Celebrating 20 Years, 200,000 Global Members

Intuit began their foray into accountant-client matchmaking with the official launch of the ProAdvisor Program in January 1997, in conjunction with QuickBooks 5.0, the desktop version of their accounting software. Since its launch, Intuit’s ProAdvisor Program has celebrated several key milestones, first achieving 50,000 ProAdvisors in June 2008, and then doubling its growth to 100,000 ProAdvisors worldwide in 2014. To further recognize the ProAdvisors who were getting certified and recertified, the company introduced QuickBooks Online Certification in 2012 with the iconic Silver, Gold and Platinum tiers that remains at the heart of the program today. The next year, Intuit launched the QuickBooks Cloud Program to help ProAdvisors grow their practice and become a trusted advisor. Fast forward to January 2017, and the ProAdvisor Program continues to evolve, offering award-winning training and certification, as well as best-in-class discounts on third-party programs.

“From the very beginning, we have always focused on how we can help accounting professionals achieve maximum success,” said Hamilton. “With the ProAdvisor Program, we are extremely invested in providing tools and benefits that empower accountants to grow their practice, as well as connect with  and be a trusted advisor to clients.”

Over time, Intuit has listened to customer feedback and worked with third-party partners to add additional benefits – such as training and certification courses, accountant-specific editions and do-it-yourself tools – to help customers be successful. These resources not only help accounting professionals build their practice, but also offers trusted support to their clients. One such benefit is the Find-a-ProAdvisor directory which gives ProAdvisors access to 1.5 million small businesses once they’re certified. As part of Intuit’s focus on bridging a connection between small businesses and accountants, the company wants to help accountants recognize how being a ProAdvisor can facilitate these relationships.

In conjunction with the 20th anniversary, Intuit has recently given the Find-a-ProAdvisor directory a complete facelift, making it even easier for small businesses and accountants to connect. Accountants using QuickBooks Online Accountant will notice that their profiles are more accessible, while a renewed visual design clearly distinguishes their individual certifications. Professionals can also link to their social media profiles, giving them even more ways to connect with their clients. The updated profile page now displays to accountants the number of profile views, leads and inquiries and clicks to social media links within the last 30 days. Intuit really wants their QuickBooks ProAdvisors to succeed so they’ve created an assessment of an accountant’s profile strength and actionable suggestions that ProAdvisors can perform to make their profile stand out.

“We heard from accountants that they wanted a tangible way to assess the strength of their profile and see how they were doing,” said Hamilton. “We have also made it easier to create a standout profile by surfacing actionable suggestions, which are customized for each accountant.”

Searching for accounting professionals and ProAdvisors also just got simpler for small business customers. The new search function now displays the key data that most small businesses look for in their search for a new accountant. A professional’s reviews, certifications, services provided and profile preview are now front and center right in the list of results. Small business users then have the option to navigate to a profile, where they can contact accountants directly. This simplicity eliminates extra steps and makes it easier for accounting professionals and small businesses to connect.

“Our goal is to drive more connections so that accountants can get the best leads possible and take their business to the next level. We are focused on how we can best put their expertise in focus and highlight it,” said Hamilton. “We have worked to make QuickBooks Online Accountant the one place that accounting professionals can access all of their benefits. Our goal is to make it easy for them to manage and grow their practice.”

The new profile experience is currently available to anyone using QuickBooks Online Accountant, however professionals do need to be QuickBooks certified to be listed in the Find-A-ProAdvisor directory. Users who are not certified will see a link on their profile to easily get certified, while those who are new to QuickBooks Online Accountant will also see the program highlighted when they first use the platform. The new search function will roll out to users later this month. For more information, visit https://quickbooks.intuit.com/accountants/proadvisor.

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