Are you going to this yearβs QuickBooks Connect in San Jose, California?
Taking place between the 5th to 7th November 2018, QuickBooks Connect brings more than 5,000 people together. Itβs the largest QuickBooks event across the globe, and one of the largest accounting conferences in the States.
And where better to host it than the home of innovation? Nestled in the heart of Silicon Valley, San Jose was Californiaβs first city and former capital. From its farming roots, itβs now home to thousands of tech companies, including IBM, eBay, Cisco Systems and Adobe. As last yearβs wrap-up shows, thereβs plenty of inspiration to take away. And this yearβs set to be bigger than ever.
Thatβs why we talked to Dawn Brolin about how to make the most of QuickBooks Connect, without going into information overload.
Dawn is an international speaker and CEO of Powerful Accounting. Just last week, she was named one of the top 100 most influential people in accounting by Accounting Today, and is a QuickBooks Connect veteran. Here are some of her top tips to help you prepare, excel and stay accountable after the event.
DO YOU KNOW THE WAY TO SAN JOSE?
BEFORE YOU GO
Prior to your arrival, Dawn recommends spending some time planning what you want to get out of the conference.
With so much to offer, youβll leave wanting to implement every single system and piece of technology. But what you really need to know is, where are you now in your business? And what will help you level that up next year?
Analyze your practice before you go to understand what three things you need to help your firm and team.
βMake sure you take advantage of every single possible opportunity to get what you need. Draw up a list of questions to ask. Remember weβre all in this together,β Dawn urges.
Do your research
Visit the QuickBooks Connect website. Read the agenda, and plan out the three days around who you want to see and where. You can also download the QuickBooks Connect mobile app, which alerts you to the sessions youβve signed up for.
Remove distractions
Before you walk into the room, make sure your clients are being taken care of, so you can give QuickBooks Connect your full attention.
βWe are there for our clients all year,β says Dawn, βQuickBooks Connect offers an opportunity to take a break. You are ultimately there to learn how to better serve your clients. We love them, but this is also a great time to get away and take a mental break.β
So, enjoy the keynotes without distraction. With this rockstar lineup of speakers, you wonβt want to be checking your phone for emails:
- Mindy Kaling, the best-selling author, producer, The Office actress and director;
- Baseball icon and founder of the A-Rod Corporation, Alex Rodriguez;
- Paralympic champion and NY times best-selling author, Amy Purdy;
- And Lisa Ling, the executive producer and host of This is life on CNN, the former field correspondent for The Oprah Winfrey Show and foreign correspondent covering stories too often ignored.
Let your clients know now, if you havenβt already
Tell your clients when youβll be out of office, and let them know youβll have very limited access to your emails or phone number. If there is anything critical before you leave, ask them to send it to you by a certain day with a clear cut-off point.
Book into Dawnβs breakout session
Dawn will be putting on an exclusive session for just 25 people, on a first-come, first-serve basis. In just one action-packed hour, you will be working through a roadmap exploring:
- Where you stand today
- Where you want to go
- What itβll take to get you there
Dawnβs session will be held at 7:45 am on Tuesday morning. But donβt worry about squeezing in that early morning coffee.
βYou wonβt need coffee, nor any kind of power shots. Iβm going to give you enough energy to send you through the rest of the conference,β she reassures.
WHEN YOUβRE THERE
QuickBooks Connect is a great opportunity to meet other accounting professionals, bookkeepers and CPAs in the accounting industry, plus other successful small business owners. For Dawn, one of the resounding messages of QuickBooks Connect is that we are in all this together.
βThe conversations that happen outside of the classroom are some of the most valuable advice Iβve ever gotten,β says Dawn. And thereβs no reason why you should miss out on this if youβre flying solo.
For some, networking can be an anxiety-inducing activity thatβs best avoided. Dawn recommends focusing on one or two people first.
βTurn to the person beside you at one of the sessions, ask them if theyβve been there before and introduce yourself. Youβll feel the fear but do it anyway. Then at lunchtime, sit at a table with other people and introduce yourself, even to just one person. That one person could be there with 3 others. Theyβll introduce you to others. Even if thereβs just a couple of people you click with, the next year theyβre going to be your best friends. Your group will only grow.β
Indeed in the past, many of our partners have done exactly that. They are still in touch with other accounting professionals 3-4 years later, and perhaps best of all, hold each other accountable. Every year, they ask each other what they learned and how they are putting it into practice. From those little things, big things will and do grow.
βItβs like watching your best friends or family grow up. Thatβs really it for me, itβs just in my heart. Itβs nice to have that face-to-face with people youβve watched from afar, and to know that we are not alone. This is an opportunity to learn together, share what works and commiserate over what hasnβt,β adds Dawn.
Book a 30-minute 1:1 demo at QuickBooks Connect to find out how you can grow your firm with Receipt Bank. Book your Demo
Get to know the team behind the technology
Thatβs also how Dawn got to know Damien Greathead, our Vice President of Global Accountants Programs, built a longstanding relationship with Receipt Bank. The social events at QuickBooks Connect are often sponsored by the leaders in accounting technology.
βGo to their events, meet their team, and go to the vendor area where people are recommending solutions. Learn about what theyβre doing. They really become a part of your family, and theyβre here to help you,β says Dawn.
Even if you are not ready to buy something, you can focus on building out your professional network, get insider insights into how the product works and make sure youβre getting your voice heard. Receipt Bank and other products in the technology ecosystem are developed for you, after all.
Take regular breaks
Between the inspiring keynotes, hands-on sessions and social events, itβs important to take good care of yourself.
To avoid burnout, Dawn recommends to βGive yourself half an hour to regroup before jumping into the party. Make sure you get to bed early enough so youβre ready for the early morning sessions. Donβt waste your time and money by not attending them.β
Plus, you can use these breaks to jot down 2-3 things youβve learnt in the day.
AFTER YOU LEAVE
When the curtain closes on this yearβs QuickBooks Connect and you return to the office, re-read your learnings and revisit your roadmap from Dawnβs breakout session. Prioritize what you need to do, work out how to put it into action, and set a clear deadline.