Do you want to know how to modernize your firm, upgrade your work environment, and create a backup plan for emergencies?

Here at Gusto, our goal is to equip accountants with all they need to run their firms efficiently. We’re thrilled to help you devise the strategies and plans you need to run your firm best—no matter what the conditions are.

For your business to thrive, you need to be prepared for all possibilities. A solid backup plan along with modernized systems will help you do just that. We partnered with Tech Guru in a webinar hosted by Daniel Moshe, and you can listen to the entire presentation here. Daniel shared the best tips for upgrading your work environment and prepping for the unexpected.

Daniel Moshe is the founder and CEO of Tech Guru and an EOS Professional Implementor. He helps leadership teams leverage practical tools that enhance all business operations and teams. Daniel’s expertise lies in technology advising and budgeting, managed IT services and cloud tech, systems administration and technology, and project management, among many other things. Daniel is also a well-known speaker, podcaster, host, and teacher known as “the Caring Entrepreneur.” Let’s get started!

Upgrade your work environment

Before the busy season starts, get everything in shape by upgrading your tech, your workspace, and your processes. Daniel explained that these simple measures can go miles for your office when the going gets tough. Remember, you’re sitting in the office every day. Your physical, mental, and emotional state will no doubt affect your performance. It’s best to do everything you can to make the office comfortable on all levels, starting with the chairs you’re sitting on.

Daniel noted these essentials:

  • Ergonomic Desk
  • Ergonomic Chair
  • Sit and Stand Desk
  • Elliptical or Treadmill Desk
  • Balance Ball Chair
  • Posture Correcting Devices
  • Multiple monitors, even up to four monitors

Make sure all systems are running smoothly and quickly, including giving your computers more memory or RAM upgrades so they run faster. Removing unnecessary software and applications is also wise. Having a solid-state hard drive is essential.

Man sitting back in desk chair referencing ipad

Daniel discussed having multiple monitors. Studies show that having multiple monitors increases productivity. He had a lot to say about Dell Monitors:

“These Dell 43-inch monitors, they’re … $700, $800, and it’s four monitors in one. So just think about how much more productive you can be with when you went from one to two monitors. Well, it’s a similar curve … in going from two to four as well. So, their Dell UltraSharp 43-inch display is all we have at Tech Guru now. And frankly, they look really cool. … People are able to get so much more stuff done without having to switch screens.”

– Daniel Moshe 

Upgrade your platforms

Daniel shared how happy Tech Guru has been with Gusto’s own people platform. 

“What’s really cool is in the Gusto Partner Program, migrations are all free, and you actually get access to these tools for free for your firm. You get a dedicated Gusto Partner advisor, you get a revenue share, and free migration. So [it’s] a really minimal amount of hassle for you. … The more clients you add, [the] more benefits [you get] and really cool integrations, including … the 401k. We use zero integration and just absolutely love it.”

– Daniel Moshe

Daniel shared that among Gusto’s many benefits Tech Guru particularly likes using the generated employee survey. It automatically asks employees how they like working at Tech Guru and if they would recommend it to a friend. This is a great way for Tech Guru to keep a finger on the pulse of their company and it aligns with their vision to be a great company to work for.

In addition, Gusto offers the following:

Seamless migrations, easy data management, and a great working relationship are other benefits of joining the Gusto Partner Program

Create a backup plan for power outages

You’d be surprised at how many offices have no idea what to do if the power goes out, but it’s no small thing for this to happen. It can cost significant time and resources to recover from this scenario if you’re not prepared.

“You never know what you’re going to run into. Life happens. You cannot predict the future, but you can prepare for it. And so, what I invite you to do is, in one page, just write down what you would do in these instances, in these scenarios, which let’s be honest [are] almost guaranteed [to] happen over the course of the next six months.”

– Daniel Moshe 

What could save you thousands of dollars and a lot of stress without costing you anything up-front except time? Having a backup plan for unexpected occurrences such as power outages, internet failures, computer hardware failures, or the loss of a key staff member.

“At the time of a crisis, when you’re in the middle of all this work and people are waiting, … the last thing you want to have to do is try to figure something out. So wouldn’t it be great if you just wrote it down? ‘Here are the things that we’re going to do in the event of a power outage.’”

– Daniel Moshe

Daniel shared an example from Tech Guru. A potentially devastating power outage occurred on an ordinary day at their office during a busy season, but they had a plan. So, instead of scrambling around wasting time, the team calmly and quickly went through their plan. They were able to identify and check off everything on the list for everyone on the team, and it saved them. 

What could your firm do in the event of a power outage? You might consider these questions: 

  • Where are we going to go?
  • Are we going to go work from home? 
  • Are we going to go to the coffee shop nearby? 
  • Who do we report to when working remotely?
  • How will we manage projects working remotely?
  • How will we meet working remotely?
  • How are we going to access our system if the power goes out? 

Daniel shared that if you have a server in your office, it’s a little more complicated because your server’s power is also going to go out. If the power goes out to your system, your internet will also fail because the modem won’t be powered. It’s one more reason to store everything in the cloud because you can just work from home in this scenario. 

“In the midst of your crisis, you just can’t do your best thinking. So, instead, when all is calm, take that opportunity to write it down right now.”

– Daniel Moshe

Another measure you can take is creating a backup internet connection. Daniel explained that it’s absolutely worth the cost. He cited that the average annual cost of a connection is $720. Compare that with the amount you could lose if the internet fails significantly—it’s worth it. He also shared that there are firewalls and routers available that can automatically switch over to the backup internet connection if one fails. In addition, there’s technology that can entrain both internet connections, which means that whichever connection will load a website faster will automatically kick in.

Rear view of man sitting in front of desk with 3 screens and a table in front of him

An extra computer with all software, applications, and access to critical documents preloaded is also great to have. There are a number of reasons you might want to have this ready. First, one of your computers might fail. The last thing you need is to lose time fixing it, waiting for updates, or buying a new computer and getting it ready to go. Even if no computers fail, you want an extra one preloaded in case you bring in extra help during the busy season.  

Learn more tools and tips to modernize your firm

When the busy season gets rolling, you’ll hardly have time to upgrade your environment, tech, platforms, or processes. Investing in backup internet, computer, and ergonomic office supplies will give you the support you need to thrive during high seasons. 

It’s a great idea to invest in progressive, seamless, and easy-to-use platforms that can support your team. We’re pleased to say that Daniel advocates for our people platform, including our partnership program, for these purposes. Whatever platforms you choose, be sure they include seamless data transfer, great customer support, and as many features rolled into one platform as possible. It just makes running your firm that much easier.

Preparing for the unexpected with backup plans and checklists takes just a little bit of time but yields significant rewards. Don’t get caught off guard without a solid plan distributed throughout your team. You’ll be happy you did so when the power goes out, the internet goes down, or you lose an important team member.   

Here at Gusto, we’re proud to bring you what you need to protect your firm. Be sure to check out our previous article “Cybersecurity and Data Backup Tips for Accountants,” if you haven’t already.

We invite you to join our Gusto Partner Program and take advantage of our simple, streamlined people platform. Put more focus on growing your business by letting Gusto handle processes such as payroll, HR, and onboarding. As a Gusto partner, you’ll also get tools to help you expand your accounting practice and offer your clients new insights. In addition, you’ll get a free payroll subscription for your own accounting firm. Sign up today! 

Gusto Editors Gusto Editors, contributing authors on Gusto, provide actionable tips and expert advice on HR and payroll for successful business management.
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