Welcome back to our Firm of the Future profile series about thriving firms who are benefitting from the cloud and QuickBooks® Online Accountant (QBOA) to better serve clients and find new revenue opportunities. In this new article, we spotlight Alisa McCabe, managing director of First Steps Financial.
Shauna Maher: Tell us about your accounting and/or tax practice.
Alisa McCabe: At First Steps Financial, we provide key services to small business owners in the areas of bookkeeping, streamlining processes and analysis of financials. We also collaborate with business owners on strategic thinking and planning the steps to achieve those goals. We become their trusted advisor and someone to bounce ideas off. It is a position we value and we treat the relationship with attention to details and kindness.
SM: How long have you been using QuickBooks Online Accountant?
AM:I have been using QuickBooks Online (QBO) for 10 years and I love it! I have been using QBOA for the last seven years and I love all the improvements!
SM: What convinced you to make the move to QuickBooks Online Accountant?
AM:What convinced me? All my clients and team are in one screen – and they continue to update the system with input from us!
SM: What are your goals for your practice this year?
AM: My goal this year is to hire a manager for my team, which will free up my time to create a YouTube channel and focus on sales.
SM: What’s your favorite away-from-the-office place to get work done?
AM: My favorite place to get work done away from the office is at my mother’s beach house. I sit at a table and have a gorgeous view of the ocean; it’s very calming.
SM: Where’s the craziest place you’ve done work for a client?
AM: We once met up with a client at their office, which was a junkyard. No, really, it was scary and funny all at the same time.
SM: What’s your number one timesavings tip?
AM: Automate, automate, automate – everything. We have a task management system that saves us time from finding out what has been completed. We have a report sent from the system each day of what has been completed and what still needs to be done. No hunting for a to-do list.
SM: When you’re not working, what’s your favorite way to spend your time?
AM: I enjoy hiking with my family anywhere. We like to travel and have hiked in several states in the U.S. Our next hiking trip is in the Swiss Alps! This time away from work clears my head and helps me to be a better owner and person. I often have a different perspective on an issue or solution to a problem when I step away from the office.
SM: What advice do you have for peers that are still on desktop?
AM: Don’t think of QBOA/QBO as another version of QuickBooks Desktop. It shares the same name, but it is a totally different software. It is a great fit for many types of businesses, and most of the millennials who own businesses are using QBO. These new clients are our future, if we want to continue to grow.
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