One Room, Multiple Solutions: The Power of a Centralised and Secure Platform

One Room, Multiple Solutions: The  Power of a Centralised and Secure Platform

In an era where data breaches and cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly common, the importance of secure, encrypted communication cannot be overstated—especially in the realm of accounting.

myprosperity is leading the way in offering a secure environment for accounting firms, with features like ‘Rooms’ that provide encrypted spaces for sharing and collaboration involving sensitive data.

Here, we delve into the critical role of centralised and secure communication in safeguarding your future.

 
Comprehensive Data Overview

 

One of the standout features of myprosperity is its ability to provide a comprehensive data overview. The platform integrates various accounts, assets, liabilities, and investments into a single dashboard, offering a holistic view of your
financial health. This consolidation is not just a convenience; it's a necessity for effective accounting management.

Being able to see all your data in one place allows for the analysis of trends and patterns, which in turn enables you to make informed decisions. A comprehensive data overview is invaluable whether you're contemplating a significant
investment or trying to understand your spending habits.

And when this data is sensitive, as financial data often is, the need for secure, encrypted communication becomes apparent. With features like Rooms, myprosperity ensures that your data is comprehensive and secure. Real-time Tracking and Monitoring
Let’s consider a scenario where you’re eyeing a time-sensitive accounting task. Real-time tracking would allow you to assess your current standing instantly, enabling you to make a quick but informed decision. In both these scenarios, a secure environment ensures that your real-time communications are secure, thereby safeguarding your integrity.

 
The Role of Data Encryption

 

Encryption adds an extra layer of security that ensures confidential data remains inaccessible to unauthorised parties. In the context of accounting, this is crucial!

Whether you’re discussing strategies with your accountant in a Room or receiving real-time updates on your transactions, encryption ensures that these communications remain secure.

Encrypted communication is a cornerstone in accounting management by providing a secure environment for all the other features to function effectively. With the assurance of security, the most comprehensive overview or the most insightful data-driven strategy would be rendered most useful.

 
Secure Collaboration with Rooms

 

This is where myprosperity’s “Rooms” feature comes into play, offering an secure space for accounting management and discussions. But how does this feature specifically enhance secure collaborations?

Let’s look at specific examples from Sydney Accountants and Grimsey Wealth (Accounting Division), two myprosperity clients with extensive experience with using Rooms and reaping the benefits of secure collaboration.

Centralised Document Management: One of the most significant advantages of using Rooms is the centralisation of all relevant documents. Grimsey Wealth (Accounting Division), for instance, created over 2,351 rooms within the platform, uploading 46,000 documents into the system by clients. This centralisation streamlines operations and minimises the risk of data breaches by keeping all sensitive information in one secure location.

Enhanced Data Security: Sydney Accountants were particularly concerned about the security risks posed by email-based data sharing. Rooms offer a solution to this problem by providing a private client portal for secure document sharing and signing. This method of communication aligns seamlessly with the security requirements of modern accounting planning, offering much better security than traditional email-based methods.

Real-Time Collaboration: Both Sydney Accountants and Grimsey Wealth (Accounting Division) found value in the real-time collaboration that Rooms facilitates. Professionals can seamlessly collaborate within the same platform, delivering a holistic approach to client management. This not only enhances the services offered but also positions firms as the go-to hub for comprehensive accounting management solutions.

Time Efficiency: Grimsey Wealth (Accounting Division) saved a minimum of 15 minutes per client per tax return, adding up to more than 45 days saved each tax season. Rooms contribute to this efficiency by providing a streamlined platform for document uploads, approvals, and real-time discussions, thereby reducing the time spent on back-and-forth communications and manual document handling.

Client Satisfaction and Trust: The secure environment provided by Rooms contributes to elevated client satisfaction and trust. Clients of Sydney Accountants, for example, found the portal easy to use, enhancing their overall experience and contributing to the platform's high adoption rate. This level of reliability fosters stronger client relationships, significantly contributing to the platform’s remarkable success.

 
Conclusion

 

Accounting is already a complex process that involves the management and analysis of sensitive data. Therefore, secure communication in accounting management is, therefore, not just a nice to have but a necessity.

Just ask Sydney Accountants and Grimsey Wealth (Accounting Division ) —they’ve experienced firsthand the transformative impact of this feature on their operations and client relationships.

By offering a secure, encrypted environment for accounting management, myprosperity is not just helping users make better data-driven decisions but also ensuring that data is shared with ease, are securely made, saving time and effort.

Read the Blogs   Sydney Accountants – The Revolution of Accountancy  &  Grimsey Wealth- A Journey with myprosperity

Don’t miss out on the future of secure, real-time collaboration. Book your demo now with myprosperity and experience the difference.

 

 

Aris Liacopoulos

Head of Sales (Accounting)

 

 

 

Aris brings over 15 years experience in the Accounting Tech industry. His previous roles as Accountant at Webb & Co, Senior Consultant @ Banklink and then Sales and Account Management Leader at MYOB have all paved the way to his role of Head of Sales (Accounting) at myprosperity. Aris is dedicated to providing the right solution to his clients to help improve efficiencies and client experience.

Building accounting firm prosperity: Attaining growth through better monitoring and collaborating.

In the world of accounting, growth is a strategic imperative that drives firms to new heights of success. As an established firm with several partners, you’re well placed to take that next step to a $1m+ turnover. But how?

The road to prosperity is paved to harness new clever technology. That is technology that reveals clear goals, helps with effective tracking, and can guide on the smart use of resources

Enter myprosperity—that kind of clever software that isn’t just about streamlining operations, but also about helping accounting firms achieve their long-term growth aspirations.

Let’s dive into the realm of tracking clients’ tasks /jobs / documents shared and explore how myprosperity plays a pivotal role in scaling up your accounting firm.

Defining and Monitoring Financial Goals: The North Star of Growth

Setting a clear course for your accounting firm’s growth begins with defining and monitoring financial goals. 

Imagine a firm with the goal of increasing its client base by 20% within the next year. With myprosperity, this goal becomes more than just an aspiration—it becomes a tangible target. 

It does so in three ways.

  • Identifying trends and areas for improvement – Customer surveys are customer reports that help pick up on where improvements can be made and areas for the clients’ information which your firm can better support.
  • Enabling partnerships and team growth – With features that welcome others into the fold of the clients’ data, your firm will not only offer a better service to your client but enable a referral network of other specialists serving similar clients.
  • Improve service efficiency – With features that make it quicker to get the jobs done and improve the way staff interact with your clients, the client will be happier than ever to refer you on and grow with you.
  • Identify areas to grow your business with existing clients – reports capture patterns in client finances that help you see what services your clients need so you can grow the amount each client invests with your firm.

So what one do you do first? 

Consider refining this into short-term and long-term goals.

Short-Term and Long-Term Financial Goals: A Balanced Approach

A successful accounting firm’s growth journey isn’t limited to immediate gains. Both short-term wins and long-term visions contribute to lasting prosperity. 

myprosperity empowers users to strike this balance by offering a mix of features that enable insights that drive short-term performance improvement. Features also drive consistent improvements in service and ways of identifying opportunity to grow the amount of investment from each client. 

Short-Term Insights: Rapid Progress through Client Surveys

Swift insights are paramount. Identifying trends and areas for immediate improvement can set the foundation for your accounting firm’s success. 

myprosperity understands this crucial need and provides tools that empower you to swiftly uncover opportunities for enhancement.

  • Customer Surveys/Digital questionaires – myprosperity integrates customer surveys into the client correspondence workflow, enabling you to gather valuable feedback directly from clients. These surveys act as a window into the client experience, helping you pinpoint areas where improvements can be made. By understanding your clients’ needs, pain points, and aspirations, you can tailor your services to better support their businesses. This short-term insight not only enhances client satisfaction but also lays the groundwork for enduring partnerships.

 

Long-Term Goals: Cultivating Prosperity with myprosperity’s Strategic Features

While short-term gains are essential, building a roadmap for lasting success requires long-term vision. myprosperity equips you with an arsenal of features that not only support your growth objectives but also strengthen your firm’s foundation.

  • Enabling Partnerships and Team Growth

myprosperity doesn’t just streamline operations within your firm; with guest access features, it extends its reach to welcome others into the fold who support your clients’ data management. 

This innovative approach not only enhances the services you offer to your clients but also creates an expansive referral network of specialists serving similar clients.

Imagine an accounting firm partnering with legal experts, brokers, and financial planners. Through myprosperity’s collaborative features, these professionals can seamlessly collaborate within the same platform, delivering a holistic approach to client management. 

This not only enhances your firm’s service offerings but also positions you as the go-to hub for comprehensive financial solutions. The result? Elevated client satisfaction, organic growth, and a network of like-minded professionals propelling each other forward.

  • Improving Service Efficiency

Efficiency is the cornerstone of client satisfaction and firm growth. myprosperity doesn’t just optimise processes; it improves the way your staff interacts with clients, driving efficiency to new heights.

Through its features, myprosperity streamlines tasks and automates reminders, ensuring that deadlines are met and tasks are executed seamlessly. This heightened efficiency translates into happier clients who are more inclined to refer your services. Word-of-mouth referrals, often rooted in exceptional service experiences, contribute significantly to sustainable growth.

  • Identifying Areas for Business Expansion

Uncovering avenues for expansion within your existing client base is important for strategic growth. It’s so much easier to foster support within your existing network, than having to convince new clients to sign up for your services.

myprosperity’s reports capture patterns in client finances, providing insights into the services your clients need more of. Armed with this knowledge, you can proactively tailor your offerings to cater to their evolving needs.

Prosperity through strategic use

myprosperity is a guiding force that propels accounting firms across Australia towards prosperity. By harnessing myprosperity’s power, your accounting firm isn’t just streamlining operations—it’s building a legacy of growth, innovation, and unwavering client trust.

 

Ready to take the next step towards prosperity? 

Click here to book a demo and see firsthand how myprosperity can transform your accounting firm’s journey to success.

Aris Liacopoulos

Head of Sales (Accounting)

Aris brings over 15 years experience in the Accounting Tech industry. His previous roles as Accountant at Webb & Co, Senior Consultant @ Banklink and then Sales and Account Management Leader at MYOB have all paved the way to his role of Head of Sales (Accounting) at myprosperity. Aris is dedicated to providing the right solution to his clients to help improve efficiencies and client experience.

Clever tech for growth: How to get existing clients to spend more on your accounting firm.

Accounting firm profitability can be achieved in a few ways. The lowest-hanging fruit is often your existing client base.

How well are you servicing them? How well do you know their business? Are there opportunities for you to help them grow their business and in turn, grow yours?

These are the sorts of questions that growing accounting firm owners are asking themselves. But even if you are aware of the questions you want to ask, how do you find the answers quickly?

Here we talk more about how mypropsperity can help to get those answers quicker for your accounting firm so you can get started right away on tapping your clients’ goodwill to help them and you grow.

  1. Start with making the client happier. 

As an accounting practice owner, you’re not just a numbers wizard; you’re a guardian of your clients’ financial well-being and success. The road to client happiness is paved with personalised service, seamless experiences, and a sense of security. 

myprosperity can empower you to take client satisfaction to new heights. This can not only give you and your team satisfaction in a job well done. It also sets your firm up for more productive conversations with your clients to grow their business with your help. 

Some of mypropserity features include:

  • Secure Document Signing and Storage. Every tax time or major business transaction or decision needs the client to sign a form. That also includes signing and storing wills and insurance. myprosperity makes that simple and secure. 
  • Assets are always valued accurately. Property assets have a big say in the P&L so our tech makes sure those figures are always correct.

 

   2. The next step is to ask them what they think and their goals.

Asking clients for their feedback on a service provides invaluable insights into their perceptions and satisfaction. Their input helps identify areas for improvement, tailor offerings to their needs, and enhance overall service quality. This feedback-driven approach fosters a stronger client-provider relationship, builds trust, and ensures that the services offered align closely with clients’ expectations.

mypropserity features include:

  • Client surveys. These are in-built into the client workflow to check in with them on how they’re enjoying the service. These can be triggered at regular intervals and once completed, are used to uncover new opportunities.
  3. Bring it home with insights that reveal new opportunities.

A happy client whose business and goals your team know well offers the strongest foundation to grow your business with their growth.

With insights into the figures and the patterns in their business, opportunities to invest in your wealth services, or outsourced CIO analysis capabilities will be revealed.

Mypropserity features that will support this include:

  • Insightful reports from P&L analysis and more that are up-to-date and accessible in real-time. You can get a view of client banks, loan and super accounts, and investment portfolios quickly. You can also get data feeds to ensure valuations of property assets are up to date. 
  • Set budgets, track cash flow, and tag client data so you can stay on top of their business performance and see where improvements can be made to get through tax time with a stronger bottom line.

 

A synergistic relationship toward mutual growth

The most rewarding aspect of growing your business while simultaneously helping your clients grow is the relationship that develops. As you guide your clients towards their goals and expansion, their success becomes a testament to your expertise and dedication. This virtuous cycle of mutual growth not only deepens client loyalty but also fuels the expansion of your business through positive referrals, improved industry reputation and increased revenue.

Ready to get started? Click here to book a demo and discover how myprosperity can transform your accounting firm’s approach to client satisfaction and business growth.

 

Aris Liacopoulos

Head of Sales (Accounting)

Aris brings over 15 years experience in the Accounting Tech industry. His previous roles as Accountant at Webb & Co, Senior Consultant @ Banklink and then Sales and Account Management Leader at MYOB have all paved the way to his role of Head of Sales (Accounting) at myprosperity. Aris is dedicated to providing the right solution to his clients to help improve efficiencies and client experience.

Partnering to prosperity: How this one technology feature paves the way to a whole new approach to finding and keeping clients

The path to growth isn’t a solitary journey. It’s a strategic collaboration that leverages the expertise of diverse professionals to propel your firm to new heights of success.

While your focus might be on your clients’ numbers, the true equation for prosperity involves the strategic partnership of accounting firms with brokers, financial advisors, legal experts, and other specialists.

myprosperity, with its clever guest access features that allow other business advisors to see the full picture of a client’s financial health, enables important collaboration. It extends your firm’s reach to create a seamless platform for professionals to support your client’s financial management.

There is also an added benefit. In fact, this benefit might well be the leading benefit. By fostering a broader team perspective on the approach to client service, it can cultivate a more expansive referral network, driving organic growth.

Here we share how to enable stronger partnerships with businesses that service similar clients. This can work to build your accounting practice and improve your client’s business.

Enhancing Service for Clients through Collaborative Partnerships

At the heart of this paradigm shift lies the profound benefit of enhancing services for your clients. By collaborating with professionals who bring diverse skill sets to the table, your firm transforms into a comprehensive financial solutions hub.

  1. Comprehensive Financial Solutions – Since professionals can engage, communicate, and strategise in a holistic manner, the client gets easier access to a comprehensive suite of services. This helps the clients receive a tailored, all-encompassing financial solution that addresses their needs comprehensively.
  2. Elevated Client Satisfaction – Rather than managing disparate interactions with multiple entities, clients have a unified and cohesive approach to their financial management. That can only lead to enhanced client satisfaction in ways that foster long-term relationships and client loyalty.
  3. Organic Growth through Referrals – The synergy of collaboration doesn’t just end with enhanced services; it extends to the realm of growth. As you partner with professionals who serve similar clients, a referral network naturally emerges.When clients experience the value of this collaborative approach firsthand, they’re more inclined to refer your services to others in their network. This organic growth can expand your client base and open doors to new opportunities to increase your firm’s reach.
  1. Positioning as a Hub of Expertise – With a diverse team of professionals working in unison, your firm becomes synonymous with expertise. Clients recognise your ability to address varied financial challenges, positioning you as a go-to hub for comprehensive financial solutions. This perception can strengthen your brand identity and enhance your market positioning, setting you apart from competitors.

  2. Propelling Each Other Forward – Collaboration breeds innovation. When professionals from different domains collaborate, their collective insights spark creativity and new approaches to solving complex challenges. This collaborative environment not only benefits clients but also propels each partner forward.

The Catalyst for Collaborative Success

myprosperity isn’t just about streamlining operations but fuelling growth through partnerships. A virtual ecosystem where professionals unite to serve clients holistically paves the way for a more profitable firm and clients. 

Book in for a demo with our team today https://www.myprosperity.com.au/book-a-demo/ 

 

Aris Liacopoulos

Head of Sales (Accounting)

Aris brings over 15 years experience in the Accounting Tech industry. His previous roles as Accountant at Webb & Co, Senior Consultant @ Banklink and then Sales and Account Management Leader at MYOB have all paved the way to his role of Head of Sales (Accounting) at myprosperity. Aris is dedicated to providing the right solution to his clients to help improve efficiencies and client experience.

Could Artificial Intelligence be the next game-changer in financial services?

Chatbot phone image

 

In an early glimpse at some of the proposed spending commitments in this week’s federal budget, there was mention of the government committing $124.1 million to help build Australia’s capability in Artificial Intelligence (AI). This will include a National Artificial Intelligence Centre and a network of AI and digital capability centres whose purpose will be to increase the adoption of AI technologies by businesses. At this stage the details on what all this means for businesses and the broader economy are sketchy and I look forward to seeing more analysis of this investment and expected output.

Along with a further $1.1B budgeted to boost Australia’s digital strategy, this growing focus on AI in Australia is a good sign that the government acknowledges the impact that this ever-evolving technology can have across many sectors of the economy. According to PwC’s 22nd Annual Global CEO Survey from 2019, AI will add US$15.7 trillion to global GDP by 2030, which is more than the current output of China and India combined.

So exactly what is AI and why does it matter to our industry? In a recent conversation with Chris Ridd, Director of myprosperity and former MD of Xero he recounted, “A number of years ago, Rod Drury of Xero, dedicated almost an entire keynote at the annual Xerocon event to the topic of artificial intelligence in the accounting software space.” He went on to say “In 2017, Drury declared that the amount of data that Xero was processing across millions of customers, was giving rise to opportunities to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to automate many tasks, starting with the coding of transactions.” Often the terms AI and ML are used interchangeably, but there is a distinction. Artificial intelligence is a technology that enables a machine to simulate human behaviour. Machine learning is a subset of AI which allows a machine to automatically learn from past data without programming explicitly. Machine learning generally requires large amounts of data for trends and relationships between data sets and outcomes to be accurately modelled and improved with repeated application. Ultimately, the goal of AI is to make a smart computer system behave like humans to solve complex problems. I like to refer to this as “getting the software to do the heavy lifting”, and thus replacing manual tasks to allow, in this case, the advisor to focus on developing deeper client relationships. Things that machines can’t do…yet.

In 2019, a study called “AI & its potential to revolutionise the accounting industry” was produced in conjunction with Singapore Management University School of Accountancy. Later published by CPA Australia, it revealed some good insights into the likely uptake of AI in the accounting industry. The report discussed how AI and ML can be implemented in accounting projects involving fraud detection, forecasting and prediction (of cash flows, inventory, revenue), rules identification to improve process automation, full-scale audits (without the need for sampling) and more. See the full report here and page 9 for the list of applications.

There have been several software providers in the accounting and advice space that have started to deliver some very practical applications of this technology. In the legal industry, Josef Legal built an advanced platform with AI capabilities to automate document drafting, configure bots for client engagement, and automate manual workflows in a practice. In the advice space, Nod has automated documents for advice planning to help streamline the preparation of an SOA. A close partner to myprosperity, BGL, announced SmartDocs last year, an AI-powered document reader that extracts data from images and PDFs (including scanned documents and photos) and converts the data into digital information. I particularly like how FYI Docs, amongst numerous process automation tools, has added a neat and really helpful feature known as “negative email alert”. A “sentiment detector” checks the text in all emails and creates an automatic alert for any inbound client email that is highly likely to have a negative sentiment. The process also creates a task that is assigned to the relevant client manager to review the email. That’s cool.

Further examples of AI in accounting include Xero’s acquisition of Hubdoc a few years ago, making it possible for the accounting software to automatically extract key information from receipts, invoices and bills, greatly reducing manual data entry. There is also a slew of chatbots available for advisers to use (e.g. FlowXO) that essentially allows someone with no coding skills to get set up and operate online quickly. At myprosperity, we’ve started to delve into the world of AI in our client portal technology in the use of digital forms. We are now starting to automate parts of the analysis/build of these forms to fast-track turnaround time for partners that want to take their customised paper-based form and turn it into a great digital experience for their clients.

So what does all this mean for you? If you had the chance to watch our recent WowCrowd interview with Damien Waller, i-Select founder and serial entrepreneur, he commented that “Virtually all my businesses have significant AI built into them. (If I was an adviser) I’d be looking at every AI-based product that I could plug into my practice because if I don’t do it my competitors will be doing it right now.” He makes a really good point. The accounting industry needs to recognise that AI technologies such as ML, are enabling tools rather than adversaries out to steal jobs. As the CPA AI report articulated only too well… “Rather than replace human accountants, AI and ML become colleagues to their human counterparts and help to get the job done in the most effective and best way possible.”

 

Stephen Jäckel

Chief Technical Officer at myprosperity

Stephen Jackel headshot

Stephen is the technical leader behind the myprosperity platform. After graduating with a Bachelor of Software Engineering with Honours in Artificial Intelligence, Stephen was development manager at Carsales.com.au for nearly 5 years. With over 10 years of industry experience, Stephen hand-picked the team to build and grow the myprosperity platform.