Last week, we had the pleasure of attending the 2013 IPBC Canadian Bookkeeping Conference in Mississauga, an event that proved to be extremely educational from start to finish. With numerous industry professionals sharing their expertise as guest speakers and a long list of big names in bookkeeping, accounting and finance acting as sponsors.
There’s a lot to talk about regarding what we learned and our overall thoughts regarding the conference – far more than would fit in one blog post – so we’d like to start with a summary of the event and a look at what the IPBC is for those of you unfamiliar with the organization.
This press release detailing the contributions of Sage North America to the conference has a helpful definition of the IPBC:
The Institute of Professional Bookkeepers of Canada (IPBC) was created by bookkeepers to help others in the profession become more successful and gain more recognition within the bookkeeping profession. Through certification, education and advocacy, IPBC provides its members with resources to develop excellence in bookkeeping. The second iteration of IPBC’s annual conference will provide participants further opportunity to not only learn and engage in dialogue on current and future issues affecting the industry, but also network with renowned bookkeeping and accounting thought leaders from across Canada and the U.S.
This was one of the main reasons we were thrilled to attend the event: it’s a place for bookkeeping professionals from around the country to learn from industry leaders and further their education, improve their skillsets and stay up-to-date with the latest trends.
The press release linked above goes on to share some thoughts from a member of Sage’s staff on the event:
During the conference, Jennifer Warawa, vice president of partner programs and channel sales for Sage, will share insights and best practices of high-performing bookkeeping and consulting firms in sessions that focus on helping attendees achieve their business ambitions.
“There are few conferences that cater to the needs of bookkeepers in Canada, and the IPBC conference provides attendees the opportunity to network with like-minded professionals. Sage understands how critical bookkeepers can be and are to the success and growth of small businesses. As advocates for the community, sponsoring events such as the IPBC conference is critical as they deliver the education and resources that will help Canadian bookkeepers continue to flourish in the future,” said Warawa. “Sessions, such as the Fundamentals of High-Performing Firms, will not only provide attendees the opportunity to exchange ideas and tips, but also the information they need to address their business challenges head on and implement strategies that will elevate their business to the next level.”
As the owner of a firm who strongly agrees with the assessment that bookkeeping in Canada is an underserved industry (we’re quite perturbed at the lack of a certification process and have even created our own for potential hires), I have similar thoughts about the benefit of this conference. It’s a rare opportunity for us to collaborate with our fellow bookkeepers, discuss strategies, share our challenges and suggestions for meeting them before taking what we’ve learned to continue building our business and serving our clients.
We’d like to thank the Institute of Professional Bookkeepers of Canada for putting together this conference, as well as all of the sponsors and individuals that made it possible. It was a very exciting and educational experience, and we look forward to next year!