Firm administrators, others could benefit from local AAA chapter

The firm administrator of a public accounting firm wears many hats, from answering phone calls, dealing with salesmen, and fielding questions from staff, to installing new software releases on company computers, balancing monthly bank statements and uploading new information to the company's Web site. The firm administrator also attends management meetings with the managing partner of the firm, processes and reviews payroll, responds to e-mails and plans the company picnic.

With newspapers full of the Enron and WorldCom scandals, the accounting profession is walking on egg shells while simultaneously trying to convince the world that two bad apples does not spoil the whole bushel.

Likewise, the role of an accounting firm administrator is much greater than computer updates and paper pushing. Firm administrators might do any of several things to help improve a firm's image, such as redesigning the company Web site, assisting with the development and printing of marketing brochures or developing methods and policies to improve firm administration and increase the productivity of professional staff.

Firm associates entrust the firm administrator to be a leader, utilizing tools necessary for improving the firm.

The Association for Accounting Administration provides many of the resources that help firm administrators accomplish this goal.

Many firm administrators are members of the AAA, which can be beneficial to them.

AAA is made up of firm administrators, office managers, and firm partners throughout the United States all with one goal in mind: To improve the industry for public accounting firms, which in turn will assist each individual public accounting firm to flourish.

Several local chapters of the AAA have been established around the United States to provide more local assistance to members on an ongoing basis throughout the year.

One thing that would be a good change would be more participation in AAA by people in this area. At a recent conference in Florida, there were 171 firm administrators, but only seven from the four-state area of Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma

Part of the problem might be that there isn't a local AAA chapter.

An important goal might be to establish a local Missouri AAA chapter, which would give members in this area more of an opportunity to network regularly and to discuss important topics at the forefront of the industry.

Accounting firm administrators, managers, marketing and human resources professionals could benefit from such a chapter, and the industry would benefit at large.

AAA aids career development through its annual conference, which features educational sessions and the opportunity to network with peers.

The association puts out member publications such as Disaster Planning, Developing a Firm Intranet, and The Funtastic Firm Guide. All of the association's publications include easy to use instructions, technology information, and, of course, great ideas.

The AAA Web site at www.cpaadmin. org also is a helpful tool. The Answers Now section of the member Web site allows users to ask questions on any subject and select other members they would like to answer them. Firm administrators can choose to receive answers via e-mail from other firms of similar size.

Annual conferences, held in different locations each year, also offer timely information on many topics, as well as the opportunity for networking among other firm administrators and peers.