Brian D. Bredensteiner, CPA — 39

Professional Associations/Memberships: AICPA, MSCPA

Civic Involvement: St. Charles County Master Plan 2010 and 2015 Committee Member; First State Bank, Board of Directors Member; St. Charles County Family YMCA, Former Board of Directors Member; United Way, Board Member, Former Campaign Fundraising Chair; Cuivre River Electric Roundup, Former Board Member; Ministry to Men, Former Board Member; National Fantasy Baseball Camp for the Hearing Impaired, Former Board Member; United Services for the Handicapped, Former Board Member, Former Past Executive Board Member; St. Charles Businessmen’s Prayer Breakfast, Former Chairman, 2002-Present; St. Charles Mounted Police Foundation, Former Board Member; St. Charles City School District Board of Education, Former Board Member; Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Board Member; Active at Immanuel Lutheran Church and School

Hobbies: Children, biking, baseball, golf, sports collectibles

Cell phone: HTC EVO 4G

Favorite app: My app for the Bible is my favorite as it allows me to stay connected to Him at all times. I also have a host of other apps that are accounting/finance related that I frequent everyday to stay connected on many issues.

 

How many hours of the day are you plugged in and responsive to client needs? And what tools/products make it possible for you to have flexibility? Usually from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. with multiple SaaS products to allow accessibility 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I also use my phone to stay connected while traveling.

Are you using social networking (such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Plaxo, Facebook) as a marketing tool for your practice/business … or do you use such sites for personal use only? Have you gained any clients or seen other demonstrable benefits from the use of social networking? Yes, we are using Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as marketing tools. We just recently started and have gained one client and a possible future client. It has allowed us to continue to brand our name and logo. We also use Swiftpage for marketing, as well.

What pitfalls or what unwritten rules of social networking etiquette exist, which are frequently missed by others in the profession? A must … keep it professional.

Do you embrace cloud computing? Yes! Cloud computing is here to stay, and we have enjoyed many successes using this technology. While partnering with Thomson Reuters, RightNetworks, Bill.com and QuickBooks, we have become much more timely, effective and efficient to our clients’ needs all the while being connected 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

How is cloud computing changing the accounting profession, and how concerned are you with the security issues related to cloud computing? In a remarkable way! It allows the accounting professional to walk with our clients throughout the year by having constant access to client data, which allows us to better assist with management decisions. We are concerned slightly, for we do not have direct control of the data. However, we feel that by letting the experts handle cloud computing data, we can concentrate more heavily on the client’s needs.

Do you foresee the majority of firms still implementing servers for the majority of their computing in their offices five years from now or do you think they will be outsourcing this component to vendors who specialize in this area? I foresee a huge market in allowing vendors who specialize in this area to have the computing of firms outsourced to them. This is the wave of the future.

Do you subscribe to a magazine and/or local newspaper? Bicycling Magazine — It is my release. The CPA Technology Advisor — I love the proactive thinking. Journal of Accountancy allows for a 30,000 foot view of topics. I also subscribe to several local papers, which allows Bredensteiner & Associates, P.C. to stay up-to-date on current local issues. I also read USA Today, NY Times and StL Today online.

NOT including your current employer, what company do you most admire and why? I admire a lot of companies for many reasons. If a company has integrity at the top, then it should permeate itself throughout the company. One example: World Wide Technology (David Steward).

What are some ways your firm/business has gone “paperless” and/or “green” in the last two years? We currently have portals for both our individual and corporate clients so that we can exchange documents and files securely.

How many monitors do you have on your desk? I currently have two monitors and am exploring an option for three.

Do you use online resources like webcasts for CPE training? Yes, we have staff meetings and frequently use webcasts for training. It is very easy and cost effective.

Do you listen to podcasts? I am just beginning to explore podcasts and therefore do not have a favorite.

What is an “old school” business practice or process you’d like to see changed in the next five years and why? I would like to see Smartboards interact with our accounting programs. I would have two Smartboards with touch screens to work seamlessly with our programs. This in turn would allow us to present live, real-time data to our clients in a very easy, clear and understandable fashion.

What operating system and version of Microsoft Office is installed on your work computer? We currently run our main programs in a hosted environment via Virtual Office with Thomson Reuters as our host. They install the latest version of Microsoft Office. Also, we currently run Windows XP Professional.

What ONE piece of technology could you absolutely not live without? My phone. It allows me to stay connected in every situation. I once was without it for nearly a week and realized just how much I rely upon this technology.

What sports team/championship event do you absolutely refuse to miss? I follow the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, and I like to watch virtually any championship game in any sport. I love the competitiveness and teamwork.

What are some of your favorite books, movies, music, websites, and TV shows? My favorite book is the Bible. I also enjoy reading John Maxwell and autobiographies. My favorite music is Christian or country music. My favorite websites are: USA Today, StL Today and the NY Times. My favorite TV shows/network is the Food Network. I love watching “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.”