It is as important to us as it is to you that you are successful and proficient. Quarterly Update Q1 2017 EXECUTIVE CORNER The Importance of Skill Development At Financial Navigator, it is just as important to us as it is to you that you are successful with our reporting platform. As we add the features you want and as the complexity of the program increases, we accept the responsibility to assist your staff in increasing their proficiency. This quarter’s newsletter describes some of the options we have found to be most valuable to both principals and staff who operate our system. Knowledge and Skills Required As a user of the Financial Navigator platform, you know the breadth of the product. It enables you to manage the following areas: Investment tracking and reporting Accounting, financial reporting and cash management Information for preparation of income taxes In a small firm, you may have major responsibilities for all of these—and for seeing that the computer systems are updated appropriately. The fewer the staff in an office, the more expertise each member must have--and constantly improve --to keep the office working effectively. Of course, some staff within an office may well be able to provide helpful suggestions when, for example, a routine report shows unexpected results. Outside contractors, too, can solve problems. As long as these others are available and the staff can describe the problem that is occurring, work will proceed in a timely and efficient manner. The Technical Support Team at FNI supports all users regardless of their expertise; however, when your staff has the vocabulary to describe a problem and understand the solution proposed, our team is faster and more thorough in its assistance to you. Criteria for Selecting a Training Program We understand the challenge of staff development. After all, you call us with your most difficult problems, and we have to be prepared to help you. So training our staff is extremely important for us. Perhaps the training solutions that work for us will work for you. Two criteria loom large when we judge training programs for our staff: Make sure the material is easy to access [http://blog.finnav.com/education/the-importance-of-skill-development] and make sure it is excellent [http://blog.finnav.com/education/the-importance-of-skill-development]. Our stance is that the cost of the program is secondary to its quality. Two Specific Training Programs In addition to specific training in software systems, at Financial Navigator we focus our training on two additional areas, overall financial skills [http://blog.finnav.com/education/the-importance-of-skill-development] and IT staff skills [http://blog.finnav.com/education/the-importance-of-skill-development]. Two articles below describe in more detail these two training programs. Each is written by Financial Navigator staff who are constantly training to be effective members of our Technical Support Team. Experience has shown us that a serious commitment to training and skill development of your staff is an invaluable investment from which you will reap many rewards. Happy Navigating! Ed Van Deman CEO and Co-Founder Validating Your Professional Credibility [http://blog.finnav.com/education/validating-your-credibility-as-a-professional] Earning a college degree in a specialized field shows a student’s ability to learn and understand the core concepts behind the subject. In the financial industry, a graduate must expand from just the basic understandings and concepts of the modern financial world. As the industry changes constantly and rapidly, the struggle to keep current can seem difficult and exhausting. However, we can maintain our expertise. We can stand out from the crowd by obtaining the knowledge and skill-sets needed to retain our credibility. Credibility allows clients to take us seriously, to trust our opinions. We must be able to prove to them that they have chosen the right person to perform the task at hand. To do this, we must understand the issue and effectively communicate back. One of the key steps in making this possible and allowing the client to know that we have what it takes is to prove our professional competency. What better way to prove that we are the right fit for the job than by obtaining the professional certificates pertinent to our career? Improving your IT Skills [http://blog.finnav.com/education/improving-your-it-skills] An important concern when helping clients troubleshoot their software is minimizing down time. And rightly so. Accountants need to enter a great number of transactions into their systems, they need to create reports, and they also need to meet deadlines. In order to resolve an issue quickly, the user of the software and the technician must engage in efficient communications. A user who has a basic understanding of Information Technology (IT) and accounting increases the efficiency of the communications and therefore increases productivity. In my opinion, this is why a well-rounded and life-long education is imperative. Technology continues to become a greater part of everyday life in most professions, and professionals must adapt or get left behind. Fortunately, multiple resources are available over the internet to be used for self-study. I personally do not think certification in IT is important unless IT is your career path. Learning the material is much more important. See a few resources for self-study > [http://blog.finnav.com/education/improving-your-it-skills] Connect With Us Let Us Help We are proud of our sterling reputation for exceptional customer support. Please allow us to assist you. Customer Support: 1-800-468-3636 x2050 [[email protected]] Sales Inquiries: 1-800-468-3636 x2000 [[email protected]] You are receiving this email because you expressed interest in Financial Navigator, Inc. You can opt out http://em.finnav.com/t/r-u-yultaky-dldrhujlo-yu/ anytime.