International women’s day is a celebration of all the societal, literary and political achievements by women worldwide. It was first observed on Feb 28th in 1909, but the date March 8th was formally declared to be the day in 1910. Today it’s not country, group or organization it’s about women collectively everywhere.
From grassroots activism to worldwide action, we are entering an exciting period of history where the world expects balance. The theme for this year’s women’s day is #BalanceForBetter, with regards to the greater global push for professional and social equality. Its objective is to achieve a sense of balance in companies and elsewhere, right from the grassroots level to the boardrooms.
Although a huge gender divide still exists where women are under-represented in the field of science, technology, engineering, politics, business, etc but we actually need their ideas, insights and experiences to meet world’s needs and truly leave no one behind. A good sign is that there is great involvement of women in healthcare, education and very importantly accounting.
Speaking of accounting, in 1977 28% of women graduated with an accounting degree, while in 2011, that number raised up to 53% of graduating accountants being female and is expecting a 13 percent increase by 2022, providing an additional 166,700 job opportunities for certified public accountants.
As a policy Entigrity Remote Staffing practices and enforces complete gender equality & parity and absolutely no tolerance for discrimination or biases. We really appreciate the talent, skills and experience our women bring and also the dedication and responsibility they exhibit when it comes to delivering great quality work.
As the day belongs to women, it certainly calls for celebration, ladies from Entigrity had an all girls’ day out where they gathered for a theme (and team) lunch amidst talks and frolic. Coming to work was however absolutely not optional due to the ongoing tax season, which must be a very respectable mention here as no lady called it a day off. We highly honor your willingness to finish the work at hand before trying any other thing.
In a call to balance the world better in terms of gender, we must understand that gender balance is not a women’s issue, it’s a business issue; it is essential for economies and communities to thrive.
With that note, we just hope that more and more women trust Entigrity as a preferred organization to pursue their careers. Also we equally applaud our women clients & we are proud of their work ethics & achievements. Thanks for your trust & support.
It’s rightly said though,“Think equal, build smart, innovate for change”.
Infrastructure and Security in Remote Staffing for Accounting Firms
Quite a majority of small and mid-sized accounting business firms in the US face critical challenges in implementing and maintaining safety and security for all the confidential business data of all their clients. With the advent of inter-connectivity through mediums other than computers, all such business data is far more vulnerable to attacks and breaches from the cyber-world from unknown locations and identities than ever before. Today, there are more incidences of data theft, identity theft, corporate sabotage, etc. by hackers and attackers actively looking for lapses in digital security such as loopholes, backdoor vulnerabilities, leniency of people when creating and using passwords among many other such issues.
Accountants today need to be more aware and proactive in planning, deploying, and upgrading all implemented hardware and software in their information management systems. Intercepting, Planning, and Managing cyber-security risks is not just limited to having the most expensive and powerful firewall or security software for blocking all attempts of hacking your data. It begins with having the right hardware and software, Ironclad rules and standards for digital as well as real world, backed by stringent controlling and monitoring measures and their enforcement, and periodical revision, updating and upgrading of all implemented rules and systems thereof. Let us see, the means and measures necessary to follow and implement for having a reliable information systems in your accounting firm.
How to Improve Your Cyber Security?
To begin with, we need to understand the fundamentals of how digital information resides in your desktops, servers, or even cloud storage spaces, and how anyone unauthorized can access it. All digital data resides on some form of storage; it could be in a hard disk in your laptop or desktop, or either device is configured to store data on a local data server or on a remote, online data storage service like Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. With each option, there is some form of user login using ID and passwords.
Login Credentials: Passwords and Authentication
This is the first step to address, which goes a long way in ensuring your data stays safe and secure, and accessible only by you and those persons you have granted authority for accessing it. Just as a chain is as strong as its weakest link, all the aforementioned systems are secure and reliable only as much as the credentials of those users granted access to it. The stronger the passwords users have created, the lesser the odds of any hacker gaining access to the data. Consider it the first step in implementing cyber security in your accounting firm.
Secure Networks: Intrusion & Defenses
To ensure that no data leaks from your office it is important to block unauthorized access to the networks and computer systems within. It is advisable to have a technical IT personnel or at least a consultant for assistance related to network security.
Controlled Internet Access
As much as internet is a source of information, it is also a major source of malware or virus attacks and eventually, threats to data security. “No internet – no threat” won’t work in today’s era. So what’s best is to limit the access to only the websites that are known and trusted. Look for the little https:// prefix inside the URLs you are about to browse, they indicate secure websites. Websites without this secure domain are not necessarily malware carriers but accessing web with precaution will safeguard you.
Updated Firewalls and Antiviruses
While many users often ignore it, but these software will ensure the well-rounded safety and security of your valued computer. Good anti-virus software will keep unwelcome intrusions locked out of your computer. Firewalls keep malware from coming in via network connections. Antivirus software not only helps keep malware out, it also guards against attack from any malware that may have somehow made its way into your computer via network, USB port, email, infected image, etc. Firewall rules can (and should) be updated routinely.
Cyber Security Assessment
For any existing firm, initially you can have digital security experts analyze your current systems and all the possible vulnerabilities that can lead to data breach. Having this report, the experts will also provide you with the necessary measures and solutions, based on severity and urgency, which need to be adopted and implemented in a given time period. You should probably not skip any options from the list, if possible, and go ahead with fixing all the issues and problems right away!
Train Employees about Security Principles:
Along with above stringent requirements, you should also enforce certain rules such as:
No writing down of User IDs and passwords on physical (paper) or digital mediums
Enforce never sharing abovementioned information with anyone, including any seniors or even the owners of the business firm
Passwords should not contain or be based / derived / formed using any personal information such as birth or anniversary dates of self or family members
Changing passwords frequently, yet inconsistently in terms of days, password length, and difficulty of the password characters used
There should be no pattern or set times, for updating or changing passwords
Form rules and groups detailing who can access what data as not everyone should be allowed to access all data
For any business, whether small or big sized firm, everyone needs tax accountant for routine financial operations, records and tax planning.
In the event that somebody reveals to you that he contracted a tax accountant to do his accounting and tax-related tasks, you may think that his tax situation must be difficult. But, it’s not like that. Many organizations can get maximum benefits from hiring a tax accountant, and a lot do. But before that, you should take some right steps while hiring an accountant or tax preparer for your business.
Understand Why You Need a Tax Accountant
first of all, you need to identify what exactly you expect from an accountant. Here are some common causes for why you need one.
Preparing tax return is time-consuming, hectic or confusing.
You want to make sure your tax return is accurate.
Organize and update the company’s tax database
Prepare necessary paperwork for tax payments and returns
Identify tax savings and suggest ways to increase profits
Complete quarterly and annual tax reports
Estimate and track tax returns
Finding a Tax Accountant
Here are some tips for finding a tax professional with the specialized skill you need. Remember one thing, not the accountant, are ultimately responsible for the info involved in your tax return.
Referrals are usually the best way to find a trustworthy accountant. Ask your friends and family members, if there any reference they have in their contact. It can be helpful to ask someone who has a tax situation that’s like to your own.
Determine your business needs: Do you want an accountant to just handle the books and file your taxes, or someone who can give advice for business grows? It’s also important to ask if the accountant has the authorizations to sign financial statements and do legal compliance work.
Areas of Expertise & Services Delivered: Many CPAs have their own areas of expertise and provide specific services to clients. If you are looking for tax planning, business entity choice, or IRS representation, make sure the accountant you hire to work with has the essential skills and practice to do the job done.
Many Local firms specialized in tax preparing for individuals and small businesses but ask if the firm has the expertise to manage your taxes if there’s anything unique situation.
Questions To Ask Before You Hire Remote Tax Accountant
When you shorting your list of potential accountants, schedule a time to speak to each one of them and ask some basic questions. Here are a few questions to get you started:
How much-experienced Person will you have?
Require Accounting software knowledge
What kind of tools will be used for communication
Remote access to staff
Are you providing Daily Report?
What if my staff member is on leave?
Where will you Keep work files and other required stuff?
Remote staffing: The best and cost-effective way to hire a right tax accountant. Experts at a specialized staffing agency help you focus your search for Tax professionals with industry experience, quickly and successfully. You can hire a remote employee from a staffing agency and gain learning curve benefits. A staffing firm also helps save you money because it can handle all aspects of the staffing process: personal interviews, technical skills evaluations, soft skills reviews and determination of the suitability of a candidate’s fit with your work environment and all.
A staffing agency can give advice on what mix of workers you need, including full-time, part-time or temporary staff. It will save your cost up to 75% compared to an in-house staff.
Accounting World Today! 