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3.2. The Danger Of Using
Spreadsheets To Track Deadlines |
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Written by: KATHYE KOCHANOWSKI |
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You’re a detail-oriented, linear thinker (after all, you are an Accounting
Professional). So spreadsheets are your friend, right? They allow you to
organize your work and keep track of your deadlines. But do they work?
You have an amazing spreadsheet filled with details and colors and
columns… so why did you miss that deadline last month? |
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Spreadsheets can be useful tools. However, the key to utilizing a spreadsheet for tracking
purposes is the ability to consistently update it. In a single person firm, only one person is
responsible for the success of the spreadsheet. You rely on yourself to enter tasks,
deadlines, and progress into the spreadsheet. The process gets compounded by each
additional employee also responsible for updating that same spreadsheet. |
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| Scenario #1 |
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IMAGINE THIS - You have a new client and are in the process of entering their data onto your
spreadsheet when the phone rings. You answer that call and immediately get caught up in
tending to the action item that call creates. This leads you to remembering you need to do
that exact same task for another client. |
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Meanwhile, three new emails come in, two of which need your immediate attention… and
so on and so forth until you remember you were busy entering that new client into your
spreadsheet. Not only did you forget to log all of that activity into your spreadsheet, you didn’t
even realize you forgot to include a very important deadline in the task list for that new client. |
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| Scenario #2 |
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IMAGINE THIS – It’s month end or payroll processing week or even worse, the busy tax
season. You can barely keep your head above water, much less take the time to update
your spreadsheet… but this is the time you need to rely on it the most! |
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Now multiply that by the number of employees you have, not to mention the number of
clients you have, and you can begin to see how easily a spreadsheet can fall short for
keeping you and your staff on track – no matter how organized or well‐intentioned it may be. |
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| Enter Clear Biz. Clear Biz does all of the updating, reminding, and worrying for you and your staff. |
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Simply import your client list from your existing tax or accounting software, choose your
tasks from predefined options, even create your own critical custom tasks/deadlines
(i.e., FBAR, FATCA). Clear Biz includes: |
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| • Built-in federal and state deadlines |
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| • Task and deadline management |
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| • Time & Billing management |
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| • Year end workflow management |
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Clear Biz will even immediately alert you if you are over budget! The program allows you to
see all of your upcoming tasks and deadlines at a glance. You’ll never have to worry about
missing a deadline again. You’ll never have to worry about missing a deadline again. |
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| Kathye Kochanowski |
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A degree in Economics with a focus in International Studies from Lawrence
University. She is a Marketing and Sales consultant for Clear Biz, focusing
on their expansion into the United States. |
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