3 Tools Every Accountant Should Have on the Move
If you plan to work in client service, you need to be able to go to a client site if they want you to be there. Before COVID, this was the norm for a lot of my client interactions: I would go out to the client site with my team and try to audit their financial statements from one of their spare rooms. Hopefully, this will change in the future with a more remote working environment and more flexible arrangements. But until you know for sure that you are never going to a client site again, you should be prepared. Here are the three things that I can't live without when working at a client site.
#1 – A Portable Monitor
The most important thing I need while working in the digital age is screen real estate. With the many different documents and spreadsheets that I need to have open to do my job, it's so hard to imagine myself working efficiently without at least two screens. Companies make specialized monitors that are designed to be taken out and put away in a matter of seconds and will plug right into your laptop via USB. Generally, these monitors will come with their own stand built into the monitor itself or the case it comes with and won't be much thicker than a standard portable laptop. After using one of these for a number of years, I can't imagine myself doing most of my client site work without it.
#2 – A Portable 10-Key Pad
Depending on what type of laptop you have this might not be something you need to think about before going to a client site. Some laptops have the 10-key built into it, but many do not. Many accounting firms prefer the smaller size laptops for better portability and a smaller cost factor, but if your job involves documenting and calculating numbers within spreadsheets on a regular basis, having a 10 key is essential. Being able to use one hand to key in information quickly while you can keep your eyes on the screen will save you many hours of time over the long run.
#3 – An Extension Cord
This one is my personal MVP for working on client sites. A long time ago I bought an extension cord from Ikea for less than $5 that had three outlets I could plug into, and that purchase has paid off more than I could ever imagine. Two problems that I had working on client sites were that
There were sometimes not enough outlets for everyone to stay plugged in all day and
Those outlets were nowhere near convenient for where we needed to sit.
Having this extension cord allowed me to plug it in, throw it in the middle of the table, and have everyone get to work within minutes of arriving. This little device offered so much flexibility to my jobs that I went out and bought some for my coworkers, because they make that big of a difference.
If you are working at client sites and don't have any one of these three things, get one and see how much you can improve your productivity!