40 Under 40 Honoree: William (Bill) Gerber — 36

– Terminal Services/Remote Desktop Connection — With
employees and clients all over the United States, this technology allows both
to be connected to our servers. From an employee perspective, remote access
allows OSI to offer a full-time telecommute position for bookkeepers and accountants
located anywhere in the United States. From a client perspective, this also
allows OSI to offer access 24×7 to our clients from anywhere they can get
a broadband Internet connection. Throughout the day, I am remotely working
with staff and clients to enable our company to deliver our virtual bookkeeping
and accounting services.

– GoToMeeting — From a staff perspective, this technology
allows OSI to train and educate employees on company procedures and the paperless
environment in which our company operates. From a client level, this technology
allows OSI to set up a client’s office for access to our client server,
setup printing on a local level, and install and configure a scanner, all
from a remote location.

– GoToWebinar — This technology allows OSI to broadcast
its message to potential clients and educate them on the way accounting and
bookkeeping will be done in the future.”

What will be the biggest change over the next five years in the ways
tax and accounting firms operate?
“The growth and acceptance of outsource accounting and bookkeeping for
businesses of all types and sizes. This shift has already started. In the under
$20M market, businesses are being educated and learning the benefits of moving
away from the traditional in-house accounting staff who is usually unsupervised
and not held accountable on a daily basis towards the concept of a professional
firm whose only focus is the daily accounting and preparation of timely and
accurate monthly financials.

“OSI is paving the way for this new industry and shaping an industry
that is just beginning to show businesses how to develop accounting policies
and procedures, communicate, and track financial information. The term outsourcing
is generally associated with offshoring, which is the transference of jobs from
the United States to overseas. This is another area that I believe will change
in the next five years. From the beginning, OSI positioned itself as an outsource
but not offshore provider. I believe there are uncounted numbers of qualified
persons in the United States, and, with the available technologies described
above, we are building a 100 percent U.S.-based workforce — all working
on a telecommute basis from their homes. In the short run, foreign labor is
less expensive. In the next five years, I believe that this gap will narrow
as world economies change.”

What Bill’s peers had to say about him:
OutSource It Business Services was formed in 2004 by two partners, Dennis Najjar,
CPA and William (Bill) Gerber, providing full-charge bookkeeping and accounting
services for the small to medium business market. Bill and Dennis found that
they can use technology to provide a much higher level of qualified bookkeeping
service. This technology allows their business to hire U.S.-based employees
anywhere in the country, allowing them to recruit the “cream of the crop”
of bookkeepers available. OSI has grown to 18 employees with clients throughout
the United States. The level of bookkeeping service is superior than a person
“off the street” can bring because OSI provides each client with
a certified bookkeeper or QuickBooks Pro Advisor that is supervised by a Controller
who verifies quality.

Dennis and Bill have become an employer of choice by creating an atmosphere
unlike any other. Bookkeepers are hired as full-time employees working out of
a home office. Employees state that they enjoy the commitment to quality service
because it enables them to excel in their positions and “show off”
their skills. They also state that working in a virtual office eliminates unnecessary
distractions. The attitude and culture created from the top down is an open
door policy for feedback and encouragement to provide ideas for company growth.

Bill firmly believes in giving back to those who are not as fortunate as most.
OSI has become a major contributor to the Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood
Foundation by donating a portion of all client fees to help with research of
this rare disorder. Bill has outstanding foresight in the new age of accounting.
He is a leader when it comes to creating a work environment unmatched in other
companies. In return, clients get the best possible service and attention from
“happy” employees.

Return
to 40 Under 40 Honorees