6 Wicked Trends in October

Halloween is around the corner and some interesting new trends have been creeping up this October. Technology has always been a large player in finance, but lately several articles have reported on some emerging trends in technology so I’ve compiled a list of my favorite ones. Trend 1: An article in Edelman says Wall Street’s pockets and Silicon Valley’s tech innovation show promise of extensive market opportunities. Trend 2: Bitcoin and other cyrptocurrencies will lose value, but a few companies are expected to revive the movement, says an article by Odgers Berndston. Trend 3: Popularized by the bitcoin open-source payment system, blockchain technology has the potential to improve transparency and reduce costs, according to Fidelity. It allows financial service companies to securely store identities and data and to instantly settle secure transactions, reports an article by Datamark Inc. Trend 4: Datamark also reports that Cloud Computing will increase productivity. Remote servers connected over the Internet ensure that data is available on-the-go, on a device, boosting productivity. Trend 5: Big data and deep analytics are still subjects of conversation. The sentiment is that they can be accessed with user-friendly “self-service visualizations,” according to Fidelity. There is also hope that an artificial intelligence powerful enough to sort through big data and produce time-saving ways to interpret it will soon be invented, concludes Datamark. Trend 6: Finally, I particularly like our single source platform in-house. Edgar Agents applies this technology to all its services, which means all your documents are automatically exported into Edgar HTML and hyperlinked PDF files within minutes so you everyone is working on the latest version. This eliminates overlapping, inaccurate information and saves on time. As new trends continue to lurk in the shadows, I’ll keep an eye out for the ones that look most promising. To learn more about our company, visit our site at www.edgaragents.com or call 732-780-5036. Also follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram and Blogger.

What’s New In Financial Reporting Technology?

On the anniversary of the 1989 sequel of the film “Back to the Future,” I was inspired to take a look back at modern technology to see how it has evolved since the 80s and into our everyday lives. I found that the technological assumptions made in the film are not so far off from today’s advances. And as mentioned in last week’s blog post, “technology has always been a great force in overturning the status quo, but never more so than today.” The last part of this statement couldn’t be more accurate. For example, in the field of financial reporting alone, demands made on attorneys, CPAs, CFOs, and CEOs to deliver a quality product on time, within budget, while adhering to government compliance sometimes seems humanly impossible. One would need many clones to get it all done, but there is a solution. Actually, there are several solutions, and they don’t involve clones. Edgar Agents has developed many solutions to address the challenges our clients face daily. We have based our entire operations on the customization of our services for every client individually because we believe everyone’s needs are different. Sometimes our clients, who are the attorneys, CPAs, CFOs, etc, aren’t even aware of all the options we offer until we meet for the first time and start learning about their specific situations. In one meeting with all parties involved, we’ll create a specific solution for your needs within “your” budget. We not only believe this is the best system, we think it’s the only system that works for everyone. As we dive into the future, it is quite obvious that technology is the only way to get everything done, but then again being efficient is probably just as crucial. Take our single source solution, for example. This system is designed to reflect the latest version of a document, and we apply it to all our products. Mostly useful with our typesetting service, a single source solution means all your documents are automatically exported into Edgar HTML and hyperlinked PDF files within minutes so you everyone is working on the latest version in-house. This also saves us time so you could expect to receive your document in less time that any of our competitors. Combine this solution with our customized packages and pricing, and you’ll find Edgar Agents is the only partner you need for all your financial filing services. Another example of our customized packages is to only combine the services you need at a price you can afford. For instance, say you would like to use our EA16 feature, a secure online tool that allows you to file your own Forms 3, 4 and 5 directly with the SEC. This tool lets you control your document throughout the entire filing process with no additional software to buy or install. But, you also need an SEC mandated XBRL widget to go on your site; one that updates automatically with your most current financials. Our agents will design several options for you to choose from that will include both these services for one customized price or payment plan. The possibilities are limitless. Nevertheless, many times our clients would rather we handle all their filings from start to finish, so we retain experts in-house from the financial reporting industry to handle these projects. They are available 24 hours, 7 days a week, including holidays, should you have any questions. No extra cost to you. These experts know exactly what you will need and how to stay compliant. And this is imperative because we feel our staff should be a major part of the solution. With this philosophy in mind, we’ve also developed a system that uses in-house CPA and XBRL expertise to review and analyze client financials by applying current SEC taxonomies to financial statements and notes. Our reviewers then thoroughly proofread the document once more before sending it to you for final approval. All our proofreaders are also from the financial reporting industry so they check for more than just formatting. They check for quality. Finally, technology, as always, is ever evolving, and I’ve only touched on a few of the many solutions we’ve created over the years. There are many more in the works and we’re excited to discuss them with you at your convenience. Give us a call for a casual meeting sometime to discuss your options. You can call us at 732-780-5036 to speak to an agent or peruse our website for more information about our services at www.edgaragents.com. Also follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Blogger and Instagram. We’d love to read your comments!

Let’s Talk Sustainable Growth, Technology and Common Sense

The smell of apple cider, pumpkin pancakes and Octoberfest is in the air. And as we all prepare for weather changes and holiday cheer, CPAs prepare for company growth and sustainability. An article in CPA Trendlines explains how six elements determine the growth and sustainability of a firm. Meanwhile, another article in CFO describes how a gut reaction can make all the difference. Finally, an article in AICPA Insights says technology is the key to future success. Based on our own conversations with our clients, we agree that a healthy dose of each makes for a very successful firm. In a nutshell, the six elements for growth and sustainability are as follows: leader driven, segment ownership, strategy before tactics, opportunity pursuit, team play, and no more marketing director. The last one is a bit confusing because a marketing directors’ sole purpose is to grow a company’s brand. But the article explains that the marketing director should do more than just organize sponsored events and thought leadership. They should be “leading and supporting opportunity pursuit efforts.” Again, we agree. Typically, this has always been a marketing director’s role. And yes, technology does play a large role in marketing, but technology has such a large role in today’s businesses overall. It has allowed businesses to “launch and grow at stunning speeds while using little capital,” according to the CFO article. Entrepreneurs and start-ups can compete with larger, more established companies as a result. The article states that 95% of respondents believe CPAs must be quick to embrace new technology and the capabilities that come with it. Obviously, this is true, which is why we offer our XBRL widget and EA16 technology to our clients. But, let’s not overlook the value of a gut reaction. Business Tycoon, now U.S. Presidential Candidate, Donald Trump, preached it in his first book, “Trump. The Art of the Deal.” If you know your market and are passionate enough to see your company soar, you gotta go with your gut sometimes. Steve Graham, finance executive interviewed for the article in AICPA Insights, says despite his tendency to analyze the facts and figures, many of his best decisions have come from common sense. Makes sense. Sometimes decisions that go against the grain are necessary. But if you are an expert in your field, chances are you are making the right decision for your company anyway. Finally, our clients feel the same about growth, sustainability, technology and gut reactions. In our conversations, clients claim they need some one who can keep up with their pace while offer customized services, and we make sure to deliver. We work with very successful CPAs, attorneys and CEOs from large and small firms, to name a few. And don’t forget, we are running a successful business of our own. So, we understand the challenges that can stump future development, but we always adjust to accommodate our clients with their needs. This is probably our key advice in all of this. Listen to your client first. If you would like to know more about our customized packages, visit our site at www.edgaragents.com. Or call us at 732-780-5036. We’d love to hear from you. Also follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Blogger, and Instagram!

Thanks for meeting with us one on one

As we wrap up another successful round of conferences this season, we realize new trends are still reminiscent of the old ones but with more emphasis on customer satisfaction. We spoke one on one with several attendees at the 2015 Aegis Growth Conference and the Ladenburg Thalmann 2015 Healthcare Conference these past weeks about specific strategies that would help their public and emerging companies execute their financial reporting and investor communication requirements within compliance. And in the process, we concluded that our fixed rate pricing and custom packages continue to be exactly what these companies need. Unique to the industry, Edgar Agents offers fixed rate pricing and custom packages for its Edgar and XBRL filing, typesetting and financial printing, and IPO offerings. This enables companies to stay on budget with no extra charges for rush or overnight and weekend projects, including holidays. Because these events give us insight into our customer’s specific needs, we were proud to be sponsors of both shows. Learning directly from the industry enables us to adjust our offerings to accommodate their exact needs. We feel both events drew the kind of crowd that had a lot to say about the direction of their industries, in turn giving us a view of the types of challenges they face daily, especially in healthcare. Both shows were a success, Aegis as a veteran and Ladenburg Thalmann in its first annual break out event. We appreciate everyone who was able to come out and meet with us. We always take your considerations very seriously and look forward to working with you, our new partners and old colleagues alike. If you are interested to learn more about our services, custom packages and fixed rate pricing, please do not hesitate to call us at 732-780-5036 or peruse our site at www.edgaragents.com for more information.

Should SEC Verify Relationships Amid Filers & Companies?

A recent SEC filing scam, which victimized Warren Buffett’s company, Berkshire Hathaway, suggests that the SEC should verify the relationship between the people doing company filings and the companies themselves to prevent future scams. We agree. At Edgar Agents, we suggest working with a trust-worthy filing agent with an excellent reputation to handle your filings to stay compliant and within budget. An article in Forbes.com reported that a pair of filings on the SEC website claimed Berkshire Hathaway had taken new stakes in both Kraft Heinz and Phillips 66. The filings also claimed that the new investments were jointly owned by Berkshire and a company named LMZ, in which the SEC forms appear to have been submitted by someone named Loreto M. Zamora. The forms listed a Philippines address and listed Zamora as a director of Kraft Heinz. When asked, Buffet had no knowledge of this company or Zamora. Although accountants might take some heat for not double checking the facts, the article states that the lax rules for anyone filing with the SEC is the main problem because all that is needed to make a filing is an address and a letter signed by a notary. As a solution, the article suggests that the SEC provide a list of approved filers for companies to work with. We happen to agree with this as well. A list of approved filers would help weed out the sub-standard filing agencies that might mislead companies into serious legal problems. We are also confident that you will find Edgar Agents at the top of that list approved list. In our 18 years of experience in electronic filings, we have not once encountered a legal problem that involved illegal procedures. Our reputation has remained strong and steady in the industry since 1997. Finally, the article admits that the SEC cannot be responsible for double checking every single filing that comes through daily, but perhaps a further delay in the 10-day window it currently provides for filings would give the SEC more time to at least give them a once-over. With Edgar Agents’ quick turnaround times and 24/7 availability, including weekends, your filings will be compliant and with the SEC much sooner than that. You can be sure the SEC will have time to review your filing for sure. To learn more about Edgar Agents and our services, visit our website at www.edgaragents.com or call us at 732-780-5036.