ZAP ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE
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    • !! Start Here !!
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    • Via the 6 Box Model
    • ------ By Box -----
    • Box 1 >
      • Invoicing 101 - Petes Electric
      • Statements 101 - Martha's Counseling
      • Legal Billing (images only)
    • Box 2 >
      • Expense and Profit Analysis
      • Time and Attendance
      • Payroll System
    • Box 3 >
      • Bank Deposit Prep WB
      • Acc'ts Receivable - Digital Bar Tab
      • Acc'ts Receivable - Double Entry
    • Box 4 >
      • Check Journal Example
      • Check Journal w/ 3 up Printing
      • Acc'ts Payable - Simple Digital List
    • Box 5 >
      • Bookkeeping
      • Transaction Generator
      • Bank Statement Generator
      • Bilbo's Bank - Faux Bank Website
      • Manual Balance Sheets
    • Box 6 >
      • Tax Prep Summary Worksheet
      • Tax Return Journals
      • Taxable Income Tracking
      • Tax Simulation & Estimating (Fed, State, PremTaxCred)
      • Real Estate Transaction Journal
      • Sales Tax Remittance Tracking
    • ------------------------
    • Other >
      • Accounting Master File
      • DIY1 uBoundGScriptProject
  • FAQs
  • More...
    • Orientation >
      • ------ INFORMAL ------
      • Models & Data Flow for folks on the GO!
      • Problems, Solutions and Bigger Backstory
      • ------- FORMAL -------
      • Step 1 - Welcome
      • Step 2 - Custom For You... >
        • Accounting Alchemists
        • Categorizing Crackerjacks
        • Simmering Sages
        • Sorcerous Students
        • Magical Millennials
        • Enchanting Educators
        • Spreadsheet Gurus, Javascript Wizards, Database Devils, & Full Stack Devs too...
      • Step 3 - Reunited!
      • Step 4 - The Accounting System 6 Box Model
      • ----------------------
    • For CPAs >
      • Welcome & Orientation
      • Resources >
        • Bookkeeping Template Data Flow Details
        • Balance Sheet Re-imagined
        • Income Statement Re-imagined
        • Bookkeeping Re-Imagined
        • Demystification Documents
        • Empowerment For CPAs
      • Notifications >
        • 11/6/2021 - Sea Change Notice
        • 1/17/2022 - The Opportunity
        • 5/14/2022 - Seeking CPE Partners
    • Contribute
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      • Home_out20210331
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    • About
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  • Home
  • Testimonials
    • Sales System Templates
    • Bookkeeping Template
  • The Challenge
  • Education
    • !! Start Here !!
    • ----------------------
    • Single Page Visuals (and more...)
    • Fun Seekers Corner >
      • FSC 101
    • Accounting Studio Magic >
      • ASM 101
      • ASM 103
    • ----------------------
    • Software in Greater Detail... >
      • Spreadsheets 101
      • Sales Systems 101
      • Bookkeeping 101
      • DIY Software Programming 101
    • Intro Videos
    • Books & Pamphlets
    • ------------------------
    • Empowerment
    • Reimagination
    • ----------------------
    • End User Benefits
    • FAQs
  • Software
    • !! Start Here !!
    • ----------------------
    • Via the 6 Box Model
    • ------ By Box -----
    • Box 1 >
      • Invoicing 101 - Petes Electric
      • Statements 101 - Martha's Counseling
      • Legal Billing (images only)
    • Box 2 >
      • Expense and Profit Analysis
      • Time and Attendance
      • Payroll System
    • Box 3 >
      • Bank Deposit Prep WB
      • Acc'ts Receivable - Digital Bar Tab
      • Acc'ts Receivable - Double Entry
    • Box 4 >
      • Check Journal Example
      • Check Journal w/ 3 up Printing
      • Acc'ts Payable - Simple Digital List
    • Box 5 >
      • Bookkeeping
      • Transaction Generator
      • Bank Statement Generator
      • Bilbo's Bank - Faux Bank Website
      • Manual Balance Sheets
    • Box 6 >
      • Tax Prep Summary Worksheet
      • Tax Return Journals
      • Taxable Income Tracking
      • Tax Simulation & Estimating (Fed, State, PremTaxCred)
      • Real Estate Transaction Journal
      • Sales Tax Remittance Tracking
    • ------------------------
    • Other >
      • Accounting Master File
      • DIY1 uBoundGScriptProject
  • FAQs
  • More...
    • Orientation >
      • ------ INFORMAL ------
      • Models & Data Flow for folks on the GO!
      • Problems, Solutions and Bigger Backstory
      • ------- FORMAL -------
      • Step 1 - Welcome
      • Step 2 - Custom For You... >
        • Accounting Alchemists
        • Categorizing Crackerjacks
        • Simmering Sages
        • Sorcerous Students
        • Magical Millennials
        • Enchanting Educators
        • Spreadsheet Gurus, Javascript Wizards, Database Devils, & Full Stack Devs too...
      • Step 3 - Reunited!
      • Step 4 - The Accounting System 6 Box Model
      • ----------------------
    • For CPAs >
      • Welcome & Orientation
      • Resources >
        • Bookkeeping Template Data Flow Details
        • Balance Sheet Re-imagined
        • Income Statement Re-imagined
        • Bookkeeping Re-Imagined
        • Demystification Documents
        • Empowerment For CPAs
      • Notifications >
        • 11/6/2021 - Sea Change Notice
        • 1/17/2022 - The Opportunity
        • 5/14/2022 - Seeking CPE Partners
    • Contribute
    • Admin > Login/Logout
    • Archive >
      • Home_out20210331
      • Commerce Snippets
    • About
    • Contact

For CPAs > Notifications > The Opportunity - 1/17/2022

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Have you read the book "Startupland"  by  Mikkel Svane? It's the story of Zendesk.

Programmers building enterprise systems were surprised by some application foresight deficits shared in the book, but everyone can find something to criticize in every story if they look for ways to self-validate inappropriately. 

The founders of Zendesk launched and scaled a company with good intentions and good roots. No clue what it's like now, but the experience is part of their personal stories now, and it's something they can be really proud of for life. 

There were two minor parts of the story that were interesting.

1) Timing - Their ability and willingness to clarify the good fortune of their timing, along with their skills and desire was cool.  Disclosing timing related good fortune is not something that is typically emphasized by financially successful people. In fact, good timing is often suppressed if future revenues depend on convincing future employees and customers they can benefit in similar ways which were only afforded by prior timing that is no longer present.  Timing is always the bulk of the boon. Anytime you evaluate a financially successful person, always be sure to assess their timing and then compare it to yours to see what parts of their story can actually convey.  

2) Quickbooks - They talk about starting out their journey with Quickbooks. If memory serves, it gets unwieldy, as was the case for many of us, but check the cliff notes to confirm. 

ZAP Accounting Software is a lot like Zenbooks with regards to Great Timing.
Our Timing aligned with the "Great Resignation" and a stated desire by MANY Professionals for 
a better work-life-balance & 
​a greater human connection to those they serve.
That's music to our collective ears! 
​
We feel Professional Accountants and CPAs in the USA, numbering over 1.3 million as an informal fraternal order, might be the best group to bring our solutions to the Global Marketplace.
  • Those who participate in a cool way are sure to increase their work-life balance, quality-of-life and connection with clients and others interested in learning about bookkeeping and accounting in a new way.   
That said the smallest of us who have attempted to work with "Accounting Pro's" in the past 20 years have a lot of broken toes and we need to air it all out in prose...
ZAP Accounting Software will not be like ZenDesk from a business model prespective. This is good for all, but it will require a Grand Re-imagination for Many...
We sought no funding from others, but it's more than just that.
  • We have no employees and we expect to keep it that way.
  • We're an informal cooperative and not one of us has received a dime in pay after 5 years of toiling. 
  • We'd never dream of starting off with Quickbooks. It was negative experiences from 2000 through 2016 with Quickbooks that drove these competitive solutions into being. 

ZAP Accounting Software Templates were created and tested by "small business people" running companies that do $10k to $400k in revenues.
  • Some had as many as 15 employees, but in more recent times it was zero for most with some having a few.
  • We feel many of our solutions may have use in companies doing $1M to $5M in revenues, and some of our templates and technology might be able to stretch even further.

Our Bookkeeping Template, for exmple, is just a fully transparent auto-populating G/L that exceeds all database systems due to the lack of scripts required to convert and manipulate forms and reports.
  • It can handle an unlimited amount of asset and liability journals which means what for scaling?
  • It might start to feel a little "clunky" with a lot of those, although that might be the case with any other system too and without a doubt, the others should be far harder to QC technologically than ours, and that counts for a lot.   
  • In addition to Tax / Financial Bookkeeping and Accounting, there's definently a need for it in bookkeeping recovery ops and presumably audit. 
  • The upper limit has yet to be pondered, much less tested by those with larger enterprise experience. 

The introduction of our novel Software and Education into the Global Marketplace of 8 Billion at a cost of ZERO to all for life is going to be Disruptive. 
  • How disruptive and who is best suited to bring it to market initially are the only two, key remaining questions along with the airing out of some really crappy laundry...
Unfortuantely we have one major problem standing in the way of progress with modern day CPAs, and that is the LACK OF TRUST that currently exists between many of our smallest business people and the CPA's they've grown tired of accomodating.

In the past 20 years, the shear volume of price gouging, manipulation for fees, lack of alternatives for Quickbooks, lack of "proper, written cliff notes for small business bookkeeping management by CPAs and the IRS" , and dementia related problems resulting from working beyond a healthy hurdle without cession planning has been brutal.  

As frustrated clients of CPAs ourselves, it was nice to CPA's active in your own industry sensed the same and voiced it recently. It's nice to know others are trying to shake the kettle too. 

​Do you know what we're talking about?
 Accounting Today published an article in late 2021 featuring the results
​of a survey to 150 or so Industry Leaders.


"What are the most urgent issues facing our Professionals and our Industry today".

WARNING: The future mentioned in the third review may be arriving earlier than projected.
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Truthfully, this public review of quotes has been kind.
To see the warmup for this webpage click here. It's ugly. If you have thin skin, please don't read it now.  

The Greatest Opportunities are Rooted in Perfect Timing
Below, we spell out the current problem(s)
Then we provide a glimpse at "The Opportunity" for a reset as we see it. 
The goal is to open a dialogue that is healthy for all without baggage hanging over any of us. ​

The Problem(s)...

​As long as the IRS is the Money Return Mechanism for the nefarious Federal Reserve and the "Personal Income Tax Act", Small Business owners like those that worked to bring this solution into being need FOUR THINGS from CPAs or other Professionals who touch our taxe prepration process, and those pro's need to be resepedcted by banks and the IRS as equals to CPAs today should it not be them where this responsibility stays long term...

​We need: 
  1. "FREE" Support letters from the Tax Prep pro that did the return during Loan Applications - Often times these are less than attestation letters. Often times these are simply letters that state we are in fact self-employed and they did the returns, which effectively is simply restating what is presented on our tax returns. (BTW - The "kids" working much of the underwriting these days have no clue how small business people do or don't interact with CPAs nor do they have any clue about accounting. However, without a CPA name on the return, I can't imagine the complexity. With it is bad enough. It all makes for a brutal cocktail that needs healthier attention. )
  2. ​"FREE" Support when the IRS Letters Arrive - We need support when those terrifying and often times errant Letters from the IRS arrive. I'm talking about ones that indicate we owe money from a recent return that are written so vague, it's hard to figure out they were just issued late and not reflecting of the payments tney had already processed. 
  3. "FREE" First Level Support if and when an IRS Audit Letter Arrives - Messing around the the IRS without a CPA as a representative is deadly for most right now.  If the small business masses get far better with thier own bookkeeping,  an "audit ready" software solution, and proper education, it may be more manageable, although most should prefer a CPA or comparable for agency purposes. 
  4. "FREE" simple support during the year with basic questions. - I'm talking about a few questions related to changes in business and lifestyle that can be answered with a few words or a sentance and often times they are multiple choice as presented from semi-educatated indviduals.   Time consuming questions can shift to an "affordable" paid consultation.

As for Income Tax Return Preparation... 
It's been the damn flat rate return pricing from Pro's that's grown so inflated over the years that's gotten our goat. Since 2000 and the rise of Intuit's Confusion Systems, CPA firms have gone the way that Chiropractic did in the 1990s. Indpendant and Small Firm CPA's  flat rate tax return fees are so high, it's impossible to believe they haven't doubled or tripled their hourly rates as the plug at the same time the plug and play returns have been built out by engineers for their profits and mystique.  

By our estimates, CPA's preparing returns for repeat clients are now making $300 to $500 per hour for tax preparation and they are expecting those of us "also in small business and technology" who don't make close to that to "pretend that's okay"? 

The relationship between Small Business Owners and the Indpendant CPAs with regards to Income Tax prep needs to change very quickly before it's too late. 

As for Income Tax Strategy Consulting...
OF COURSE WE'D LOVE IT.  BUT AT WHAT COST? WHERE IS THE INDUSTRY CREATED 10-20 PAGE HANDBOOK THAT EVERYONE SHOULD BE PASSING OUT TO SMALL BUSINESS PEOPLE WITH THE BASICS OF SMALL BUSINESS BOOKKEEPING AND STRATEGY LAID OUT FOR ALL?  With the internet, information can typically be found online along with MOUNTAIN RANGES OF CONFUSION that CPAs seem to be swimming in everyday that are cleary by nefarious IRS design. The shear volume of ambiguity that is conveyed in the Tax Code is gobsmacking, BUT THE LACK OF A SIMPLE HANDBOOK FOR SMALL BUSINESS BASICS, PROVIDED BY THE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS IS THE TELL TALE MARK OF ____________.

It all fits in 20 pages and we've proven it in one of our "Accounting Studio Magic" documents . 1) Chart of Accts - Use ur Tax form Categories 2) Paid in equity accts - used 1x for most 3) Due to accts - critical for understanding cash flow mgt 4) Owner draws vs paychecks - when and how 5) employee payroll - systems and options 6) Inventory reporting basics 7) The general journal when and what its used for 8) Auto expenses - the dreaded confusing one 9) Cash handling 10) Home office deductions 11) Software reviews and suggestions...

Where was that industry level publication with a link from every CPA's website? 

The CPAs complain their clients aren't educated, yet what have they provided as a collective in the past 20 years to remedy that and why haven't they provided it?

Not in your job description?  Creates a negative impact on your rising fees?
Okay. No Problem. We'll fix it then. Welcome to ZAP Accounting Software. 

NOW is the time for a New Roof. Quickly.  With regards to Tax Software and Tax prep, here's a suggestion...
Those of us that have "figured this stuff out" also know it's far better to put a new roof on a home when it's sunny, and the clouds are approaching quickly.

Many of us seek out a CPA for tax prepartion not because we need the help with that, but because that is an excuse for us to pay a little money to develop the relationship needed for the first four items listed above, before we need them. Many of us would prefer to use independant CPAs as opposed to corporate services but as a group, the Independant CPAs have made it extremly difficult to continue with them due to overt, "anti-social", "self-centered" and "arrogant" commercial behavior. 

We are Reimaginging Something. We aren't sure if it can work, but we're interested in a conversation. The independant CPAs have gained power and abused it. As Software was created to simplify their lives and reduce their repetitive tasks and time per return, they have all RAISED THEIR FEES?  That hurts. 

What happens if we turn that on its head. 
  • We would love the opportunity to be able to setup our own Tax Return profiles in one of several software offerings and then complete the basics or the majority of our own Tax Returns on our own as we are able.
  • We would then like to share our digital account with a CPA or comparably situated with support by a CPA for data entry support and consulting 
  • We would like a signature on the return from a CPA as is done now. 
  • We would like to pay $200 to $400 to the professional CPA for this service
  • By our estimates the person assisting with tax prep (CPA or other) would have 15 to 45 minutes at most in the process with most of us. If they booked 30-60 minute appointments they could likely provide some consulting and some personal dialogue too. If we worked with support staff and then had a very short conversation with the CPA much like a dental hygenist with the over priced 5 min screening by the dentist, that might also work although let's get them to reduce their gouging too?! 
  • With this, the CPA is probably making as much or more per hour than they are now (but less per return) with less overhead and less technology responsibility. 
  • What we are paying for with this is a "consult" plus some "informal insurance" for those "FREE" things mentioned prior, AND we are okay with talking about the hourly premium as long as an "informal insurance policy" for that "FREE STUFF" mentioned above is presumed to be in the mix.  
  • There are some details which can be discussed and ironed out and maybe you all have a better suggestion.

For those who feel this will cut their business in half, we feel we can provide numerous other ways to generate new revenue in a healthier manner that actually benefits both the Small Business Clientel and your own mental health in a far better way.

We also feel this is the only path out there right now for those who want a higher quality work life balance and more human connection with thier own clients. 
As ZAP Software Templates come online Globally, there's going to be a far more educated small business clientelle who is simply not going to stand for the Tax Return Prep price gouging anymore. 

We get it. Many of your small business clients show up with bad business books.  As many as 90%. 
  • Which of you has taken the time to write software to help them out? 
  • Which of you has written books telling them how to do it better?
  • Which of you support multiple industry associations which have failed to do the same?
  • How much have you all benefitted from an industry where seemingly no one could build a better software solution that would empower your small business clients in a better way?

With our offerings, we have removed the Small Business Person's excuse that World Class Education and Affordable and Functional software does not exist for their benefit, now what are you all going to do to rectify your share of this problem? 
For those this resonates with, this should look like a once in a lifetime Opportunity with timing second to none. 

​Those interested should continue reading below.... 

Ours too is a Story about Timing,
​and this is a Watershed Moment for All of Us

​1/15/2022

Dear Valued CPAs and other Accounting Professionals, 

There are currently 1.3 Million Professional Accountants in the US. 650,000 are CPAs and 450,000 of those seem to be related to smaller business. All 1.3 Million have the potential to support small business.  

According to Accounting Today's November 2021 "urgent Issues" article with quotes from approximately 140 industry leaders, your industry is buried in storms that preceed an Occupational Tsunami.

From the comments, it's apparent that most of you are without the computer and technology skills to compete against technologists and engineers who were forced to learn bookkeeping and accounting as a small part of their subject matter. 

While some of you may initially chuckle at the idea that "spreadsheet based accounting temples" could be a final up-ender for your industry and the unhealthy small business software industry that surrounded it, those who have spent any time looking into our solutions and education are likely far more cautious.

We've been following this industry for 20 years.  We've been actively developing the solutions presented on this website for 5 years. We've been beta testing on a micro scale for 3. Our goal first and foremost is Global Disruption. That is closely followed by education and support for a new Small Business Class that has been excessivly suppressed by commercial classes who were afforded better timing from the 1970's to the early 2000's. 

As an industry of professionals behind the times, you all are now being actively hunted by Intuit with their Quickbooks Live offering. You built their Monopoly for them over the past 20 years while ignoring the bastardized software they were offerring, and now they will start consuming your business. They have all your client data and they have access to macro data for dozens of industries thanks to you all.  That's how Technocrats work. If you don't think the software companies serving the larger firms aren't scheming to do the same, that is likely naive. They live to collect data and subvert later. 

You are also now facing advances from Pilot, a Jeff Bezos funded startup with pricing that might only be attractive to Venture funded startups, for now. Floqast has just come online with their own Comedy Series for marketing from the CA folks.  Furthermore, H and R Block and JacksonHewitt are the lower cost leaders and long time players who undoubtedly are investing heavily in scaling and offshoring too.   

With all this corporate competition, where is the opportunity to remain or become a non-corporate player in your own game of commerce?
Other than us, are there any other software publishers out there that are positioned to give Accounting Practioners seeking experience in the small business realm an ability to move forward without the longterm threat of another technocratic rug pull in the future? ​
As an industry of professionals, you all have exclusively aligned with Sage via Sage Intaact?!
  • Sage is a British Company.
  • Should all mid size and large US Companies seeking to work with independant industry professionals give a foreign owned entity access to US market data? That's almost as bad as all phone billing having been handled exclusively by Isreali firms some time ago (and maybe still true today).
  • Why wouldn't Bezos and company step in and buy Sage once you all consolidate business there?
  • Why wouldn't a Chinese Venture Capital Company step in and take them over? 
  • Can the Sage Solutions scale down to the needs of "little folks"? 
  • Are all "little folks" just destined to work with Corporate Vendors with no access to affordable independant CPA's and Professional Accountants moving forward? ​ ​
Small Businesses are the fertile ground from which all large companies and their accounting budgets sprouted decades and centuries ago.
​It sure seems like some really powerful Technocrats have forgotten those roots. 
We've done a detailed analysis of the Accounting Today 2021 Urgent Issues Article. This is a Watershed Moment.
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We, as ZAP Accounting Software, have much to offer. 

Do you see that 
"Staffing / Attrition" with a 60 count next to it? What might "free education and free software"  done in a far simpler way mean for that item alone?

Obviously free doesn't mean anything if the material or the solutions are no good.  If you've gotten this far and haven't qualified our "goods" yet, do so now and then come back when you are ready to acknowledge we created and published something that 2 Million CPAs since the 1980s were either not able to do or not willing to do. Then continue reading below. 

Do you see 
"Technology can be Disruptive" and
"Technology can be Empowering" both with a 22 count next to them? What does "free education and free software" mean for that item alone?

Do you see that "Diversity Lacking" with a 17 count next to it? What does "free education and free software" mean for that item alone?

Do you see that "Education - College Needs" with a 10 count next to it?  What does "free education and free software" mean for that item alone?

How about :
    Trust - 8
    Work Life Balance - 7
    Leadership - 6
    Human connection - 5
    Societal Impact - 5
    Mental Health - 4
   Data Security - 3


What does "free education and free software" mean for them too?

For every single item in this list, our "silly little templates" and the technology used to create them have relevance. With some broader beta testing, we may find out we offer what many larger businesses can use to cut costs and employment too. 

​Timing is everything >>  At this point in time, we're only  missing a few "minor things" like 1) a global, decentralized, independant Sales Force and 2) a global, decentralized, independant Support Network.   >>   We saw no need in sweating the small stuff.  

Rumor has it some of you all may be very stressed out and others are trying to "reimagine" their way into a life with more job satisfication, a better connection with clients, a better work-life balance, and more meaningful work. Full time or part time.

We're reaching out to you all now as an industry of Professionals to see if there is any interest in organizing in small or large pods to create a professional sales and support system that can be of mutual benefit.  

From a Marketing Education Perspective, we've just completed document series currently entitled "Accounting Studio Magic". 
  • We are searching for cosmically mature Accounting Yogi's and Yoghini's who are interested in establishing new Accounting Practices that might more mimic a yoga studio, a wellness clinic, or an accounting ashram of their own when in full bloom.
  • Our "Accounting Studio Magic" material is designed to give you written information you can use as introdctory material intended to "sell current clients" and "attract potential clients". You will be offering an "alterantive approach" to Bookkeeping and Accounting Education and Software as compared to the main stream offerings that are lacking woefully today for individuals and small business people.  
  • It's also meant to give you the material you can use to go into Middle Schools, High Schools, Colleges, Networking  venues, governments, small business development centers and religious organizations to share your Art of Numbers with those who need it yesterday in a "novel" and far simpler way with required licensing costs second to none.  
  • We'll continue to build out that material to help with onboarding responsible clients that can be mutually beneficial in a healthier way than you have today. 

From a Software perspective, here's where we are today (1/15/2022)
  • Sales System Templates​ - We have Introductory Sales System Templates that have been Beta tested. They're ready for broader use in education and business. We have very complex, multi-file, modular Sales Systems that have been in operation for 1 to 4 years that are ready for refinement and public offering for education and business use.  We have a prototype Managerial Accounting System that falls uner our Sales System categorization for Small Practice Attorneys. That product should be able to compete with, and possibly dominate one of the few web based offerings available to them at this time. They and the law schools that could benefit most from them will need help getting oriented to that and the bookkeeping template that would be needed in parallel. Likewise, if you told us you found a business niche with 20 vets who specializd in reptilians, eagles, one eyed cats and three legged dogs with special needs, we could likely whip something up just for you and them. 

  • Bookkeeping Template - We have spent 5 years creating a totally new paper clip for "Bookkeeping" that far surpasses the functionality of Quickbooks for Small Businesses. While we've only tested it with companies up to $400,000 in  revenues, there's no reason to believe it can' serve far larger organizations. We just haven't had the opportunity to beta it in such organizations yet. It's just Journals, a General Ledger and all appropriate reporting and cross checking needed for any double entry accounting system, so why it couldn't be used for companies doing millions in revenues is a bit unknown at this time.  From a basic audit and attestation perspective, we see no reason why a years worth of data ranging from 10k to Millions can't be dropped in and rapidly recategorized to crosscheck the reporting from other software in under an hour or a few at most. 

  • Payroll - We have prototyped a Payroll Template. It has not been put into testing yet.  Of all the templates, it will likely be the one the requires the most ongoing updates and possibly the one with the most professional hand holding or procedural support. We feel there is an opportunity here for small accounting studios to earn recurring support revenue while keeping societal data out of the data mining machines that are the modern payroll systerms.  

  • Time and Attendance - We have prototyped a Time and Attendance Template too. No beta testing has transpired yet. 

  • Payment Processing - As of now we don't forsee integrated payments with our invoicing system, but we have ways to setup 24/7 collections on websites. It just requires manually updating payment receipts. This will be limiting for some.  We've been involved in electronic processing part time / full time since the 1990s. One of the first two test bunnies for the Bookkeeping Template is a career payment industry pro who specializes in larger, digitally complex and highrisk merchants.  If a client is doing under 10k a month in credit card sales,  square, paypal and similar  are typically the way to go, although rumor has it we may want to chase some of those too someday.  If a merchant is doing more than $10k/month, reach out let us see what we can do. Revenues from these accounts will help us fund more free tools for everyone and there is a possibiity we could discuss joint referal business allowing you to profit a small bit on residuals too if you can bring multiple clients.
With our Solutions, Small Business People need a totally new type of support.  Please note, we are NOT trying to organize the relationship between the clients and you like a Quickbooks Live or Uber setup. We just need you to DO THIS FOR A PROFIT, and then donate a small amount from your revenues from time to time to keep our lights on.  ​

Sales Systems
  • We need Accounting Professionals who are literate with our spreadsheet templates to help small businesses setup their own sales systems and do minor customization.
  • These should generate one time setup fees. They could be thought of as a small consulting gig, and they'd provide an opportunity to create new relationships. 
  • There may then be coaching, consulting or modifications ongoing for a little while or not if of mutual interest.
  • The users may also need paid help to do major price updates programmatically if they have inventory
  • If you are good at it, you could end up doing some major add ons or customization for folks or you might end up teaching others how to do installs and customizations for a profit too. 

Bookkeeping System
  • Individuals interested in our solution do NOT need others doing data entry.
  • Individuals interested in our solution do NOT need people categorizing bookkeeping transactions
  • Individuals interested in our solution do NOT need people to trouble shoot Balance Sheet imbalances on a regular basis, but they made need help with that initially until they understand how all our drill  down systems work. 
  • Individuals interested in our solution need Accounting Professionals who are proficient with the technology and they need: 1) an Introduction to it that is not intmidating (the Accounting Studio Magic Material comes to mind) 2) Help setting it up for their own best use, much like you are already doing with Quickbooks and others for a one time fee 3) Help running it parallel to any existing systems until they are confident it is for them 4) Occasioanal or intermittant help if/when they futz up their template with bad keystrokes. There's lot of document support available such that it may only be pointers or some minor fee based or free time depending on your practice configuration 
  • NOTE:  The idea of dropping into an existing system with errors is currently blood stopping. Nobody does that with Quickbooks expecting and easy fix. Our has shown to be pretty revolutionary in that light.

Tax Planning and Tax Preparation
  1. Individuals interested in our solution can key their own data into tax software (brand TBD). This frees the Accounting Professional up from hosting software and data privacy issues.  Our individuals will just need help with the tougher stuff
  2. Individuals interested in our solution will want or need just a little  supervision and a final sign off.
  3. Ideally, you as a tax pro would then sign the return,  but that shouldn't be any different than what you are doing now, except you used our labor for the data entry and third party software that frees you up in several ways. 
  4. We are currently getting quotes for $550 to $1200 to do simple small business tax returns. In most cases it's robbery, but a service we still feel we need for the minor support and protections as needed.  If we were to pin these professionals to a wall and ask what the hourly rate earned was, most would likely be embasrrassed to share it,  and that's where a lot of the trust disconnect starts.
  5. We look at tax return prep different than you all.  It's a necessary evil and what we are looknig for is 1) Advice and 2) Insurance that you might be available to help us if we get a letter from the IRS 3) and minor bank letters. 
  6. Responsible small business people can probably do 90% of the data entry in the same amount of time it takes to prepare the information for handoff. The systems used might be JacksonHewitt, H and R Block or even Turbo Tax? (until a gov't system up ends them all). 
  7. If we told Small Business owners would gladly pay 200 to 400 for a tax return review with minor support and a signature instead of 550 to 1100 for a document  hand off and all the risk that preparing a return and storing the  data entails, does that sound attractive? By all measures our guess is your hourly rate would actually go up and your risk, stress and mind numbing work my actually drop and we could actually have a conversation during the process because those buying this type of service would know up from they were paying a portion of the money for a consult and the other portion was an informal  "insurance premium" that said they had generally done things correctly and they'd have first level support if a dreaed IRS letter arrived after the fact. 
  8. NOTE: No one pursing this type of  relationship would expect numerical attestation without  additional fees. 

Payroll Systems and Time/Attendance systems 
  1. These represent oportunities for install, customization and support. 
And there's more you  can offer too. Small Business Consultanting Options and Google Suite Specific Support
  1. Any small business person or company that decides to use our software templates is best served by a Google Suite Account or a Gmail account. 
  2. Most will need or want help becoming far more organized and efficient with the Google Tools and platform.  
  3. This is where your Accounting Studio can morph into a Small Business Studio and/or  a Technoology Studio too.  
  4. Our Sister website, https://the-technology-club.weebly.com/ details an entire informal infrastructure for setting up a business system in google drive
  5. Our Sister website, https://soul-proprietor-guide.weebly.com/ helps with educational material for becoming a well round small business person.
  6. Our Sister website, https://website-builders-guide.weebly.com/ helps people learn to  setup and manage their own websites. 
  7. Our Sister website,  https://diy-software-club.weebly.com/ is intended to help teach the programming found in all of our templates, and maybe we can inspire you all to become small time programmers in cloud spreadsheet platforms too. 

We have much to offer and as we indicated abvoe, this is a real Watershed Moment. Please take some time to reflect on what we've shared and try to reimagine yourselves in a different kind of practice. 

We hope to make our next round of decisions on 2/16/2022. The interest or lack there of that is expressed between now and then from industry pros will dictate the next step in our story. If you allow the short term rush of this upcoming tax season to interfere with your long term thoughts, we may just ask the powers that be to remove tax season completely into perpetuity. 

Please reach out if any of this resonates.
The Staff at ZAP Accounting Software
What's a HELOC in 1st?  Link coming soon...
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