In September 2023, several KATA team members had the pleasure of attending CPB Ignite in Toronto, Canada.
CPB Canada is the Certified Professional Bookkeepers of Canada, the premier governing body for bookkeepers in Canada. Think of CPB as CPA Canada for certified bookkeepers.
CPB Ignite 2023
In my opinion, CPB Ignite is the premier conference for bookkeeping professionals (and should be attended by accountants who work in public practice). It’s a more extended conference, lasting about three days, with many learning and networking opportunities – and it is software agnostic! This means we can learn from our peers, friends and colleagues, a wide variety of tech vendors and app partners, and some of the best speakers on the topics presented.
I had the pleasure of speaking twice – once about Basic Blockchain Bookkeeping (which I’ve presented several times) and the Raw Truth about Communication.
I’m pleased to say that both sessions went well.
The Raw Truth, which Kimme Lafayette led, had about 200 engaged people in attendance with lots of participation, questions, and even going over time.
This topic is extremely important in today’s work environment. It addresses many challenges and possible solutions for communication challenges that can occur for various reasons.
This is directly in line with KATA’s top value: Communication.
Julia Katsivo Carter spoke about her specialty, marketing, and customer journey. Her session was very well received, with an engaged audience with much to say. We focus a lot of time on this and strive constantly to improve, so please let us know if you have any suggestions!
Supporting Bookkeepers
KATA employs three CPB members – two fully designated and one student member. We hope that more of our team will continue pursuing this designation.
We are big supporters of CPB Canada. As a CPA and the founder of a registered CPA firm, I recognize bookkeepers’ vital role in ensuring businesses stay compliant, stay out of trouble, and have the information they need to make sound financial decisions.
Remember, your bookkeeper is the guardian of your data. The information upon which your business relies for funding and reporting. They help you understand what is happening in the business and when to pivot. They are the most important members of your financial support team.
Firm of the Year
On the last day of the conference, at the awards banquet, KATA Accounting Solutions Professional Corporation was honoured to be named CPB Firm of the Year.
Our team has received this highest honour and is incredibly proud of it.
From the CPB Canada website:
“This award recognizes a bookkeeping firm owned by a Certified Professional Bookkeeper (CPB) that has proven to uphold the standards and ideals of the association, and has contributed to CPB Canadas’s success, as well as the success of its community. In addition, it has proven growth, makes use of the latest technology and has achieved a high level of recognition from its clients.”
With Humility, Gratitude and Appreciation
I had previously written a speech, but at the moment, I failed to pull it out and read it.
What follows is the text from that speech:
“Thank you, CPB Canada, so much for this great honour. This is the biggest honour our team has been awarded, and I need to thank many people for their contributions.
On my wife’s advice, I will avoid naming names for fear of missing someone, but I must start with her.
Julia, my life has changed ever since our first date.
I love and appreciate you and our life together daily, and am very excited to write the rest of our story together.
Without your brilliant mind and unwavering support, KATA would not be where it is today.
I’d also like to thank the individuals who nominated us and the committee that decided we were worthy of such a prestigious award.
Thank you for your belief in us! This was a very big surprise.
KATA Accounting would be nothing without the team that shows up every day.
They show up with consistent attitudes of learning, growth, service, compassion and continual improvement that have become our work culture.
They truly care for each other and support each other every day.
Thank you for everything you do. We wouldn’t be here without you.
We would also be nothing without the clients who believe in us and trust us to provide the solutions they need.
Thank you for supporting us, pushing us to improve, and continuing to promote us to your networks.
Personally, I owe a massive and unpayable debt of gratitude to the bookkeeping and accounting community.
On this journey, I was fortunate to meet many smart and forward-thinking people who taught and continue to teach in our community.
Your mentorship, collaborations, friendships and the freedom with which you’ve shared ideas have been pivotal in my personal growth and the growth of our KATA Accounting.
I encourage everyone to reflect on what you’ve learned this week and see how it can impact you, your team and your clients.
Take a few key items and build upon them. Implement them and evaluate them, then repeat the process.
Do this regularly.
I know that without the influence of the broader bookkeeping community and the support of our vendor partners, KATA would not have been able to be a completely virtual firm that doesn’t accept paper or do in-person meetings, that maintains a low carbon footprint, that has helped businesses and individuals with Canadian bookkeeping and tax issues from 25 different countries, and now, having the privilege of being on this stage today.
Finally, I encourage everyone to continue to listen and learn from each other.
Listen to learn.
Listen with compassion and strive for understanding.
Not everyone in your relationships will reciprocate, but listening will help you improve your actions.
It will help you understand what others need and help you communicate your message effectively.
Most importantly, it will foster continual learning. When we work collaboratively and communicate effectively, we are all better together.
Thank you so much.”