Last week, as I was attending the annual IDC Predictions Telebriefing for 2010, I think I finally realized the true difference between Accounting and Marketing. The difference is that while Marketing is already thinking well into 2010, the Accounting Department is just gearing up for 2009 Year End activities. IDC, as you may or may not know, is one of a handful of extortionist trusted prognosticators on all things technology related and indeed on most topics of interest related to business trends, market dynamics and analysis in general (others include Gartner, Aberdeen, Forrester). These guys are to the Marketing Department what the Ratings Agencies are to the Finance Department. There’s a certain obligation to include these guys… for good or ill.
“Buy the ticket, take the ride” – Hunter S. Thompson
Now, this isn’t a critique of the inevitable conflicts (real and perceived) inherent between these various groups. Nor is it a post about the differences between Accounting and Marketing. In order to do that, I am missing one critical piece. My good friend Dan’s “Top Ten Differences between Accounting and Marketing List“. Maybe with your help, readers, we can convince him to give it up. Add your thoughts in the comments section!
NO. This post is about posing a simple question:
How are your Year End spreadsheets doing?
Year End is upon us! Everyone knows, thanks to these accounting blogs:
- Look at Last Year’s File
- Accounting Nation
- Accounting WEB
- CPA Trendlines
- re: The Auditors
- Junior Deputy Accountant (warning: Language)
- and Going Concern
Everyone knows that Audit Professionals have been raked over the coals of more stringent regulation and oversight the past few years (for all the good it’s done!). And, if my experience is at all representative of our collective experience on the industry side, the auditors have been passing all of that regulation onto you!
Preferred method of passing = The Paddle
The paddle will be heading your way again soon enough. Time to rollover all those Year End files and clean up for prepping 2009’s close. The rigors of financial reporting compliance are staring us right in the face once again. Oh, and Merry Christmas by the way.
Of course, I think that if the past 2 year’s have taught us anything, it’s that regulation is ineffective in preventing fraud. I would like to know where Frank Abagnale jr. stands on this issue. Abagnale is the character upon which the movie Catch Me If You Can is based and for the past 35 years he’s been helping the FBI, businesses, and government cope with matters of fraudulent activity. I highly recommend his book, Art of The Steal, for anyone interested in learning more about specific industry-related fraud risk.
