Many business owners find the changes in technology confusing. Cloud hosting, web-based accounting, online business solutions: What do they all they mean?!!
Though she started her career working in a regular old accounting office with her dad, Joanie Mann’s experience with the technology that is changing what it means to operate a business has been extensive.
“I understand business, and I love technology” Mann said. “Having literally grown up in an accounting office in a small town gave me quite a bit of insight into how businesses operate and what matters to business owners. I went into technology as a career, but the foundation of almost everything I do comes from the experiences earned working with actual businesses in real business situations.”
The Queen of ASP
Application service providers (ASPs) which offer Web hosted applications like accounting and other services to businesses on an as-needed basis have revolutionized entrepreneurship.
Mann is a recognized expert on this technology after working for a major application service provider for 15 years.
As an entrepreneur, she also launched her own IT integration company. Her professional experience also includes work on the commercial hosting programs used for Intuit’s QuickBooks and Sage small business accounting systems.
Bunny Slippers
As a consultant, Mann is dedicated to promoting the “anytime, anywhere” working model for accounting and other business professionals. Her “bunny slippers” logo embodies her ideal of a mobile business where “they can’t see your feet on a conference call.”
As much as small business owners may love this concept in theory, some are not yet comfortable enough with the technology that makes it all possible.
Mann’s consulting business, and her blog CooperMann.com, have been aimed at making this new technology easier for small business owners to understand.
In fact, Mann ends many of her articles with the phrase “Make sense?” trying to encourage those still unsure to ask a few more questions.
“I’m still not sure what I want to do when I grow up” Mann says.. “Some of my clients have referred to me as the ‘e-harmony’ of technology providers because I love to help companies make meaningful connections and develop new business opportunities.”
Part of the BizSugar Community
“This is where BizSugar comes in,” Mann explains. “It’s one of the key elements to not just getting the message out, but to reaching the people who need it most and getting them engaged with the information. Particularly these days, with technology creating huge and rapid changes in how people interact and do business, it is critically important to be aware of what’s going on and to understand how these changes might impact YOUR business.”
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