Kacee Johnson – 2013 40 Under 40 Honoree

What are the key areas of your firm that have seen the greatest change in workflow over the past few years? Are you using automated workflow tools? Since we are a technology company, the workflow that we have seen automated is focused around our IT team (i.e. server maintenance and user education). Cloud9 created a virtual tech, Cloudius, who assists users with technical support questions and helps them find knowledgebase articles without searching. We have also taken advantage of a lot of the new programs out there to automate billing and track time for the Administrative/Customer Service departments.

Have you embraced cloud computing for your practice? Are you moving your clients to the cloud? Of course! On Cloud9 24/7/365

On a broader scale, how do you see new technologies changing the accounting profession in the near term (3-5 years)? I think there will be a higher level of adoption in the automated and outsourced tax preparation. There are a lot of great products out there that help CPA’s to alleviate some of the crunch time & long hours during tax season. Additionally, with all of the natural disasters and office break-ins I think we will see more firms moving their data and servers to the Cloud as the liability for them to keep it onsite has never been greater.

How mobile are you regarding your work? How have mobile devices and apps impacted your productivity and work-life balance? I travel quite a bit so I not only have an iPad that I am attached to at all times but I use my laptop, a docking station and dual monitors at the office so I can take my desktop with me wherever I go. Our virtual machines give me the flexibility to have all of our documents, applications and data anywhere I am in the world which is invaluable to our company. I am pretty good at stabilizing a work-life balance but I have seen with many professionals that the mobile tools make it harder for some to disconnect which results in working more. We need to be careful that we are using these technologies and devices to work smarter, not harder!

Have you found business success via social media, either via recognizable ROI, new customers, marketing or networking? Social Media has helped us in creating a community with like-minded individuals as well as with our clients. It has also gotten us new clients indirectly as some of our clients will be on boards or groups and refer us business there which is the greatest compliment we could get!

What tips on social media do you think are essential, but perhaps missed, by professionals and small businesses? I think it’s important to maintain integrity on Social Media Sites and not get into arguments or disputes publicly. I see this often and I don’t think the users realize that its making them look worst rather than defending their side of the story. I also think people should use it to engage more and not just sell, as your Social Media followers are generally going to be existing clients that are looking for a Partner and not just a Vendor.

What single piece of technology do you find the most important in your professional life? It still has to be my iPad. When traveling with the cellular data plan, I never have to worry about connecting to Wi-Fi and I have all of my email, calendar, contacts and apps at my fingertips. The convenience of it all is worth it alone, plus I can lighten my load with e-Books.

Not including your current employer, what company do you most admire and why? IDEO – because they incorporate human behaviors into all of their designs. I respect a company that listens to their demographic and strives to be innovative in their offerings.

What brand/model mobile phone do you use? iPhone 5

Do you use a tablet for work purposes? iPad2

What is your favorite accounting mobile app, and why? Cloud9’s virtual server because it gives you ALL of your applications on any device with internet connection anywhere in the world.               

How many monitors do you have on your desktop workstation? 2         

Read more about this year’s 40 Under 40 Honorees.