Creative Financial Software
Accounting Software Trainers, Authors and Consultants

Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors

All of the QuickBooks consultants at Creative Financial Software (CFS) have earned an Advanced Certification from Intuit. After earning the first level certification for every version of QuickBooks from version 99 to version 2009, the consultants at CFS were among the very first in the nation to earn an advanced certification in QuickBooks version 2007, the first version of QuickBooks for which Intuit offered and advanced credential.

The lower-level certification requires consultants to participate in an extensive, three-part certification course each year and to take three separate examinations. Consultants must score at least 90% on these three tests to certify on QuickBooks.

The advanced certification requires consultants to have earned the lower-level certification for the three most recent versions of QuickBooks (e.g. versions 2007-2009), to participate in a day two live advanced training course and two participate in four advanced level instructor-led web courses.

There are about 35,000 QuickBooks ProAdvisors in the country. About 15,000 are certified in at least on version of QuickBooks. In contrast, there are less than 1,000 Advanced Certified ProAdvisors in the country.  Firms with more than one Advanced Certified ProAdvisor on their staff number less than 25. This distinction places CFS among the 25 best QuickBooks consulting firms in the country.

Free-Lance Author, Published by Intuit

Joe Woodard is a published author on a variety of QuickBooks-related topics. Joe is a free-lance columnist for the Intuit ProConnection Newsletter, a monthly Intuit newsletter that includes topics on QuickBooks and other areas of interest to accounting professionals. Click here for a list of QuickBooks articles and printed materials Joe published through the Intuit ProConnection Newsletter, other Intuit departments and directly for the CFS website readers. Some of these articles are available at no cost to you. When possible, we have included links from my site to the web-hosted articles.

As a contract writer for Intuit, Joe writes some of the training material used by Intuit's Certified QuickBooks Trainers. Recently, Joe authored 25% of the course materials for the new Advanced QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor program. As an instructor, Joe taught about 50% of the live courses and 25% of the web-based courses necessary for accounting professionals to earn this advanced credential. Joe is currently consulting with Intuit on the second revision of these materials for the second wave of courses planned for late Spring/Early Summer.

Joe is currently writing a book for accounting professionals called QuickBooks at Year-End and Tax Time. Joe is also writing a book called Top 100 QuickBooks Tips, Tricks and Workarounds. Both books should be available for purchase through our website during the Winter of 2008.

During 2007 Joe wrote some of the training materials for Intuit's 2nd Annual Enterprise Solutions User Conference - May 2007. Joe wrote the materials and conducted the presentation for two courses. One course, designed for QuickBooks users, covers various advanced inventory issues. The other course, designed for accounting professionals, covers tools in Enterprise Solutions that help the accountant to make year-end adjustments to their clients' data, to present financial statements and to prepare their clients' income tax returns.

Joe recently published an article on small business fraud through Intuit's QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions Marketing Team. Click the Publication Tab of our website to download a free copy of this article.

National and Highly-Reputed Trainer for Intuit

Joe Woodard, president of Creative Financial Software (CFS) is one of only a handful of trainers in the country to achieve Intuit's "Tier 3" instructor level.  As a "Tier 3" trainer, Joe Woodard trains other accounting professionals to help them better service their clients who use QuickBooks. In that capacity, Joe Woodard is a trainer of QuickBooks trainers - a consultant to QuickBooks consultants. Beginning in 2009 we will launch a conference for QuickBooks consultants and QuickBooks power users, and we are having conversations right now with Intuit regarding their participation in this event.

As a "Tier 3" trainer Joe travels for Intuit about 8 weeks each year and represents Intuit at various accounting technology shows throughout the country. Click here for Joe's 2009 speaking schedule. Joe also speaks on QuickBooks-related topics for state CPA societies.

Intuit Solution Provider and Trainer

Creative Financial Software (CFS) is a charter member of the Intuit Solution Provider program. As a member of this very elite program (one of only a handful of firms in the Atlanta-area), Intuit refers leads on the sale of Enterprise Solutions and other mid-market products to our firm. We then follow up with the businesses to determine if Intuit products (primarily Enterprise Solutions) is the best fit for their needs. Upon request we then implement the Intuit software and train the company's employees. Intuit places an awesome responsibility and an awesome trust in CFS to clearly communicate the value of Intuit software for the mid market - to take care of some of Intuit's largest customers. Typically, Enterprise Solutions candidates produce at least two million in annual sales and many times the candidates have annual sales above ten or even twenty million. To meet the needs of these larger businesses, we often integrate QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions with other software solutions. Historically Joe Woodard has taught several sessions at Intuit's annual Enterprise Solutions User Conference - beginning with the very first QBES conference in Phoenix AZ - Summer 2006. This year Joe will host an unprecedented conference for other Intuit Solution Providers. Intuit is officially recommended attendance at this conference and will coordinate with us for attendees to earn certification on Enterprise Solutions 9.0 and selected QBES Suite applications. Click here for Joe's 2009 speaking schedule and more information about this training event.

Contract Consultant to Intuit

Joe is a consultant to Intuit on product development and programs for accounting professionals. In this capacity, Joe recently advised Intuit regarding the re-shaping of the QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor Program as well as the new Advanced Certified Program.

Recently, Joe worked with a special team of Intuit technical support representatives in Tucson Arizona. This team provides technical support to ProAdvisor members and other accounting professionals to help them support their clients who use QuickBooks. Joe worked with the reps as well as the executives in charge of this support team regarding various ways they can better service accounting professionals.

During 2007, Joe worked with Intuit to expand and update the sample product based company (called "Rock Castle Construction").

Intuit frequently asks for Joe's input on the content for training targeted to accounting professionals and Intuit Solution Providers. Joe also submits new content and reviews content for Intuit's Accountant Training Network.

During 2008, Joe co-developed and co-presented a keynote speech with Intuit executives at two prestigious accounting technologies shows - one in Los Angeles, CA and the other in Baltimore, MD.