The More The Merrier

Cloud-based accounting and financial management software maker Intacct, through its alliance with the AICPA and CPA2Biz, has been hard at work developing its CPA firm channel by teaching firms how to start outsourced accounting practices. As part of this initiative, Intacct is running workshops to help CPA firms develop business plans for what Intacct calls “client accounting services.” As a result of my firm’s BPO partnership with Intacct, I had the privilege of attending one such workshop a couple of weeks ago in New York City.

At first, I must admit that I was not thrilled with the idea that Intacct is encouraging new competitors to enter the finance and accounting outsourcing arena. But I soon realized that Intacct is helping further my vision of a day when outsourcing the finance function is the automatic, default choice for early-stage, emerging growth and middle market businesses – much the same as outsourcing payroll is now standard practice.

So I welcome all of my potential new competitors, and am happy to consider them allies in educating and developing the market for finance and accounting outsourcing, which is still in the nascent stages of adoption among small-to-medium size enterprises. And I appreciate Intacct’s role in creating a critical mass of outsourcing firms catering to these companies, as it can only help validate the concept!