3 Apps for Accountants That BLEW MY MIND

Jason_CPA
28 Aug 202208:50

TLDRThe video script introduces three innovative software tricks for accountants to enhance their workflow. Scribe, a Chrome extension, simplifies the process of creating how-to videos. Uncat streamlines client communication for transactions requiring more information. Keeper connects accounting tasks with a powerful dashboard for managing multiple clients and files. These tools aim to automate repetitive tasks, improve client engagement, and boost efficiency in accounting practices.

Takeaways

  • 📝 Scribe is a simple Chrome extension that records and simplifies steps for tasks, making it easy to create explainers for accountants and their clients.
  • 🚀 Utilize Scribe to remove unwanted steps and personalize the recording by replacing placeholders with user information, such as name and email.
  • 📚 Create reusable explainers for common tasks and share them in a location accessible by colleagues to improve efficiency and client understanding.
  • 🤝 Collaborate with other firms to build a library of shared explainers for common accounting software, benefiting the whole industry.
  • 📊 Uncat is a tool that notifies clients when a transaction is uncategorized, prompting them to provide more information, and can be set up on a customizable schedule.
  • 🤖 Set up bank rules in Uncat to automatically categorize transactions and notify clients, streamlining the process and giving the impression of constant attention to detail.
  • 🔗 Uncat can also handle receipt uploads, class identification, and sending transactions to specific client users, simplifying multi-user account management.
  • 💡 Keeper connects to accounting files and offers a comprehensive dashboard with tasks, reviews, and client questions, merging project management with accounting ledger details.
  • 📈 In Keeper, access detailed financial reports like profit and loss and balance sheets without leaving the platform, enhancing efficiency and productivity.
  • 🌟 Keeper's dashboard view consolidates information from multiple accounting files, providing a holistic overview of an entire accounting practice in one place.
  • 🚀 The speaker's newsletter offers a platform for accountants to learn about new strategies and tools, potentially enhancing their professional capabilities.

Q & A

  • What is the main purpose of the Scribe Chrome extension mentioned in the script?

    -The main purpose of the Scribe Chrome extension is to simplify the process of creating step-by-step explainer videos. It allows users to record their screen actions and add narrations to guide viewers through various tasks, making it easier for them to understand and follow along.

  • How can Scribe be customized for specific user needs?

    -SCRIBE can be customized by editing the recorded steps to remove any unwanted actions, such as typing 2FA codes, and adding specific instructions for the viewer. For example, you can change the narration to ask the viewer to type their name and email instead of the default text.

  • What is the 'big brain opportunity' associated with Scribe?

    -The 'big brain opportunity' with Scribe is the potential to create reusable explainers for common tasks and questions that accountants face. These can be stored in a shared location for colleagues to access, and even shared with other firms to build a library of helpful guides, thus improving efficiency and collaboration.

  • How does Uncat help with client communication?

    -Uncat helps with client communication by notifying clients when a transaction has been categorized as 'uncategorized expense', prompting them to provide more information. This can be set up on a schedule and can also be used to send reminders about specific transactions, ensuring that clients are kept in the loop and engaged.

  • What is the advantage of setting up auto-categorizing bank rules in Uncat?

    -Setting up auto-categorizing bank rules in Uncat allows unclear transactions to be automatically sent to the 'uncategorized' category. This means that clients are immediately notified about such transactions, prompting them to provide the necessary information, which streamlines the accounting process and reduces the workload for the accounting team.

  • What IT solution does the speaker recommend for accounting firms?

    -The speaker recommends outsourcing IT services to Tech Guru for accounting firms. Tech Guru is an outsourced IT group that specializes in working with accounting firms, providing expert support and solutions for various technical issues, thus allowing the accounting team to focus on their core tasks.

  • How does Keeper enhance the accounting process?

    -Keeper enhances the accounting process by integrating with the accounting file and providing a range of features such as task management for pre-close and post-close activities, bank reconciliation, transaction reviews, and payee entity review. It also offers client-facing features and presents financial data in a more accessible format, making it easier for both accountants and clients to understand and manage finances.

  • What is the 'omega brain opportunity' with Keeper?

    -The 'omega brain opportunity' with Keeper is the ability to manage an entire accounting practice from a single dashboard. This dashboard displays the status of various tasks, open questions, and financial data across multiple QuickBooks files, providing a centralized and comprehensive view of the practice's operations.

  • What does the speaker suggest for accountants who enjoy uncovering 'big brain opportunities'?

    -The speaker suggests that accountants who enjoy uncovering 'big brain opportunities' should subscribe to their weekly newsletter. This newsletter aims to provide insights and ideas to help accountants improve their practices and stay updated with innovative solutions in the field.

  • How does the speaker humorously describe their newsletter?

    -The speaker humorously describes their newsletter as a source that slightly increases the brain size of over 2,000 accountants each week. They use a playful tone and metaphors, likening the growth of knowledge to physical size and joking about the potential for the newsletter to sometimes make the brain 'smaller'.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Introducing Scribe and Big Brain Opportunities in Accounting Software

The first paragraph introduces the audience to Scribe, a simple Chrome extension that streamlines the process of creating step-by-step explainers for accountants. The speaker shares innovative ideas on how to utilize Scribe to invite an accountant and customize the steps to exclude sensitive information like 2FA codes. The paragraph highlights the efficiency of Scribe in creating visual guides that are hard to misunderstand. It also discusses the 'big brain' opportunities such as creating reusable explainers for common accounting tasks, which can be shared within the firm or even with other firms to build a comprehensive library of helpful guides. The speaker emphasizes the time-saving and efficiency-enhancing benefits of using Scribe for accountants.

05:02

🌟 Power User Moves with Uncat and Outsourcing IT for Accountants

The second paragraph delves into the use of Uncat, a tool that notifies clients when more information is needed for transactions categorized as 'uncategorized expenses'. The speaker shares power user strategies, such as setting up bank rules to automatically categorize unclear transactions and directing these to 'uncategorized' for client notifications. This automated process saves accountants time and effort while keeping clients engaged. The speaker also discusses the benefits of outsourcing IT to Tech Guru, an outsourced IT group specializing in accounting firms, which provides efficient and knowledgeable support for various software and technical issues. The paragraph concludes with an introduction to Keeper, a tool that connects to accounting files and offers a comprehensive dashboard with features like task management, transaction reviews, and client-facing questions. The speaker emphasizes Keeper's ability to centralize bookkeeping and review processes, making it an invaluable tool for accounting practices.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Scribe

Scribe is a simple Chrome extension mentioned in the video that helps in creating step-by-step instructions or explainers. It captures actions performed on a webpage and allows users to edit and refine the steps to create a clear guide. In the context of the video, Scribe is used to demonstrate how to invite an accountant, showing how it can streamline and simplify the process of explaining tasks to clients or colleagues.

💡2FA code

2FA stands for Two-Factor Authentication, a security measure that requires users to provide two different types of identification to verify their identity. In the video, the speaker mentions removing 2FA codes from the steps captured by Scribe, indicating the importance of not including sensitive information in instructional guides.

💡QuickBooks

QuickBooks is a widely used accounting software package designed to manage financial aspects of a business, such as payroll, invoicing, and tax preparation. In the video, QuickBooks is referenced as part of the accounting profession's toolkit and as a platform where reusable explainers can be built for common tasks.

💡Uncat

Uncat is a software tool designed to help with bookkeeping and client communication, particularly in managing uncategorized transactions. It notifies clients when more information is needed for certain transactions and can be set up on a schedule. The tool aims to improve client engagement and streamline the accounting process.

💡Auto-categorizing bank rules

Auto-categorizing bank rules is a feature that allows transactions to be automatically sorted into specific categories based on predefined criteria. This can greatly reduce the time and effort required for manual categorization, ensuring that financial records are kept organized and up-to-date.

💡Tech Guru

Tech Guru is an outsourced IT group that specializes in providing technical support to accounting firms. They handle IT-related issues, allowing accounting professionals to focus on their core tasks without being distracted by technical problems.

💡Keeper

Keeper is a software tool that integrates with accounting files and offers features like task management, transaction review, and client communication. It aims to centralize various accounting tasks and provide a comprehensive view of financial data, making it easier for bookkeepers and reviewers to manage their work.

💡Bookkeeping production team

A bookkeeping production team refers to a group of professionals responsible for managing the financial records and transactions of a business. This team typically handles tasks like recording transactions, categorizing expenses, and ensuring the accuracy of financial data.

💡Dashboard view

A dashboard view is an interface that consolidates important information and data in one place, providing users with a quick and clear overview of key metrics and tasks. In the context of accounting software, a dashboard view can display financial summaries, pending tasks, and client inquiries.

💡Big brain opportunities

The term 'big brain opportunities' is used in the video to describe innovative solutions or strategies that can significantly improve efficiency, save time, or add value in the accounting profession. These opportunities involve thinking creatively about common challenges and leveraging technology to streamline processes.

Highlights

Introducing three favorite mind-blowing software tricks for accountants.

Scribe is a simple Chrome extension that simplifies the process of creating explainer videos.

Scribe can be customized to remove unwanted steps, like 2FA codes, and add personalization like typing your name and email.

The explainer videos created by Scribe are visually guided, reducing the chances of errors.

Accountants can create reusable explainers for common tasks and share them with colleagues or clients.

There's an opportunity to build a library of explainers and share them with other firms, enhancing collaboration and efficiency.

Uncat is a tool that notifies clients when a transaction is uncategorized, prompting them to provide more information.

Uncat can be set up on a schedule and can watch any account in the ledger, automating the process of getting information from clients.

By using bank rules with Uncat, accountants can automatically categorize unclear transactions and notify clients directly.

Uncat also handles receipt uploads, class identification, and sending transactions to specific client users.

Keeper is a software that connects to accounting files and provides a comprehensive view of tasks and reviews.

Keeper's dashboard offers a detailed look at ledger information, including transaction reviews and client-facing questions.

The profit and loss feature in Keeper is not just a summary but a detailed breakdown grouped by payee, without needing to open QuickBooks.

Keeper's dashboard can display the status of multiple QuickBooks files, making it a central hub for accounting practices.

Accountants can significantly improve efficiency by utilizing these software tricks and streamlining their workflow.

The speaker's enthusiasm for these tools and their potential to revolutionize accounting practices is evident throughout the transcript.