounting, Publishing) (Richard J. Campbell)
- Darrell Walden at U.
of Richmond - Accounting Information Systems
- TAL Standard Edition "Quick
LOOK" AIA Accounting Information Systems
- Spreadsheets in
Education
Welcome to CAROL (online annual financial reports)
- The International Corporate Environmental
Reporting Site / Milieujaarverslagen
Charles A. Dice Center for Research in Financial Economics http://www.cob.ohio-state.edu/~fin/dice/index.htm
