Key Elements For Choosing A Practice Management App
My decision-making skills are as good as a squirrel that's crossing the street.
::Together With Financial Cents::
How accounting firms get work done.
We are living in an awesome cloud technology era. So many great choices of apps to improve our efficiency, keep our teams on track, create fantastic client experiences and collaboration, and streamline our operations.
We no longer have to live in our spreadsheets and docs - we could, but they are awkward and inefficient. Plus, even though they are free, they may cost us more than the fabulous paid apps out there.
Oh, but hey, wait on over there, Kellie. So many choices have created so much app overwhelm!
Where do you start with vetting? How do you decide what you really need (not what your friendies need - what unique-you needs), how do you narrow down the options, and how do you choose a practice management app you will stick with⁉️
Yikers, amirite?
First, let’s bucket some of the benefits you want.
What benefits would bring efficiency and pleasure back into your workday? Why do you want/need a practice management app?
Aggregation of data
Efficiency
Client collaboration
Ease of use
Team collaboration
Second, you need to analyze your firm’s uniqueness.
What are some factors about your firm to consider when choosing an app? What makes you and your firm tick?
Client load
Client services
Growth plans
Team size
Problems you have
Problems you don’t have
Third, what are some key features to look for?
These speak directly to the benefits you seek.
Automation
Repeating work, tags, dependencies, auto-nag clients
Baked in AI
Craft communications, build workflows
Client database
Aggregate each client’s information and all of your clients’ information
Client portal
A singular place for file uploads and management, task lists, chats, resources
Email integration
Track and manage team and client interactions, create projects and tasks, and contain communications in a meaningful place
App integrations
Through something like Zapier, native integrations with accounting and other back-office apps
No app should be an island of data
Task lists
Who is to do what, when, and how
Team chat
Time tracking
Fourth, let’s speak more directly to the client's experience.
A client that can communicate and share with you in an easy and pleasing way is a happy client. A happy client is one who sticks around and refers more great, happy clients.
A client that can communicate and share with you in an easy and pleasing way is a client that will communicate and share with you! In a way that is efficient for you.
Picking an app that smooths the client experience is essential to creating and managing that happy client.
What are some of the features that make for a great client-facing app?
A portal that is easy to access, yet secure
Magic links are great!
A chat and email interface
Email is not going away anytime soon, but chat is so darn interactive
Task lists with the ability to upload and comment on tasks
We all love clear lists of what we need to get done
Tasks list that gently reminds them to get their tasks done
I know I love a gentle reminder to do things, and our clients do, too
And finally, consider whether you, your team and your clients will use the app!
It’s not just what technology does; it's how it makes us feel.*
UX and UI are almost as important (sometimes even more important) than features. If you don’t love using it, you simply won’t! And your team and clients won't use it.
User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) are essential considerations in deploying and embracing technology. If you want to add new technology to your stack, it is a key consideration, and you should spend time mucking about in an app before you make a decision to add it to your repertoire. We often consider only an app’s feature set or its current “popularity” among our friends, and when we try to implement a new app and process, it can fail simply due to a lousy UX and UI experience.
The fun factor is overlooked in our apps! It’s not just about useability and features. My practice management app (which I love to the moon!), Financial Cents, does this confetti burst when you close a project (you can turn it off in settings if that’s not your gig). I smile every time. I feel rewarded for completing something rather than judged for my open items.
Of course, there are other key considerations.
Data Security
This I talk about often
Scalability
The app must grow with your firm
As your practice expands, you don't want to have to switch to a new system; it should accommodate more clients, users, and data as needed
Reporting and Analytics
An app should offer reporting and analytics tools to help you make informed decisions and track your firm's performance
Mobile Accessibility
Mobile apps or responsive web design are essential for working on the go or in the field
Customer Support
The quality of customer support provided by the app's developer must be responsive - support is crucial when issues arise
Pricing
Consider your budget and the app's pricing model
Some apps charge per user, while others have a flat fee - make sure you understand all costs associated with the app
Be wary that cost is not your first consideration - or that consideration may cost you!
I have picked Financial Cents cause it hit all the marks for Calmwaters. Marissa and I feel calm and in control when working in it. Our clients are confident and responsive and understood their role in it quickly. We gelled with the features and user experience. But we spent time analyzing other apps and testing them for fit & finish for our needs before we went all in on implementing it. Make sure you do the same. Our business needs are all unique, and just because your friendies love an app doesn’t mean it will be a winner for you. Or if they loathe one, who knows - maybe it will win you over.
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Join Your Peers Here
- QuickBooks Connect Las Vegas
Tuesday, November 14, 2023 - Thursday, November 16, 2023
This is one of my favourite events of the year, and I can’t wait to hang out with my peers and friends there - please be one of them joining us!
I am excited to be hosting two sessions on “Systems & Automation You Will Love”.
Simple Implementations To Create Big Work & Life Impacts.
Sociable
- said in your head in a loud sing-songy voice
Jason Staats did a video on the features of Financial Cents. Check it out here.
Simply yours, Kellie :-}
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I sell bookkeeping templates, standard operating process handbooks and client guides.
*My friend Kelly Gonsalves reminded me of the importance of this mindset at a session she gave recently.
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