I’m at the Engage 2022 conference this week and I’m picking up on a few trends from my amazing people in the accounting community.
The one I want to talk about now is how to know where to start when navigating the landscape of tools and resources.
This year there appears to be upwards of DOUBLE the amount of vendors at the conference and most of them seem to be related to software. The number of tools and resources are growing QUICKLY.
The question is how do we NOT become overwhelmed by choice?
The key is to start with YOUR criteria – not theirs. Their products are like a hammer in search of a nail. However, your problem might be a screw or a tire that’s flat. A hammer will only make those problems worse, but that won’t stop a vendor from trying to sell you one.
You need to first understand what your needs are and then you can begin your search for the right tool.
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With the sheer number of tools and resources growing so quickly, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Something that will help is to categorize the problems you need solved BEFORE you begin your search. That way you can eliminate the tools that aren’t really designed to solve YOUR problem.
For example, is the problem with your house or your car? If it’s your house you’ll be best served at a store like Home Depot to try and find the right tool. If it’s with your car, you’ll be better served at Napa Auto Parts.
The accounting industry equivalent would be related to the specific service in question where you need help (CAS, tax, audit, assurance etc.). Filter the list that way then you can shop more efficiently.
Talk soon,
Sean