Published Date: August 21, 2020 . Last Updated April 27, 2021
When networking with clients, business owners find themselves consuming a massive amount of time with countless phone calls and emails. In the majority of such cases, those communications are about transactions, payments, and other details related to accounting and financial matters. Nowadays, technology enables you to have a separate client portal for accountants your needs.
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What is a client portal for Accountants?
For many years, businesses have been using interacting tools to enable the flow of information within their companies. Those tools are called intranets, they are systems that allow authorized staff to access the company’s management software and interact efficiently in a completely safe environment. The client portal for accountants is more valuable for business owners.
Benefits of using a client portal
Improve customer association
An online client portal can be the best extension of your customer support services. Imagine your company platform as a place where your clients can navigate through all of their invoices, their complete transaction history, and pay you online in a matter of seconds. All of this is possible without any action on your part, other than issuing invoices, quotes, and uploading related documents. Your clients get to download files of all these transactions, at any given time, which means the end of every sort of confusion balances. This process consumes time and makes collaboration ten times harder you don’t want that!
The client portal for CPA offers an efficient accounting process that is easy for the client to understand and follow. They no longer have to call you to send them again that invoice from last year or to get informed of the amount due to your company.
On the other hand, your company’s portal is interactive, meaning that you can keep track of your clients’ moves via email.
Time-Saving
One of the main benefits of utilizing an accountants client portal is that you don’t have to send emails any longer or follow them up for that matter! Moreover, sending out written invoices via courier or traditional post service requires time to print, enclose in an envelope, and even more time for the client to get the documents.
Save money
Time is money, no true entrepreneur can contend against that. By saving time from repetitive tasks you get to assign that time to other, more meaningful ones, that can bring in sales to your small business.
Apart from that, the conventional means of communication carry certain costs. Phone calls cost your company; mail and courier companies charge you for their services as well. Printing documents also translates into paper and ink supplies.
One of the most important benefits of having a client portal is eliminating said recurring costs. Of course, putting a company portal in place requires money.
Improve your cashflow
Your company portal also enables you to receive payments online for your invoices, which is the fastest payment method nowadays
The customers log into your client portal and get instant information about outstanding amounts. Then, they click on the “payment” button and continue with the payment submitting their credit card details. The payment is being treated on the spot and in 1-2 working days tops, the money is accessible to your account.
One would wish payments were that simple, without a company gateway too! In a previous article, we carefully clarified how online payments can boost your company’s cash flow. The concept is simple though; the easier you make the payment process for the client, the faster you get what is payable to you!
Your data is secure
Client portals, particularly which are cloud-based, use the modern security software offered to ensure your fiscal data are completely safe. SSL encryption, firewalls, virus protection, and VPN are among the most significant measures taken to avoid hacking or losing the worth of your documents.
Moreover, when you create your portal, you choose that, who has access to your company portal. In some cases, you even get to choose the stages of access different users can have. Sensitive financial data is now available to authorized persons only, something impossible when sending your invoices via email or post.
Unlimited access
Your clients can log in to your client portal from anywhere, as long as they have an active internet connection. Moreover, many online client portals have a responsive design, which means that your customers can see their account from their smartphone or tablet.
Increased productivity
When you handle the major part of your day to day processes through your customer service portal, then your team has the ease to focus on important issues, like exercise on new technologies or expanding your sales.
The Client portal makes a difference
Client portals are here to create connections with your clients easier, more effective, and a lot more secure for both sides. Information flows swiftly and everyone is on the same page, all of the time. Setting up a client portal adds a modest edge to your company without spending a fortune!
