Cloud Stories | Cloud Accounting | Business Tools | Xero, Qbo, Myob | Ecosystem | Apps

I share a few facts and learnings from producing 100 episodes of the Cloud Stories podcast over the last 6 years. I've interviewed people from Australia, Canada, England, India, New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore, and USA. I've interviewed Accountants, Bookkeepers, Cloud Integrators, Country Managers, Evangelists, Founders, General Managers, IT Specialists, Marketing Specialists, Sales Specialists. I've had around 35 females, and 75 males on the show - yikes! Yes I know I need to strive for improved gender diversity. I encourage you to subscribe to the podcast, and leave us a 5 star rating, as that helps people find us! Also you can subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here: https://www.heathersmithau.com/

Today I’m speaking with Catherine Walker Community Manager at Xero In this episode, we talk about . . . How writing a thesis on the viability of organising information on the internet as part of her Master of Library and Information Studies was a solid foundation for her Community Managers role. As one of Xero’s earliest employees, realising people were deciding whether to buy Xero over social media and jumping in to respond What the day to day role of a community manager looks like Advice for accountants and bookkeepers interacting on social media Inspirational and funny stories of people Catherine’s met thru the community Diffusing situations and dealing with negative energy on social media  Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http:// HeatherSmithAU.COM

Today I’m speaking with Dylan Burgess, Partner Relationship Manager of Float Cash Flow Forecasting. Dylan joined our afternoon community chat, to lead a discussion on Supporting Your Clients and Yourself Through Uncertainty. With the community, we discussed how we could assist our own business, and assist our client’s business. We explored how some people planned for every scenario, while others don’t plan for anything, leaning on the philosophy one plus one equals window. I’ve worked with the team at Float Cash Flow Forecasting for several years, and you can read about the way I work, at http://EndorsementDisclosure.com. Connect with me on twitter at @HeatherSmithAU and sign up to the Accounting Apps newsletter, at http://HeatherSmithAU.COM

Today I’m speaking with Kevin Fitzgerald Managing Director (Xero, Asia). We're going to talk about 20 trends changing the world of work and transforming the nature of careers in accountancy. These trends are taken from ACCA Professional insight report Future ready: accountancy careers in 2020’s  ) For those of you who don’t know ACCA stands for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, it’s a global body for professional accountants, and it has a MOU with both Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand, and Xero, where Kevin works. Kevin Fitzgerald and I are both Fellows of the ACCA, and we are also both candidates for the ACCA GLOBAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS. From 8th Oct until 12th Nov 2020 ACCA members can vote in the ACCA Global Council elections. If you are a ACCA member, details on how to VOTE

'The Future of The Accounting Profession' panel discussion was held as part of the AcuityCon conference for the Acuity Financial Experts team. The global expert panel included: Kenji Kuramoto Founder & CEO of Acuity Financial Experts Greater Atlanta Area USA Michael Ly Entrepreneur | Virtual CFO | Cloud Accounting Executive | Online Bookkeeping | Speaker | Coach | Advisor Burlington, Vermont USA Nayo Carter-Gray, EA MBA Making Accounting a Little Less Taxing for small business owners | Advanced Certified QuickBooks Online Pro-Advisor | App & Technology Enthusiast Baltimore, Maryland Area USA Rachel (Leaney) Fisch, CPB Product Evangelist, Accountant Channel at Sage Greater Toronto Area Metropolitan Area Canada! Will Farnell Accountancy Firm founder (Farnell Clarke) , Keynote Speaker, Author of The Digital Firm and Mentor to Accounting Firms UK! Some takeaways for me included:

Beau Gaudron Tech Ninja from Growthwise joins us for a conversations, brainstorm, & ideas exchange, around this topic as part of our afternoon community supporting community chat. This session is a beneficial listening activity for all people working in the SOFTWARE PRODUCT area. Some takeaways for me were:

Today I’m speaking with Alison Ball Director of Marketing and Influencer Strategy for Liscio, Inc. In this episode, we talk about . . . Her new role at a category breaking app Liscio Designing Customer Experience 2.0 Building and Growing a Community Influencer Marketing and activities one can undertake to be an ‘influential thought leaders’ The concepts of Hive Mind and Adjacent Possibility As well as exploring all things around community building and influencer marketing Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http:// HeatherSmithAU.COM

Today I’m speaking with David Leary Director of Accounting and Bookkeeping Evangelism of Melio Payments. In this episode, we talk about . . . • The impact Covid19 has had on Apps and how they can not only survive, but thrive. • My favourite Accounting podcast – The Cloud Accounting podcast with his co-host Blake Oliver and all things podcasting. • How the B2B payables and receivables solutions Melio Payments eliminates the need for checks. • Why Apps should be focused on adding tools and features that help accountants work with multiple clients using the solution. • Has a black swan event changed his thoughts on niching? • The origin story of naming his side business Sombrero Apps. Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http:// HeatherSmithAU.COM

Today I’m speaking with Martin Zych CEO & Co-founder of Jirav In this episode, we talk about . . . Building Jirav, as the solution Martin needed while working as a CFO throughout his career Interpreting and commenting on the business data, sharing nuggets of knowledge and wisdom, and adding value to your client's engagement. The recent Series A Funding raise and what that means to Jirav. I learnt the term "Cannon Ball in the pool" – Jump in and sign up for a trial. Why Martin thinks we should all read The Hard Thing about Hard Things Giraffes are actually Martin's favourite animal! Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http:// HeatherSmithAU.COM

This is a bonus episode. It is a How-To Session, How to use Microsoft SharePoint for Accountants and Bookkeepers. The session is aimed at an existing user, so sits at an Intermediate or Advanced level. This was a visual presentation, but I feel there is learning to be had from the audio, so have trimmed the audio and am publishing it for you. If you need the visuals – jump across to my YouTube channel https://youtu.be/Uz63S2qLlGge channel to watch the session and remember to subscribe while you are there. The session is led by Karla Hourigan who runs a practice called Infinesse in Victoria and has a particular interest in Technology in Accounting. The presenter was David Jackson from Ripped Orange https://www.rippedorange.co.nz/ a Microsoft Training and Technology company based out of New Zealand. This was run as part of our afternoon community supporting community initiative – if you need to decompress and connect with your community – please join us at 4pm every day for a chat. If you are keen to learn more

Today I’m speaking with Brian Walsh, Country Manager ANZ of TOA Global formerly known as The Outsourced Accountants as part of our Community supporting Community afternoon chat. In this episode, we talk about . . . Culture has become a bit of a buzz word these days: When you refer to the word culture, what do you mean? Why is culture important within and organisation? Do ping pong tables, branded T-Shirts, and doughnut Fridays equal culture? How do you nurture a healthy, supportive and strong culture while working remotely? How do we support our remote teams, even when maybe they are not asking for help?  Does a strong culture pressure people to conform and be compliant? Can you have disagreements, and still be part of the team? We currently have a spectrum of a traditional office, coworking space, through to working remotely in isolation. How do you manage team culture, when they may all be more productive and effective, in different environments? Which comes first: great people who establish a healthy cult

Today I’m speaking with Robert Hudman Managing Director of Knight Solutions In this episode, we talk about . . . The benefits of a Digital Construction Strategy The Toolbox of technology tools for the Construction Industry The distinction between the operational and accounting areas of a construction business Why Procore is his chosen platform for the construction industry Using the in-house developed Procore Health Check to identify opportunities for improvement The future of the construction industry  Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http:// HeatherSmithAU.COM

Today I’m speaking with John Knight, Founder and MD of businessDepot In this episode, we talk about . . . The importance of taking the human approach to business A Collective referrals network The growth in micro and sole practitioners and how businessDepot is positioning itself to support them Correcting Entrepreneurs burnout and The Mongolian Glow Caring for Clients through Collaboration, Co-operation, Conversations, a Collective initiative, and Community The importance of Branding and the Marketing Washing machine Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http:// HeatherSmithAU.COM

Today I’m speaking with Will Lopez, Head of Accountant Community of Gusto As you may recall, Will came on the podcast only a few months ago, but today he’s back to talk about a new initiative that Gusto are launching, called People Advisory™ powered by Gusto. Gusto is based in the USA describes itself as an all-in-one people platform. There are five different elements of this announcement Gusto Pro. People Advisory Certification. People Advisory Tech Stack. Advisory Hub. People Advisory Playbook. I found it interesting talking to him about how when he was working in his modern practice Advisorfi, he recognised he was not equipped to offer People Advisory. Through joining Gusto, he’s helping his younger self, and other advisors in the community to provide this service, and in turn help small business. I think that it’s smart for Technology solutions to engage with modern advisors to design and deliver education for the community. Being nimble and upskilling with microcredentials, or nanodegrees, helps bridge

Today I’m speaking with Yoseph West Founder and CEO of the Virtual Bank Relay. In this episode, we talk about . . . The genesis of starting a virtual bank. What accountants and bookkeepers should expect from a modern future-focused virtual bank. The information the small business owner is interested in, that they understand, and where they are accessing it from The power accountants and bookkeepers have to influence SMB technology. Cybersecurity, both in terms of running a virtual bank, and the team working remotely during Covid19. What’s your favourite bank heist movie? For Yoseph it’s Baby Driver, for me it’s probably Ocean’s 8, with special mention to the King of Bank Heist movies – Michael Caine. Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http:// HeatherSmithAU.COM

Today’s episode is not centred around Accounting Technology, let me explain what I have lined up, and you can assess whether you are going to listen in, or skip over it. During Covid19 every afternoon I have facilitated a 4pm community chat to help support the community’s mental health and wellbeing. I recognised that many of us would have clients who are facing the reality of closing their business. I invited Jarvis Archer a Liquidator at Revive Financial, to join our community chat and help us, help our clients navigate these challenging times. Jarvis is based in Australia, and I imagine some of what he shares, is Australian specific. However, saying that I think you’ll still benefit to listening to the episode. I think it will help you identify concerns, help your clients navigate their journey, and ask informed questions. Please understand, the audio is stripped from a FaceBook Live stream, so it’s not the highest quality audio that I like to share with you. Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter her

Today I’m speaking with Troy Brown Director and co-founder of XBert In this episode, we talk about . . . The impact the GFC had on his first business, and how that was a catalyst for creating XBert. The importance of data integrity and visibility The three-way collaboration and conversation between the accountant, bookkeeper and small business owner How they are proactively listening to the audience and building in feature requests. How a strong marketing background helps them design a beautiful, simple and intuitive solution. Adapting the XBert checklists for their own customed uses. Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http:// HeatherSmithAU.COM

Today I’m speaking with Ian Christie, CEO & Founder of BOMA Marketing In this episode, we talk about . . . How the BOMA platform works, and how it intersects with Xero. How businesses can differentiate themselves if they’re all accessing the same content The impact on SEO if multiple businesses are using the same content. How accountants and bookkeepers can support their clients through digital marketing The origin story, and the lead up to and their huge launch at Xerocon. How can they entwine digital marketing and their online presence, to help clients appreciate their value? Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http:// HeatherSmithAU.COM

This is a bonus episode recorded for the beginning of the Australian Financial Year. Ollie Beale, Apprentice at Bookkeeping4U joined as a special guest of the Afternoon Community Supporting Community chat. You can register for future chats here or watch a live stream here. This episode is date specific, so you may want to skip ahead to the 21 minutes mark if you just want to hear the inspirational interview with Ollie Beale. Here are links to other resources I talked about in the episode Sign up to the useable Accounting Apps newsletter here: http://HeatherSmithAU.com Find out about CAANZ Tax checklists here and about what ACCA are doing in the SME space here. Here is the #NaturesWalkCAL blanket I am crocheting with the family. Fabriq an app to help you intentionally keep in touch with people. You add people you want to be reminded to connect with, and you have three circles inner, through to outer circle. It gently reminds you to reconnect. I use the free version. Here's a referral link to get you free

Today I’m speaking with Jamie Beresford Founder and CEO of Practice Protect and Fresh Method. In this episode, we talk about . . . Accountants and IT Specialists interpret the word ‘Cloud’ differently … and this could be wasting your firm money How technology has changed for accountants and where accounting professionals can identify cost savings and efficiencies in IT Security considerations accountants and bookkeepers need to adopt when working virtually or working from home What Jamie learnt the Accounting Profession during Covid 19 How he manages his team virtually while working abroad in Bali and the Philippines How flexible work conditions may be adopted in the future How the book ‘Good to Great’ by Jim Collins had a profound effect on my thinking and that’s why he takes a long term approach to commercial relationships. Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here  http:// HeatherSmithAU.COM