If you have the Workteam Collaboration Suite included with any website hosted by CPA Site Solutions you have the ability to add an appointments page. There is a previous post on this added functionality. Here is an easy way to set up appointments pages with multiple people in your accounting firm.

Firm Calendar

Set-up the calendars. First take a moment to set up each of the member’s calendars to share. There is a calendar help section on this if you need it.

Add the appointment pages. After you set-up the calendars add an appointment page for each person. There is also a appointment help section on how to add and set-up the appointment page if you need it.

Unlike some of the other pages when you add an appointment page it is still available to add again. This means you can add as many as you have people in your firm.

Change the navigation and file name.

Rename the pages. Since all of the appointment pages have the same name when you add them to your website you need to rename each page. In the example here there are three different pages named for the person whose calendar is being displayed. What you name the page is what shows in your navigation.

Be sure to also change the file name. For this example the file names were changed from custom1.php to the first letter of the person’s name and appointments. So Peter’s appointment page became pappointments.php. You can use your own naming convention as long as each page name is unique.

Move each page below the hub page.

Add a hub page. Add a hub page with pictures renaming this with something like “Firm Calendars.” Make sure the name is relatively short as this is what is going to show in your navigation area.

Move all appointment pages. Move all of your appointment pages as a sub-page of the hub page you just created. Now when you mouse over “Firm Appointments” each page in the main navigation area, each person’s calendar page shows as an option.

If you click on the appointment page then each page is listed. When you click on a person’s page you are brought to their calendar.

Special notes. When you get an email from the person requesting an appointment you have to manually update your calendar. Once you update your calendar though the appointments page on your website is also updated.

You cannot change the picture being displayed in the hub page. You can change the header area to a custom header and show a personal picture as what shows in the example.

Use custom images in the header.

It doesn’t take too long to complete and, if you are at the Gold level, you can request that a designer do the work for you. You can do this by calling 800-896-4500 or emailing support@cpasitesolutions.com.

Any accounting website hosted by CPA Site Solutions includes an Email Marketing System. You can add contacts to this system by adding them individually or you can send CPA Site Solutions your list to be added automatically for you. Here is a breakdown of how that works and what you should know about when requesting a bulk upload.

Save time. You can save a lot of time by emailing support@cpasitesolutions.com with an attachment of the email addresses you want to add as contacts. It can be time consuming to add them one by one, you just want to make sure that the email addresses are listed individually.

More than 50 contacts. If you have more than 50 email contacts to add then email support@cpasitesolutions.com for an authorization form. Once you get that form, send it back along with your contacts to be added.

Email Marketing System Contacts

Spam. If you don’t have permission to send the contacts an email or they are not your clients and they get your email it can be considered spam. There are strict laws around spam with some pretty heavy fines.

Blacklisted. Although there are laws in place for spam there are separate considerations for each email host such as Yahoo, AOL, Google and others. Each of those companies can block you from sending their users email if they find you guilty of spam. Being guilty can be anything from the sheer volume of emails sent over a period of time to complaints from their users.

Purchased lists. Spam laws and their enforcement through individual companies are very strict. Given this if you have a purchased list of emails these cannot be imported into your contacts list.

You can save time through using the bulk upload feature. Just be aware of spam laws and what that means for contacts you want to import into your Email Marketing System.

Relationships that you can develop as a CPA through social platforms are a strong way to solidify your firm’s website presence. Although there are some previous posts on using Twitter and Facebook another avenue is through answering questions for those looking for answers. Although there are many places you could go to do this, here is a breakdown of how that works through TaxQueries.com.

TaxQueries.com is one online community to try.

How it works. A member of the website asks a question and those who know answer them. There is no money charged for answering the question but you do get the question added to your list and your reputation grows from there.

Why? Since you are taking your time and making answers freely available, the number one question to ask is why? Doing this helps to establish your CPA website as an authority.

Granted if you have more work than you know what to do with this is not the option for you. However it can be especially helpful if you are just starting out your CPA firm as it gives you another avenue to get potential customers.

Ongoing benefit. The more you and your CPA firm are mentioned on the Internet besides your own website, the more you become known not only by people but search engines as well. The longer you have established your website as a presence online, in general, the more authority your domain name establishes through the search engines.

Amount of time. The amount of time you spend is of course up to you and the questions being answered. In general even if you answer 3-4 questions a month you can keep yourself as an active and participating member of the online community.

The more questions you answer though, the more you can strengthen your authority. Doing more also establishes you as a resource and increases your reputation.

If your still interested take a look at the TaxQueries website and start answering questions. Alternatively you can do a Google search for other such communities to find one that might fit your needs.

How do you keep track of all those ideas that come to mind throughout the day from various places on the internet? Springpad is a quick and easy way to congregate pieces of information from various sources and is accessible from any computer connected to the Internet. Here is a breakdown of this free application and some of the benefits.

You never know throughout the day when you might stumble upon that perfect gift for someone, book to read, or idea to pursue. You might email the url with some note to be lost among emails later in the day.

Springpad makes it easier by allowing you to copy and paste just about anything you see into organized areas. Then you can keep track of potential books to read, research, recipes and more for easy retrieval later and without interrupting a busy day.

Sign up. There is nothing to download and the application is free and only takes a few moments to sign up. Once you do you can access it from any browser anytime you are online.

Springpad Collection

Easy bookmark. Make it that much easier by using the Spring It! browser bookmark. When you see something you can just highlight it, click Spring It! and then the destination area within your Springpad account.

Contacts, Restaurants. Have a new restaurant around the corner you want to get take out from? Add their information including your favorite menu item complete with a picture from their website.

Christmas list. This is about time to keep your Christmas list going on what to get everyone in your CPA Firm. You can keep pictures and notes for each person and then narrow down the choices all before the big day.

Springpad Apps

Although these are some fun personal ways you could use your Springpad account, you can also use it to help keep track of project ideas. You can organize your information however you like and keep records all easily accessible to you or anyone you want to share them with.

Applications. There are all kinds of applications available such as Project Budget, Weekly Meal Planner, Reusable Grocery Lists, Recipe Box, Movie Tracker and more. You can share selected lists with your friends on Facebook, Twitter or via email. These are very easy to add and use to organize and plan new changes to your CPA website for example.

Once you start using Springpad it becomes second nature and can be a real time saver when you are trying to remember a recipe, movie, or project idea.

Everyone knows what a scam is but not many people are familiar with the word “Phishing” which is the modern electronic version of a scam. Phishing is using what usually appears to be legitimate information to obtain sensitive data or get you to download a program that infects your computer.

Quickbooks Phishing Scam

Quickbooks phishing scam. In the case with Intuit there was an email that looked as if it was coming from them and asking users to download a plug-in to “assess their security.” The plug-in actually infected the users computer and could potentially harvest sensitive data to be sent elsewhere and used by the scam artists.

If you use Quickbooks you should be aware of this scam and do what Bill Bourbonnais from Trigon Tax & Accounting did, delete it. Bill received one of these and immediately became suspicious because, in his words, “In 10 years of using Intuit products, including QuickBooks, Quicken, Proseries, TurboTax, and Lacerte, I’ve never received a security patch from Intuit via email. Almost all of Intuit’s products are updated automatically from within the software.”

Bill was able to confirm with Intuit that the email was a phishing scam, deleted it and then alerted others including CPA Site Solutions the hosts of his accounting website. The offending site has been taken down but sites and emails like these can resurface at anytime.

Phishing alert web page. If you are interested in knowing more you can visit the phishing alert from Intuit that describes the scam and things you can do to prevent anything like this in the future.

Things you can do. Even if you don’t use Quickbooks there are things you can do to prevent any sort of phishing scam.

• Use anti-virus software and keep it up to date.
• Update your browser.
• Do not respond to emails asking for updates. If you are concerned contact the company or check your account independent of the email, use the information you have on record. Don’t go to the website via the email, go directly there by typing in the url.
• Keep your operating system up to date.

Have your own story about a phishing scam you would like other users to be aware of? Send a comment.

10% off Jennings Seminar in December

In a previous posting there was an offer for 10% off a November Jennings Seminar. As promised CPA Site Solutions is offering 10% off a Jennings Seminar for December. This time the topic is COD Income, Repossessions, Short Sales and Home Foreclosures and is scheduled for December 16th.

Limited seating! The seating is limited so you will want to sign up early for this event. Be sure to test your system to make sure that you meet all of the system requirements.

Two credit hours! If you attend this event and answer 75% of the polling questions at the conclusion then you will get two credit hours for this event. You should have at least 2-4 years tax preparation experience if you plan on attending.

To get your 10% discount: Be sure to use the code deccpasite during the checkout process to get the 10% discount.

Event Description. “The objectives of this 2 hour class are to provide the participant with knowledge to prepare tax returns for clients who have had their homes foreclosed, short-sold, debt forgiven or similar type of transaction.”

Jennings Seminars was founded by Bob Jennings CPA, CFP, CITP, a national and World renowned speaker. Jennings has published articles in such magazines as The Journal of Accountancy and The Practical Accountant along with authoring several accounting and technology seminar manuals.

If you can’t make this event look for another posting in December for a similar offer for a January seminar. Click here to take advantage of 10% the seminar in December.

One of the advantages of having an accounting website hosted by CPA Site Solutions is the ability to keep your business running despite something like a natural disaster at your firm’s location. Disaster recovery is one of the most dreaded topics but, with a little preparation and your website, you can prevail through most disasters without much of a hiccup.

Book on disaster strikes

Preparation is key. If you read anything on disasters, such as The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes- and Why, you know the number one key element is preparation. Those who not only have a plan but practice that plan are more apt to survive a disaster and have minimal down time from any sort of recovery.

Parts of the plan. There is no one universal plan that fits every situation. Each person or business is going to have different elements that they will need to pay attention to. The key is having an overview of the parts of a plan, fully develop those parts, and then practice their execution.

Backing up critical data. Regardless of the differences in each plan, one clear constant is the need to back-up critical data off-site. Although there are many solutions available there is one you have already if your accounting website is hosted by CPA Site Solutions; the Vault.

Vault Windows Application. There is a previous post on how to use this along with the benefits. If you are at the Gold or Platinum level you and your clients can download and start using this application today.

Regardless of your service level if you have all of your clients tax returns in the Vault and have a flood, you and your clients still have access.

Your website. Just by having a website you have a place for clients to connect with you. As long as you can get access to a computer, you can use your website to post updates (such as on your homepage or blog), your vault to exchange data, or your Workteam Collaboration Suite to keep communication flowing freely.

Twitter and Facebook. If your building is demolished you, your other firm members, and your clients still have a way to keep up with what is happening. You can use both of these platforms to keep people in the loop.

Your ability to communicate with clients and still keep a flow of data going despite any sort of disaster is key to keeping your clients confidence. There is obviously much more to being prepared but these are elements that can help balance out the hectic nature of a disaster.

Any accounting website hosted by CPA Site Solutions includes the ability to allow clients to pay their fee online. Setting up and using this service couldn’t be easier with the added benefit that you can send any client an email reminder with a link to pay online. Here are some ideas on how to use this service effectively.

Capital Payments has a special agreement with CPA Site Solutions

Sign up. To use the pay online page on your accounting firm’s website, you have to sign up for an account with PayPal. Although there are nominal charges for the service, you do save from the typical credit card set-up and monthly statement fees.

An alternative to PayPal is using Capital Payments. You can check out the special rates that CPA Site Solutions has with Capital Payments and sign up for the service or more information. If you sign up for Capital Payments your online payment page is added for you automatically.

Online Payment Page with PayPal

Add the PayPal page. You can follow these instructions on how to add the PayPal online payment page to your website. If you have already signed up with PayPal, once you add the page to your accounting website you can start accepting payments.

Use your calendar. You can then create custom billing calendar that is dedicated to only having dates to send out invoices or reminders to those late on payments. When you send these emails, just include the link to your payment page.

A couple of clicks. The easier it is for a client to make a payment in the moment, the more likely they are to do it. All the client has to do is enter their credit card online rather then sending back a check, calling, or making a visit with their payment.

If you have some questions or any trouble with adding an online payment page email support@cpasitesolutions.com or call 800-896-4500.

Fake domain renewal notices are one of the more common traps that unsuspecting people can fall for. The fake renewal notice will target your specific domain and sound very official but in the end get you to renew with their company at usually very high prices. Here is a breakdown of how it works and why you can rest easy.

Details behind the scam. Disreputable companies can find your personal information by searching public records for domain name owners. These companies send notices that are fear based such as, “You are about to loose your domain unless you mail in the renewal form with payment information today!”

If you do renew with them their fees can be triple or more of what they should be. That is not all though…

Domain transfer, website down, lost email. When a person falls for the scam a domain transfer from your real registrar is then automatically initiated through acceptance of the “renewal.” If the domain is transferred then all settings are lost. This means your accounting firm’s website, including email if it is tied with your domain, stop working.

Legal Looking Renewal Notices

Official and scary. These notices work for the most part because they are both official looking and scary. They can even make reference to United States legal code and intellectual property rights.

There are a number of things you should be aware of that can help you rest better when you get one of these notices.

Domain expiration date. If you have an accounting website with CPA Site Solutions then there is a record of when your domain expires. Although your own domain registrar sends an expiration notification, CPA Site Solutions also sends one as well.

This domain renewal notification is freely available to any accounting website hosted by CPA Site Solutions regardless of service level. This is only a notification of renewal, the actual renewal process is still up to you.

Know your registrar. There is a great previous post on owning your domain. Even though your domain is your accounting firm’s real estate on the Internet you don’t really own it, you are renting it.

You have to pay a yearly subscription fee which is like your rent. Knowing who you pay rent to prevents the wrong person or company from getting your money. Find out who your registrar is, keep the record including a note of when it expires.

Purchase in advance. Instead of just purchasing for one year consider purchasing a number of years in advance. When you purchase in advance you avoid the danger of your domain expiring each year.

When your domain expires and how long  it has been active is public information. Google and other search engines can use this to determine the strength of your domain and your business.

Although you can’t change the time you have owned your domain you can influence how long your domain is registered. When you register a domain for 10 years you can increase your domain authority and search engines response.

If you get a notice you are unsure about most likely it is a scam. You can take the extra step and email support@cpasitesolutions.com or call 800-896-4500 to verify your domain information.

Multitasking has been a way for many to negotiate today’s increasingly fast paced technology and the business behind each day. If you are multitasking though, are you giving your clients the best you can?

A new Stanford study says that, in fact, by doing less you can actually do more. There are several ways that you can gain from not falling into the multitasking trap and work more effectively and efficiently.

Psychologically impossible to multitask. It is impossible, according to most psychologists, to multitask effectively. The mind is not geared to process more than one bit of information at a time.

Worse at each task. Although it seems like you are doing more during a period of time, you are actually doing less and not as effectively. Your brain is unable to focus fully on the task and by the time it is, another task interrupts.

Slowed by irrelevant information. There is a lot of irrelevant information that can barrage your brain and distract you from the task at hand. Being able to discern between what is important and what isn’t is key to getting what needs to be done, done.

In the Stanford study, they worked with blue and red blocks on a screen. The subjects that were used to multitasking were distracted by the blue blocks (irrelevant to the task) much more so then those that were not used to multitasking.

Quality versus quantity. The quality behind what you do increases the more attention you are able to put upon the task. Over time you develop a system so that you are able to put down one task and start another without the first lingering in your mind.

Pomodoro Technique

Timed tasks. Deadlines and the amount of tasks that have to get done each day is the siren’s song towards multitasking. What a number people have found successful instead is dedicating a set amount of time to a task.

This allows you to focus entirely on a subject without distraction because you let the timer tell you when your time is up. The key is to hone your focus so that nothing else gets in the way. The Pomodoro Technique brings this to a new level through a free download and website.

The more you do the easier it gets. The more you focus on a task in full, the easier it gets and the more productive you are. Rather than being distracted by the phone or an appointment you have in 15 minutes, try focusing on one task. Once the time is up you learn to let it go and give the next task your full concentration.

Small disclaimer: Not everyone has a choice on if they are multitasking within what they do each day due to how information or tasks generally flow. Multitasking isn’t necessarily all bad but if you have a choice the study seems to suggest it is better to focus on a single task. Using the Pomodoro Technique or something like it on a regular basis can help towards this shift in how you approach daily tasks and improve overall efficiency.