At AccountingDepartment.com, we've developed a bit of a football bug. From our competitive fantasy football league to a staff across the country cheering on different pro teams, we love football. And lately we realized, bookkeeping services and accounting teams aren't all that different from football teams. (Work with us here, we promise we have a point). Whether it's a match-up between two NFL contenders on a Sunday afternoon or a high school game under Friday night's lights, football has plenty in common with a top-notch accounting team. Both seem like chaos to someone who doesn't know the game, but with the right personnel and play-calling, it becomes a well-orchestrated ballet. The ball is your company's financial future, and putting together the right accounting team to carry it into the end zone makes all the difference.
Coaches, Commonly Referred to Here as Directors
Behind every winning football team is a great coaching staff. Coaches who know when to take calculated risks and when to protect a lead are critical to success. Great coaches are more than just good planners; they're visionaries. That's how top coaches keep their teams in playoff contention for years and build dynasties. Head coaches spend years working their way up to being the chief decision-makers, and our team of Directors, Dennis Najjar, Bill Gerber and Kris Merritt, have spent years developing their vision and building a team that finds consistent success for our clients.
Quarterbacks, aka Controllers and Accounting Managers
The quarterback holds the most important position on the field. Watch the greats like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, and you'll see how they change a play on the fly. Every team wants an elite quarterback, and every client wants an expert accounting manager or controller calling the shots. The controller executes the larger vision at ground level, developing plans to take you and your investments from here to where you want to be. Just as every team has their starting quarterback, bookkeeping services have controllers and accounting managers, but not all are elite. Understanding the difference between the "elite" quarterback and a disappointing draft pick when it comes to controllers is a key part of ensuring the long-term success of your financial data and business insights.
Wide Receivers and Running Backs, Otherwise Known as Bookkeepers
While the coaching team develops the plays and the quarterback calls them, execution makes the difference between watching the big game in February and being in it. Wide receivers who perform superhuman catches and running backs who forge ahead through the opposition get the job done according to plan. Our bookkeepers, accounts payable specialists and accounts receivable experts are our all-pro team of wideouts and rushers, making success happen on a daily basis. To play in the NFL, running backs and wide receivers prove themselves in high school and college. A great team of bookkeepers, payroll managers, and accounts payable and receivable specialists also needs proof of quality. Only 5 percent of qualified applicants even make it to the testing process for an AccountingDepartment.com position. Those that are invited to join our team begin an ongoing process of training and certification to ensure they make it to the All Star team every year
Tight Ends, Accounting Technology Specialists, What's The Difference?
Anyone who's seen what Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham have been doing as tight ends can see that the position has radically changed in today's NFL. Defenses just don't have an answer for these guys, and they're changing the way the game is played. That's what accounting technology specialists and IT personnel are doing for accounting, and by changing the way accounting is done in the 21st century, they're doing some of the most exciting work in the field. Teams can get by with adequate tight ends, but the ones with potential Hall of Fame players excel. We believe our accounting technology experts who oversee third-party integration, maintain data security and upgrade our software to state-of-the-art systems give you the edge too.
Defense! Defense! Client Procedure Manual!
No team is complete without a solid defense. Trying to put the brakes on an opposing team is a challenge, but compared to developing an accounting plan that protects client investments and maintains transparency, it's practically a pick-up game. To build a great defense, a team not only needs the right personnel, but also a detailed plan that takes every contingency into account. Our Client Procedure Manual covers every possible scenario and protects you and your investments from future problems. Our system includes checks and balances to maintain accountability, transparency and compliance every step of the way.
Special Teams, Meet Client Implentation Specialists
Do you remember watching Devin Hester return yet another punt for a touchdown or seeing the Saints come up with the ball after that onside kick in Super Bowl XLIV? Those amazing special-teams plays can change the momentum of a game completely. When fans talk football, they focus on offense and defense. When coaches talk about their sport, they rank special teams as a critical third part of the game. A great accounting team has its own version of special teams experts, a group the company can call in on big projects and critical start-up phases. Our start-up team of client implementation specialists contains people who specialize in getting a new account up and running quickly, completing necessary back work and preparing companies for mergers and sales. When you kick off your next bookkeeping services, make sure the best special teams are running the ball back.
The All Star Game
There's one key difference between the game you watch on the field and the real-world parallel of an all-pro accounting team: How you feel on a Monday after a win is nothing compared to how good you feel knowing your bookkeeping and accounting services are in good hands. No matter how well we perform for you, though, please be careful with that Gatorade bath after a big win; it's tough to get that stuff out of a three-piece suit.
