EXPERT OPINION THAT MATTERS - APRIO CLOUD

Remote Working & Offshore Staffing is key to take your firm to the next level

- A guide to ‘Cloud Transformation’

Cloud computing is fast becoming one of the business world’s most valuable and effective management resources. The ability to access software programs from anywhere in the world — via a remote server — delivers a number of key benefits.

We’re living in an increasingly globalized, always-on world, and the ability to work flexibly is crucial to commercial success. Armed with just an Internet-enabled device and a decent broadband connection, business owners, managers and accountants can access their financial data anywhere — at any time.

Bruce Phillips, Managing Director and Partner of Aprio Cloud as well as the founder of  HPC (formerly Harshman, Phillips & Company), is a seasoned CPA and a passionate advocate for cloud technology. 

In 2015, they merged with Blake Oliver, co-founder & CEO of Cloudsourced Accounting.

Having served as a CFO and COO of tech start-ups, he was an early adopter of cloud technology for accounting and other businesses. A well-known name in the SaaS industry, Bruce has been a key beta tester for several cloud technologies and was profiled as early as 2010 by Bill.com and SmartVault. 

In 2014, Bruce was a pioneer in the cloud accounting revolution. Five years ago, Bruce transformed his whole firm into a cloud firm and all the employees were remote. 

In one of his interviews, Bruce highlighted - “Today is all about using technology to get rid of tedious data entry. We’re replacing outdated processes with apps that offer real-time, meaningful, and accurate data through automation.”

Should I Hire a Tech Partner or just Do it by Myself? It's one of the questions you should think about while considering cloud integration.

Transforming to the cloud will definitely help you transition towards remote working and in order to achieve that, technology solutions can no longer be considered an afterthought. From email solutions and phone systems, to file sharing and client record storage, your IT systems need to be fully integrated. CPAs must ensure all files and records are secured but at the same time their larger focus needs to be maintained towards their practice. Therefore it is always recommended to have a tech partner for IT support and consulting instead of trying to do everything yourself. Definitely it will require some extra budget but that will help you build your IT setup way more efficiently and secure, plus save your time to troubleshoot and recover from downtimes. Also, the point to keep in mind is that the cloud process evolves as the remote practices expand

Bruce with his experience said - “We had a technology person here to move over to Google which was a tough decision for me as a CPA to move also Microsoft to Google but it works so seamlessly with many of the other tools that we use that we to deal with it I'm glad we get it and I don't even go into Microsoft anymore..”

REMOTE WORKING & HIRING OFFSHORE STAFF. 

There is also a notion where you think, with the ‘Cloud Transformation and Remote Working and by using Tech to Communicate & Collaborate, it is difficult to build personal connect, but it is actually otherwise.

Remote working always lacks a personal connection as well as you also can’t directly supervise the work. Finding the best ways to communicate with your team is imperative when you're not working face-to-face, because you're missing most—if not all—of the context. Working with an in office staff, you can always just call them into your office, but this won’t happen with a remote staff! Instead you have to rely on online tools such as Skype, Slack, Zoom, etc. to communicate. You must have one standard app that’s used by the entire team and managers must keep every team member including remote staff updated on latest developments. Remote working can be difficult and be isolating for many, therefore regular internal communication also helps maintain high morale and develops a better sense of teamwork.

Marcey Rader, the Staffing Coach at Entigrity Offshore Staffing recently said in one of her interviews - “What should a company or team do? Have a process or guidance around communication with the entire team, not just the remote workers. It is a way to feel included and catch up on the culture side of work. 'Staying in the loop' I always felt very attached to the company I worked for and in some ways and still do.”

A well defined process of collaboration will allow you to have the best outcome. Lately, there are many online/cloud tools available to keep track of tasks in real time and avoid reworks and redundancies. Regularly scheduled discussions and monitored approach with remote workers will do wonders when tracking goals and work progress.

Remote working can also do great wonders if you go beyond the boundaries of the US. Offshore staffing i.e. Hiring a staff member in a different country, Is almost similar to hiring someone working remotely in the US. With companies like Entigrity the process of Hiring Offshore Remote staff is seamless and secure. Offshore bring number of benefits along with

1. You can hire someone as low as $9/hour

2. And you don’t have to worry about payroll taxes, benefits or any compliances.

3. Moreover they work exactly like any other staff member that you have and they work from a secure office in India.

Just like some people had a notion that remote working is something that isn’t possible and you need to have a physical office and a personal connect, the pandemic has certainly brought a revolution in their mindset and has pushed people to work remote. And if you can work remotely then why not do it offshore? The big 4 introduced offshore a couple of decades ago, it is cost-effective, you could scale up your services, expand your bandwidth, and gain a competitive edge too...

“Hiring a remote worker onshore or offshore is no different as long as he speaks the same language and has the required knowledge & experience.”

                                                  - Phil Whitman, CPA, Owner, Whitman Business Advisors

Entigrity is the no.1 Offshore Staffing company in the accounting industry, and their best practices and processes are something to look for....Read More

For any consultation, write back to me at jack@entigritysolutions.com or book an appointment at your convenience -  by clicking here.

Entigrity™ is a trusted offshore staffing partner to over 500+ accountants, CPAs and tax firms across the US and Canada. Our flexible and transparent hiring model gives helps firms of all sizes to hire staff for accounting, bookkeeping, tax preparation or any other task for 75% less cost. As a firm 'run by accountants, for the accountants', Entigrity captures the hiring needs of accounting firms most precisely, providing staff that works directly under your control and management, still you are left with least to worry about compliance, payroll taxes, overheads or any other benefits.