Message from discussion Virtual Accounting Firm a Reality?? You tell me ...

From: r...@foxall.com (Ric Foxall)
Subject: Virtual Accounting Firm a Reality??  You tell me ...
Date: 1998/09/22
Message-ID: <360b02d2.889505@news.mindspring.com>#1/1
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Organization: Foxall Online Services for Small Business - INTERbooks Online - INTERtax Online
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A short while ago there was discussion in this group about providing 
accounting services over the Internet.  A real "virtual office" that would 
allow firms to compete profitably in broader markets and for higher fees.

I have invested considerable time and $$$ into creating that office and 
putting it into a secure environment. It exists! {see www.foxall.com}  Any 
accounting/tax practitioner can use it to provide both basic accounting and 
personal tax preparation (Canadian) services over the Web and under their 
own letterhead.

I created these applications because ... 

(a) I have been providing accounting/tax services since 1985 - it is 
b-o-r-i-n-g - the web presented a challenge ... 

(b) the proliferation of PCs and low end accounting/tax software - not to 
mention "Basement Betty/Bob" - during the past 13 years has made it 
increasingly difficult to compete (profitably) for monthly bookkeeping 
assignments, year ends, and tax returns - I wanted an edge ... 

(c) in many cases the work I am getting is based on in-adequate computerized

systems operated by in-experienced people with in-sufficient training - some

times it takes longer to fix the mistakes than it would to re-construct the 
entire file from scratch - the result = high $$$ + an unhappy client - I 
wanted control ... the ability to keep errors to a minimum and the cost both

profitable and competitive

The problem ... the virtual accounting/tax office (even with customizable, 
idiot proof {grin} input documents, full encryption, anonymous data 
transmission, and a fee schedule that is highly competitive) is a hard - v e

r y hard - sell ... the world (including participants in this and related 
newsgroups) seems to be reluctant to accept this application of Web 
technology.

You're the experts ... you tell me ... Why?


Thx