Company: AccountingDepartment.com, Pompton Plains, NJ
Company Division/Group: AccountingDepartment.com
Company Description: AccountingDepartment.com is a next-generation virtual accounting solution for SMB owners looking to streamline and improve their accounting and bookkeeping functions with cutting-edge technology, forward-thinking culture and dedicated, full-service expertise. Entirely virtual, the 100% U.S.-based company was founded in 2004 and boasts more than 60 full-time professionals nationwide.
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Company of the Year - Accounting

Nomination Title: AccountingDepartment.com

Tell the story about what this nominated organization achieved since January 1 2013 (up to 525 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

There are a lot of pain points for business owners when it comes to their bookkeeping and accounting. Business owners don’t go in to business to become accountants—yet they find themselves forced to manage some of the bookkeeping and accounting because they have a difficult time finding the right support services. From bookkeepers who don’t really have the expert knowledge to maintain the books properly, to horror stories of improper bookkeeping and stealing, to insufficient accounting technology knowledge and implementation, business owners constantly find themselves at the mercy of their bookkeeping and accounting.

AccountingDepartment.com set out to change all of that ten years ago by creating a full service virtual accounting department, serving businesses ranging from $1 million to $25 million. Since January 2013, we’ve grown by over 35% and have an expected growth rate of nearly 50% for 2014. We’ve teamed up with some of the best accounting technology providers, including Intuit, Bill.com, TSheets and Tallie to bring fully integrated, next generation solutions to our clients.

Our clients have been able to “retire from bookkeeping and accounting” because we provide them with bookkeeping and controller services that oversee every aspect of their accounting. From accounts payable, accounts receivable, reconciliations, payroll, forecasting, budgeting, financial statements and dashboards, we provide everything that business owners need—without them needing to steward the process.

We maintain the highest standards of quality by mandating certifications for our bookkeepers and controllers. We have 49 QuickBooks Pro Advisors, 54 QuickBooks Online Pro Advisors, 33 Bill.com Experts and maintain weekly training for the entire staff. Every new bookkeeper must complete the QuickBooks Pro Advisor and QuickBooks Online Pro Advisor certification within 6 months of his or her start date. In addition, we have 8 CPAs serving as controllers and accounting managers, overseeing all client accounts—resulting in significantly more oversight than an average business owner receives by employing a part time bookkeeper or hiring a bookkeeping firm. Many of our staff also hold expert certifications in Enterprise, Online, Advanced, and POS versions of QuickBooks and Method CRM. Many of our bookkeepers are also AIPB certified bookkeepers.

In addition to our training and certification requirements, we also have controls setup to maintain clean books and the integrity of financial data. Every client begins with a dedicated startup team, comprised of a Client Implementation Specialist and a Client Implementation Supervisor. A complete Procedures Manual is created for each client’s unique needs, outlining every aspect of their business accounting and bookkeeping processes. This ensures accuracy of timing and data by mandating deadlines and due dates for every single financial process. When the client is moved from startup to a permanent bookkeeper and controller team, this manual serves to seamlessly direct the daily tasks required to provide full charge bookkeeping.

As a virtual company, AccountingDepartment.com’s entire team is spread across the United States. A 100% US-based employer, every employee of AccountingDepartment.com works from their home office in a virtual, secure, remote environment. The work from home environment provides a better quality of life for our employees and in turn helps us provide better service. We receive over 8,000 applications per year without any advertising and consider only a handful of top candidates. AccountingDepartment.com is the next generation accounting solution.

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Provide a brief (up to 125 words) biography about the leader of this nominated organization:

Co-Founders Bill Gerber and Dennis M. Najjar, CPA aren’t your average accounting and bookkeeping company owners. They had a vision of an optimal work environment—a virtual environment connecting the best talent across the country—and of providing SMB owners with the tools and resources they need to make sound financial decisions for their companies. They didn’t transition a traditional brick and mortar company to a virtual one—they built AccountingDepartment.com virtual brick by virtual brick from the outset, using only the best technology at every turn. Where there wasn’t a tool, they created one. They work with accounting technology providers to design the best programs for their clients and will stop at nothing to ensure the integrity of the financial data they provide, always.