Get the Balance Right!
Portland Internetworks has long been known as a particularly good value for professional service firms such as architects, engineers or lawyers. These businesses frequently bill for their services by the hour so having a technology partner like us allows them to focus on increased productivity and revenues.
A similar segment close to my heart is the accounting industry. Fresh out of college in the 80’s, I joined Deloitte as a staff accountant to assist in the audits of small banks and non-profits along with supporting roles at big Bay Area clients like Clorox, Syntex, and Kaiser. While I learned early on that public accounting wouldn’t be my long-term career, I enjoyed being exposed to so many different businesses each year, the fast-paced work, the challenging deadlines, and most of all, the professionalism of my accounting colleagues.
This month, we feature some of our accounting firm customers who are making things happen every year for their clients. We celebrate new customers such as Radix Accounting who help brewers and creative agencies grow and flourish and Kern & Thompson who help so many non-profits meet their missions. And, a special shout to the Oregon Society of CPAs who represent and support these professionals across our great state!
We’re thrilled when our talents and experiences can provide educational value to accounting professionals and look forward to presenting an OSCPA workshop on cybersecurity this month (see below). If you know of (or are) an accounting firm seeking a reliable and robust technology partner, I want to talk to you!
On the subject of “counting”, we are excitedly anticipating that we should reach the forty-employee mark before the end of September. And, when we move offices the last week of September, we will have more than fifty people settling into our new space! But not everyone will be wearing The Blue uniforms that Portland Internetworks is known for. So, what gives?
You may have learned recently that the Special Olympics of Oregon has hired new management who are working on a deep and dramatic financial turnaround of the organization. Through a mutual friend, I connected with their new CEO and CFO and became immediately invested in the success of their heroic efforts. In addition to donating a comprehensive package of IT services to help them through this rough patch, we also offered that their staff could “crash on our couch until they get back on their feet”. The Special Olympics’ staff will join us rent-free at our exciting new space when we move in later this month. We’re excited to have some new roommates and ask that if your business can assist in getting this important institution restabilized, let me make a connection for you!
Finally, since the practice of accounting frequently involves balances (debits = credits anyone?), I want to urge my fellow workaholics to remember your work-life balance! As I write this article, I’m flying home from a brief family reunion in Arizona and then gearing up for a week of unplugged, solo travel overseas. “Work hard, Play hard” is a real thing, but taking some time for rest, relaxation and reflection keeps us all sane, stable, and successful. Be sure to take a breather from work, turn off your email and dedicate some time to yourself and your family. It’s this balance that makes us all better people!
doug
CEO
