Ballymena-based Ian Aiken has been recognised as one of the first certified Advanced QuickBook Pro Advisors in Northern Ireland.

At a conference recently, Ian was recognised as one of the first certified Advanced QuickBook Pro Advisors in Northern Ireland.

Back in February, TaxAssist announced that it had selected Intuit QuickBooks as the exclusive partner for its network of accountants. Since then, Ian has gone on to take the Advanced Advisor qualification, and is proud to be leading the way for his clients by future proofing businesses and using cloud based accounting solutions.

According to Intuit, 88 per cent of small businesses expect their accountants to embrace cloud based solutions, yet only 37 per cent of accountants do so.

Ian, who runs TaxAssist Accountants in Linehall Street in Ballymena in Northern Ireland said: “small businesses, especially start-ups, have been particularly transformed by cloud software.

“Currently Northern Ireland’s small business sector is thriving and along with advances in technology, client’s accounting expectations have evolved.

“With one click, you can upload files and data, quickly discover and rectify errors, access financial figures in real time and use this information to make strategic decisions and changes straight away, all the while you’re on the go.

“I turned to QuickBooks simply because it helps to save me time, money and most importantly it ensures I provide the most efficient service to all my clients. By using this software, I can immediately learn current financial situations, without having to make my way through numerous tedious spreadsheets, it’s now as simple as glancing at a bank balance.”

This cloud based solution operates in real time, so every time an invoice is sent, a customer makes a payment or employee gets paid, this information is tracked and is updated automatically, which then offers an immediate picture of what the business’s financial situation is.

Ian added: “I am much better connected to my clients at any time and from almost anywhere from any web-enabled device (e.g. i-phone, i- pad etc.) which offers greater control over my time and my client’s time. For example, being able to check their figures in real time means you can flag up any potential problems to the client, discuss or suggest a change in strategy that would benefit them as the need arises.

“Customers want to feel valued and confident that they will get the service they expect, which is prompt replies, willingness to go the extra mile and the ability to explain complex technical concepts in a clear and simple way, this helps us to build trust with our clients.

“The key to future-proofing your accounting business is to be proactive, rather than reactive and boldly adopting new technologies like cloud accounting solutions is an essential part of that to survive and thrive in this fast-changing world.”

Sarah Robertson, Group Business Development Director at TaxAssist Accountants added, “TaxAssist strives to be at the forefront of industry developments and Quickbooks enables our accountants to provide an efficient and proactive accountancy service. It is fast becoming the online accounting product chosen by small business owners across the UK as they become increasingly digital. We’re delighted that clients can gain the benefits of using QuickBooks to manage their finances in the cloud, with the added advice provided by our network.”