NECPA in NEBRASKA Posted January 25 Report Share Posted January 25 I have never charged a technology charge. I probably should have. Do I need to send out special letters to let my client's know that they are going to get charged one for this year? I just got a quote for managed IT services including backup and there is no way that I can eat this or just add the amount to the invoice without some explanation. I always had annual IT fees that are much lower than this. They are putting in another firewall that needs to be managed, because they said that what my former IT company used (they fired me for being too small) was not adequate, because they did not use commercial routers with a firewall. They are setting me up with a laptop workstation so that I can work away from this desk that is too low to elevate and ice my still swollen and painful knee. I wish that I had just retired last year. Now I wish that I had retired last year. We can't keep my husband well. We don't know exactly what is going on, but it may be his heart and COPD now. He's starting on his 4th round of antibiotics and steroids today since Thanksgiving, even after 3 days of being in the hospital. I'm exhausted and so far behind that I am afraid that I will never get caught up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee B Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 Wow you have a lot going on. I know you are concerned about your clients and that you don't want to leave them in the lurch. Why don't you send out a letter to your clients explaining everything that's going on in your life and retire now? I am sure most of them would understand. Your health and your husband's health is way more important. This is one of the times that need to put yourself and your family first. I wish you the best. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medlin Software, Dennis Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 To me, you are already going above and beyond by not walking away from work today. A SHORT note about tech cost increases is more than enough, and may weed out some who are only cost shopping. You and yours have to come first, always. Can you hire out some of your returns? Maybe even someone here could take a few? Just a random thought. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcb39 Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 Some of us have reached a point where we don't want to walk away, but it is getting to be too much to handle alone. Myself, included. I took on a part-time assistant a few years ago and she has gleaned a lot of knowledge but is no way ready to go on her own. In short, if your clients want the expertise and experience that you have to offer, they should be willing to pay for it or find it somewhere else. Charge what you have to charge. You don't have to justify it to anyone. Having just had a negative eye diagnosis, I totally get what you are saying. Panic is setting in, etc. I wish you all things good. None of us are magicians. Handle what you can or what you want to and try not to worry about the rest. I have already called for help. My heart is with you. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NECPA in NEBRASKA Posted January 26 Author Report Share Posted January 26 Marilyn, I really feel for you. I hope that your doctors can help with your eye diagnosis. It is so hard to be working on your own these days. I don't even have enough room at home to have a part time person, let alone afford one. This IT monitoring cost is a real killer. I probably fall under the 5k PII data, but when I see all of the major companies get breached, it scares me to death. At least I will have my new computer ready to go when I retire with all of my information. Good luck to all of you this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Medlin Software, Dennis Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 To soothe a little. Major companies get breached because they offer a better ROI for the baddies. I am not obligated to any entity to prove I am secure. I am obligated to myself. I use a top of the line physical firewall which I set to be very strict for my work machine. Likely, it is as good as any :commercial grade" firewall, as I actually set it tight. Monitored firewall is likely OK, but I would bet some amount they use the same settings for most of their clients (a default of sorts) to keep their support simple. I suspect what you are really paying for is someone else to be in the liability chain (if they were not smart enough to waiver out). On the other hand, there is at least one locality who has legislated "security" (likely for their own political perceived gain) where data is required to be in the physical control of the person, and stored within the jurisdiction. No online backups for those folks, and in the real world, worse security. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcb39 Posted January 27 Report Share Posted January 27 Truthfully, I don't understand a lot of this security parlance. I, however, do feel secure in the fact that nobody other than my IT person and myself touch my work computer. Even with my office addition, I am running out of room. We just somehow make it work. This week leading up to tax filing day has been extremely stressful for various reasons. People are bringing in problems that should have been addressed months ago. Sales tax numbers are coming in late.; as are numbers for 1099 filing. I hope to take it one day at a time. Other peoples' failure to be timely is not my responsibility. My eyesight is fine as of now. There is no cure. I have a condition inherited from my father. However, in his late 80s and early 90s he let it get him down. I won't do that. I only hope that along with his eyes, I got his brain because at 92 when we lost him, he was sharp as a tack mentally. I was just cleared of nearly nine years of any recurrence of cancer. Which would I rather have? You all know the answer to that. I hope that each and every person who frequents this board has a season that is nearly trouble free. Some of us have been around for a long time, but if we don't do it, who will? Happy Taxing to all of you. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catherine Posted January 28 Report Share Posted January 28 @NECPA in NEBRASKA retire now; people have time to find someone else. Just say "personal issues" or "health issues in the family" and anyone who doesn't respect that you would not want to have as a client anyway! If you do not want to retire, hike the price as much as you need and then $50 more. Your family is more important. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NECPA in NEBRASKA Posted January 29 Author Report Share Posted January 29 7 hours ago, Catherine said: @NECPA in NEBRASKA retire now; people have time to find someone else. Just say "personal issues" or "health issues in the family" and anyone who doesn't respect that you would not want to have as a client anyway! If you do not want to retire, hike the price as much as you need and then $50 more. Your family is more important. Catherine, I am hoping and praying that I can get this last year finished out. If my husband gets more bad news tomorrow, I may have to let some of my businesses go. I am going to slap the technology fee on and then next year, they won't have so much sticker shock when I am gone. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathyc2 Posted January 29 Report Share Posted January 29 It's sounds like you have decided this is your last year and you aren't looking to sell practice? How about contacting your colleagues asking if they are looking for business and would like to be on a list you give to clients? You could even ask they pay you a percent of revenue for clients that come to them from the list? A number of years ago I had a client come to me because their preparer was in a similar situation as yours. Talking with the client I could tell that we were similar in price and procedures. I contacted her, chatted a little and offered 20% referral fee to her. It worked out well for both of us. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NECPA in NEBRASKA Posted January 29 Author Report Share Posted January 29 10 hours ago, kathyc2 said: It's sounds like you have decided this is your last year and you aren't looking to sell practice? How about contacting your colleagues asking if they are looking for business and would like to be on a list you give to clients? You could even ask they pay you a percent of revenue for clients that come to them from the list? A number of years ago I had a client come to me because their preparer was in a similar situation as yours. Talking with the client I could tell that we were similar in price and procedures. I contacted her, chatted a little and offered 20% referral fee to her. It worked out well for both of us. I wish that I still had some colleagues. All of my friends are retired, dead or got out of public practice quite awhile ago. I'm the last of everybody that I started out working with in the late 70s. My brother's CPA says that he can take some on, but I am still looking for others. Fortunately, I've had a few businesses go early and not taking on new clients for several years. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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