The Tech Savvy CPA Agenda
By J. Carlton Collins
Following are some of the topics I typically address in my Tech Savvy CPA course.
1. Today’s CPA cannot afford not to be Tech Savvy
2. Today’s employee generates 5 to 50 times the revenue compared to 30 years ago, even adjusted for inflation
3. Consider the simple act of writing a letter 30 years ago – by hand, submitted for typing, wait a day, edit, resubmit, completed, printed, in and out baskets, no spell check tool, paper, printer, toner, envelope, stamp -= 2 to 3 days mailing time. Today a simple e-mail is nearly instant and automatically archived.
4. Your Command Center
a. Carlton’s hammer story
b. Fast new computer – every 2 years or so.
c. 3 or more GBs of RAM
d. 2 or more processors
e. 64 Bit operating system
f. Flat panel monitors
g. 2 or more monitors
h. Printer that duplexes – HP 4350 ($400 to $700) 50 PPM
i. Color printer also doubles as a scanner (Epson RX680)
5. Desktops versus Laptops
a. Laptops cost more
b. Laptops are slower, because no fan means slower speed
c. Laptops are not ergonomic devices
6. Ergonomics
a. Working 8 to 26 hours straight versus eye and muscle fatigue after 90 minutes
b. Monitor at eye level
c. Arms parallel to floor (use keyboard try)
d. Retractable arms on chair
e. Chair on rollers
f. Good mouse and arm rest
g. Good lighting (sunlight, florescent and incandescent)
h. Good furniture
7. Computer Settings
a. Carlton’s 42 tips for configuring a new computer
8. Leaving Computers on all the time
a. It will last longer – on and off means hot and cold which means expand and contract
b. Saves about 20 to 40 hours per year in rebooting time
c. Updates, spam check, virus check and back up at 1:00am, 2:00am, 3:00am and 4:00am
d. Computer is then available remotely
9. Windows Vista
a. Far more secure
b. Very fast with 3 or more GBs of RAM
c. Instant Search
d. 3D Flip
10. Paperless
a. Deliberated for years, justified in months
b. Initially no time savings
c. Savings: Paper and toner; File room square footage; archive; shredder
d. As paperless documents referenced, benefits become obvious
e. Instant Search makes all the difference
f. Scanning company will scan your historical documents
g. True Back up protection is easy
h. Documents are accessible remotely
11. Skype
a. Free download
b. Demonstrate
c. Free computer to computer video and calling
d. 1.8 cent computer to phone calling
e. eBay
f. The future of Skype
12. Carlton’s Top 25 Security Measures
a. Phishing clip
13. Queries
a. Web Queries
b. Database queries
c. Accounting system queries
d. ODBC drivers
14. Remote Access
a. GotoMyPC, LogMeIn, WebEx, Citrix, Windows terminal Server
15. Synchronization
a. Sync your cell phone to your provider
b. Syncing your cell phone to Outlook
c. Brief case
d. Brief case on a USB drive
e. ActiveSync, TrueSync, HotSync, Vista Syncing Center
f. Filtered Syncing
16. Gadgets
a. Jabra Ear Piece
b. Power Squid
c. Rocket Fish
d. USB drives
e. USB extension
f. Card Scan
g. Security Cable
17. Google
a. Preferences
b. Alerts
c. Maps including street view
d. Driving directions and redraw directions
18. Just for Fun
a. Ripping and Burning with media Player
b. Ripping & Syncing with Media Player
19. Microsoft Action Pack
a. Sign up for MPAN
b. $299 per years buys $30,000 worth of Microsoft software,
c. Includes 10 licenses of Office Enterprise edition
20. Wireless
a. A, B, G Super G, N (MIMO) wireless routers
b. Creates a Hotspot
c. Change administrative password
d. Turn on encryption (use WPA not WEP) and create strong password
e. Change broadcast name (SSID) of device
f. How to connect to an encrypted wireless router – simply use the encryption password the first time you connect
g. The promise of WiMAX
21. Encryption
a. Excel 2003 demonstration – 40 bit and 128 bit
b. Discussion of 40, 56, 64 and 128 bit encryption
c. Discussion of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)
d. Demonstration of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) – what 128 bit encryption looks like
e. How PGP works with Outlook
22. RFIDs
a. Discussion and Prediction
b. Georgia 400
c. IBM YouTube Clip
23. Speech
a. Excel Reads to you
b. Office 2003 Speech Recognition
c. Vista Speech Recognition
d. Carlton’s speech training demonstration and tip
24. Digital Photography
a. Digital cameras
b. Demonstration
c. PhotoShop
d. The clone tool
e. Magic selector and brightening tools
f. Working with Layers
25. Useful Applications you may not have heard of
a. InfoPath
b. Visio
26. Web Sites
a. Zoomerang
b. Traffic cameras
c. Mug Shots
d. Wiki’s
27. Power Point
a. Presentation tool
b. Avoiding “Death by Power Point”
c. Narration
d. Publishing to the Web
28. Being a Professional Presenter
a. All CPAs are presenters – Company, employees, board, customers, chapters, church, etc.
b. Carlton’s story regarding early evaluation results
c. 4 Quadrants of the brain - http://www.kheper.net/topics/intelligence/Herrmann.htm
d. Presentation techniques - http://www.janicesmylie.com/pages/03-brainview.htm
e. Eye contact, use names, voice inflection, whispering, silence, show of hands, stories, jokes, video clips and sound bytes, music and color, numbered lists, rations and numbers, etc.
29. Projectors
a. Less expensive
b. At least 2,500 lumens
30. Antivirus
a. Norton now my top recommendation after 7 years
31. Web Site
a. Securing a domain name
b. Content is the key
c. Demonstration of a new web page
d. A separate site for each product or service
32. Hacking and Cracking Tools and terms
a. Crackz
b. Hackz
c. Warez
d. Serialz
33. Spy Gear
a. Hidden cameras
b. Phone taps
c. GPS tracking devices
d. Parabolic listen devices
e. Peep hole reversers
f. Under door cameras
g. Cell phone listening trick
h. Capture unprotected wireless transmission
34. What’s new with Office 2007
a. New menus
b. Larger capacities
c. Presentation quality output