Mathew Heggem

When it comes to client-facing work, automation is a transformative milestone for accounting businesses. Whether it takes 10 steps or 10,000 steps to get the technology in place, digital plumbing systems yield a competitive advantage and unprecedented growth opportunities...

No matter what you think of technology, you have to admit that it keeps accounting interesting. OneAccounting Leaders example is Integrative platforms, which are transforming the way accountants serve small businesses. Having the right tools can dramatically improve the quality of service by enabling firms to spend more time with clients and their own teams — and less on tedious tasks. And the bot takeover is literally transforming the way we do bookkeeping!...

With the growth of Millennials in the accounting sector, bringing with them a knack for technology and a keen, entrepreneurial spirit, industry insiders again are heralding another seismic shift to take place around the way accountants work...

When I discuss #AccTech with my accounting colleagues, there are three things that matter above all else: accuracy, security, and usability. These three qualities — accuracy, security, and usability — are critical to any #AccTech platform. So in the world of cloud integration, it was my pleasure to discover that OneSaas was a cut above the rest...

Business owners, be forewarned: The AccTech (accounting + technology) bots are taking over. But they’re not the towering metal giants or eerily humanoid robots of sci-fi nightmares. These bots are lines of code that grab information and communicate with humans about your business operations. They know (almost) everything before you’ve even whispered the thought, and they might want to take your bookkeeper’s job -- or maybe just work alongside her.

You know that spring you get in your step when you’ve just finished off your business’s financial checklist? Profound relief washes over you; the knots ease from your shoulders. Well, let’s be honest -- it can often get well into the holiday season before that feeling arrives...

I recently had the chance to chat with Stephane Ibos, the co-founder and CEO of Maestrano, a cloud-based service that integrates data from multiple apps into a single dashboard, effectively delivering another major punch in the face to data entry! Maestrano’s technology makes streamlined data systems accessible to small and medium-sized businesses like no other...

If you’re ready to incorporate digital plumbing into your accounting firm’s practice, you have to accept that change is not only inevitable for your clients, it’s also inevitable for you. Our industry is evolving rapidly, as tech entrepreneurs find new ways to solve businesses’ many challenges, from crushing data entry to automating compliance...

Digital plumbing is one of several tech trends that are not only permeating the accounting industry (and, digital plumbing strategy subsequently, the entire business world), but that are also changing the way we handle data and its interconnectivity. As we know, technology upends everything from transportation to accounting, and no one has been left unaffected...

Imagine picking up a paintbrush, choosing your colors, and designing your perfect work environment from scratch. You could add a giant palm tree here, a magical vending machine there, a splotch of orange for tenacity, and a pink cloud for compassion...

Think back to a business meeting with a difficult client. You worked to stay calm but frustrations only grew. Brows furrowed, toes crinkled and palms sweated. Nobody talked about the tension, but it was palpable. Physiological cues are your body’s way of showing what’s really on your mind. When you’re stressed, tired or overexcited, it shows. The way you interact with the rest of the world through your physical being is an outward expression of your inner self...

Plumbing is a key component of any well-built establishment. Houses are unlivable without reliable flushing systems, and businesses stagnate when data becomes a tangled, festering mass of numbers. That’s why digital plumbing systems like Workato are so valuable. They keep information flowing across departments and automate essential processes across your entire business — from sales to accounting...

In my last article, I explored the idea of digital plumbing. It’s more than a fad or new piece of business jargon; shining a light on the value of digital plumbing can help you connect all the layers of a client’s business and, in turn, find actionable insights hidden within the data. Anyone who enters this realm will add value to his or her business — creating a centralized yet hyperconnected ecosystem. To future-proof your clients’ accounting systems, let’s dig a little deeper into the… Show more

In my last article, I explored the idea of digital plumbing. It’s more than a fad or new piece of business jargon; shining a light on the value of digital plumbing can help you connect all the layers of a client’s business and, in turn, find actionable insights hidden within the data. Anyone who enters this realm will add value to his or her business — creating a centralized yet hyperconnected ecosystem. To future-proof your clients’ accounting systems, let’s dig a little deeper into the ecosystem that powers this movement... Show less

More and more of today’s business leaders have become privy to the value of mining the data produced by their companies. But when that information becomes too overwhelming to handle, they’re left unclogging the mess rather than capitalizing on the data’s profit-driving potential...

These days, people are no longer satisfied with punching the clock at the same company for 25 years. They’re changing not only their jobs, but also their entire professions multiple times. For me, changing careers was a great move, but it was, no doubt, a challenging and enlightening endeavor. I went from pursuing a career in professional dance to building an accounting company — a path atypical of any creative professional...

Your accounting system plays a very real role in the success of your business. A healthy system is a living, breathing organism that houses every detail of your business and adapts to changes as they happen. Learn how 'digital plumbing' and technology can help you to future-proof your accounting system.

I recently came across an article about an Argentinian factory that inspired me to reflect on my role as a business leader. The piece, written by Wladek Flakin, described his encounter with workers at a ceramic tile factory in Patagonia. Facing unemployment when their boss, Luigi Zanon, announced he would shut down the plant, the workers rebelled and insisted on running the factory themselves...

There are many ways to measure the success of a conference or event. There are quantitative ways: the number of butts in seats, interactions on social media, and the conversion of attendees into buyers or subscribers. Then, there are more abstract measurements: What was it like? How did people feel about it? What did it do?...

The accounting ecosystem is a continually changing mix of individuals, methods and products that revolve around fundamental and more advanced accounting necessities, from debits and credits to everything that creates strong compliance and management practices.

What if you could take on a project that did all of the following things: Challenge your thoughts on leadership, help you better understand what’s happening in your industry, develop and promote your brand, allow you to hear from customers, let you connect with entrepreneurs and business owners, reinvigorate your team, and more.

In the world of accounting — or any other industry with a reputation for being, well, dull — you may hear the phrase “company culture” and assume that it doesn’t apply to you. Company culture is for the Googles and the Ubers of the world. Accountants are destined to live and work in a cultureless vacuum, right?...

“Business as activism” is a relatively new concept for me. I first uttered the phrase a few months ago while discussing conscious capitalism with other purpose-driven business leaders. But it’s an idea that’s now transforming my perspective on what it means to be a purpose-driven CEO...

One of the hardest parts of being a CEO is cultivating leadership from within your organization. And today’s workforce isn’t interested in work for the sake of working; instead, people are looking to be a part of the bigger picture.

There’s no such thing as systemized human interaction. There, I said it. Human interaction is expressive, spontaneous, and creative by nature. It’s often messy; it’s a mixture of verbal and nonverbal; it’s emotional and individual.

As a CEO, you’re not unlike a choreographer ensuring every moving piece is doing its part in the performance. A choreographer needs to be able to envision each step of a dance and communicate it to his dancers. Without a cohesive vision and the skills to share it appropriately, he won’t do much more than create a slightly more graceful version of chaos and confusion.

Do you ever look around your workplace and wonder just how happy your employees are? John is spinning around in his chair; does that mean he’s bored? Jen hasn’t been sending her usual email updates; is she losing motivation? Certainly, it can be difficult to spot the warning signs that a team member isn’t growing with your business and may need to be let go. But staying connected and communicative with your employees should give you the opportunity to notice some key signs — and take the… Show more

Do you ever look around your workplace and wonder just how happy your employees are? John is spinning around in his chair; does that mean he’s bored? Jen hasn’t been sending her usual email updates; is she losing motivation? Certainly, it can be difficult to spot the warning signs that a team member isn’t growing with your business and may need to be let go. But staying connected and communicative with your employees should give you the opportunity to notice some key signs — and take the necessary steps. Show less

In the early ‘80s, the original Whole Foods Market location was nearly devastated by a flood. But instead of watching it go under, a wide range of constituents collectively bailed the business out. Customers pitched in with neighbors, who worked alongside employees — and everyone did so without pay or the assurance that their efforts could even save the store.

When you’ve been bringing up your business single-handedly — coping with finances, wooing investors, manning social media — stepping back and delegating responsibility to other people can feel heartrending. It’s hard to let go. You feel like you know your company better than anybody; it’s your baby, and how could someone else look after her better than you?

Authenticity is a popular buzzword in discussions of leadership. Before important pitches or networking events, you often get advice to “just be genuine.” But what does it mean to be truly authentic in a time when everybody is striving to be “genuine”? My personal definition of authentic leadership is knowing yourself...

For me, the very concept of business leadership is framed by my experiences in the world of dance. And as I’ve spent the past few years living in this space between two worlds, I’ve come to understand just how integrated they actually are...