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Contributing Author Ian Vacin

Ian is passionate about helping businesses be as successful as possible in order to positively impact the small businesses they serve. With 25+ years' experience in technology & process improvement and 15+ years of leadership experience in the accounting industry at Karbon, Xero, and Intuit, Ian is a recognized expert, innovator, and teacher.


The latest insights from Ian Vacin

A sun rising over mountains
A sun rising over mountains

2024 in review: Major wins, lessons, and insights from accounting leaders

From AI and technology, to big moves in private equity, to the pressing challenges of talent—it’s been another busy year in accounting. This panel of global accounting leaders reflects on 2024 and makes some bold predictions for 2025.

61 min video

How to protect your time using Strategic Calendar Work Blocking©

Understand the mechanics of Strategic Calendar Work Blocking© and how you can leverage it to protect your time.

61 min video

Making neuroinclusion your firm’s 2025 growth strategy

Sarah Ennor shares how you can tap into your neurodiverse workforce to accelerate your firm’s growth.

71 min video

The courage to say no: Why capacity management is for the brave

Learn about the courage it takes to be intentional with your schedule, plan your capacity, and protect your time.

52 min video

Karbon's API: 10 ways to take your firm's automation to the next level

Learn how to use Karbon's API to push or pull any information you can imagine and optimize your workflows beyond what you thought possible.

61 min video

Why private equity is interested in the accounting profession

Jason Blumer, CPA, Ian Vacin, Gretchen Roberts, Chris Williams and Reyes Florez dig deeper into what private equity investment means for accounting firms.

60 min video

A beautiful horizon during sunset.
A beautiful horizon during sunset.

2023 in review: Biggest wins, lessons, and insights from accounting leaders

An impressive global panel recaps on 2023 and provides their advice, insights and takeaways to give you an edge leading into 2024.

70 min video

Three accounting professionals engaged in a discussion around a table with documents, emphasizing teamwork and client consultation in a bright office setting.
Three accounting professionals engaged in a discussion around a table with documents, emphasizing teamwork and client consultation in a bright office setting.

Part 3 of 3Capacity exchange: Where client revenue and team capacity meet

Jason Blumer and Ian Vacin share how you can lead your team with deeper intention around the use of their capacity.

59 min video

A group of people huddled around a table pull of coloured sticky notes.
A group of people huddled around a table pull of coloured sticky notes.

Part 2 of 3Capacity management is a key competitive advantage for your firm

Jason Blumer and Ian Vacin share how to manage your firm's capacity in a strategic way that will contribute to your firm's long-term success.

63 min video

Three people are sitting together at a table, with one of them smiling and looking at the other two.
Three people are sitting together at a table, with one of them smiling and looking at the other two.

Embracing neurodiversity: How to build inclusive accounting firms from the inside out

Meghan Blair and Ian Vacin share how you can embrace neurodiversity and build an inclusive accounting firm that truly serves its people and clients.

58 min video

A long exposure image of a busy street at dust — the car headlights are blurred lines.
A long exposure image of a busy street at dust — the car headlights are blurred lines.

Accounting advisory success made easy: Get into the advisory driver's seat

Lynda Steffens, FCPA uncovers the biggest reasons why accounting firm leaders struggle to get started with and leverage advisory, and how you can set yourself up for advisory success.

49 min video

A group of millennial-aged colleagues sitting around a table min-discussion.
A group of millennial-aged colleagues sitting around a table min-discussion.

Part 1 of 3Understanding the realities of human capacity

Jason Blumer and Ian Vacin define what capacity really means, and how you can assess your team's in more specific and powerful ways.

62 min video

Black and white digital columns, very Matrix.
Black and white digital columns, very Matrix.

ChatGPT and AI: What do they hold for the future of accounting?

AI is taking the world by storm like never before. A panel of tech experts shares ways you can harness the power of AI to scale your accounting firm.

65 min video

A mock up of the 'Work Outstanding' dashboard in Karbon Practice Intelligence
A mock up of the 'Work Outstanding' dashboard in Karbon Practice Intelligence

End tax season chaos: 3 challenges you can solve with Karbon Practice Intelligence

Reclaim calm and peace-of-mind during tax season with Karbon Practice Intelligence—a robust business analytics tool that answers mission-critical questions.

58 min video

A traffic jam at night. The lanes that are bottlenecked have cars bumper-to-bumper, but the free flowing lanes are lit by headlights captured with a slow shutter.
A traffic jam at night. The lanes that are bottlenecked have cars bumper-to-bumper, but the free flowing lanes are lit by headlights captured with a slow shutter.

10 tips to quickly remove bottlenecks in your tax workflow

Feeling stuck heading into tax season? Discover 10 tips that will help remove bottlenecks in your workflow, save time, and keep your clients satisfied.

62 min video

A sun set horizon. Most of the image is of the sky blending from orange to blue, bottom to top.
A sun set horizon. Most of the image is of the sky blending from orange to blue, bottom to top.

2022 in review: Trends, wins and insights from accounting leaders

Our global panel as recapped on 2022, providing their advice, insights and takeaways to give you an edge leading into 2023.

62 min video

A group of 4 colleagues sitting next to each other around a table, deep in discussion with a laptop in the middle of the table.
A group of 4 colleagues sitting next to each other around a table, deep in discussion with a laptop in the middle of the table.

How talent management sets successful accounting firms apart

Learn how to approach retention and remote work with insights from Karbon's Ian Vacin and AccountingFly's Jeff Phillips.

8 min read

A bird's eye view of a forest full of pine trees.
A bird's eye view of a forest full of pine trees.

Accountants vs. climate change: Make a difference and a profit

Cooper and Hannah from RyeStrategy join Ian to discuss why and how accountants can tackle climate change through carbon neutrality advisory.

61 min video

How to deliver scalable and profitable client engagements

A live Q&A session where Karbon's Co-Founder Ian Vacin and Ignition's Partnerships Manager Jennie Moore discuss top questions practitioners have on client engagement.

60 min video

A dashboard of data, charts and graphs on a laptop.
A dashboard of data, charts and graphs on a laptop.

Mine your accounting firm's data to discover powerful insights

Data is key when scaling your firm. But it can be difficult to find the data you need. Jason Blumer, CPA from Thriveal reveals the data you should monitor, and how to do it.

61 min video

A person holding an iPhone and looking at a computer screen with two graphs.
A person holding an iPhone and looking at a computer screen with two graphs.

Prototyping your accounting firm towards sustainable growth

Discover how to scale your accounting firm sustainably, using the Prototype Components Model for Growth by Thriveal.

60 min video

An image looking from the ground up to sky scrapers against a blue sky.
An image looking from the ground up to sky scrapers against a blue sky.

Benchmark your accounting practice: See how yours compares to 1,000+ global firms

The findings of our in-depth examination reveal the business capabilities of over 1,000 accounting firms around the world. How does your firm compare?

61 min video

Two people at a cafe, bumping elbows and smiling.
Two people at a cafe, bumping elbows and smiling.

Creativity from chaos: How accounting practices excelled in spite of COVID-19

How did the accounting industry respond to COVID-19? As they say, pressure creates diamonds. Karbon Co-Founder and Chief Partnerships Officer explains.

6 min read

How to move clients to the tech stack of your choice

Learn the key strategies that Salma Hatim, CPA uses to successfully move her clients to a preferred tech stack.

62 min video

Financial forecasting: How Enae Jackson-Atkins positioned her advising practice for success

Discover how to bring value to your clients with forecasting and strategic advising. Find your own blueprint to start taking a more proactive approach with your clients’ finances.

65 min video

The difference between firms that focus on their processes vs. those that don’t

Karbon CCO and Co-Founder, Ian Vacin, explains how you can work smarter, not harder by focusing on your processes.

2 min read

The 2021 Retrospective: The best tactics, insights & trends for every accountant

Our global panel recapped on 2021 and provided their advice, insights and takeaways to give you an edge leading into 2022.

64 min video

Karbon usage benchmarks: How does your firm compare?

Discover how firms around the world are using Karbon, and learn how your team compares.

45 min video

Unleash the power of your Karbon data

Learn how you can access powerful reports with Karbon's new custom reporting feature.

38 min video

The Karbon work dashboards that provide visibility, clarity, control

Discover the best practices for building the most useful and impactful Kanban dashboards in Karbon.

31 min video

A definitive guide to making cash flow services real with Karbon, Float and Graeme Tennick

Learn about the specific workflows to deliver meaningful, sustainable, and profitable cash flow management services.

63 min video

Financial forecasting 101: The most valuable advisory service to provide clients

Discover why financial forecasting is a valuable advisory service for your clients and your firm.

63 min video

Reimagine your firm's processes with Karbon's Template Library

Learn how you can use Karbon's Template Library to increase your efficiency by streamlining and standardizing your processes.

31 min video

Combining Liscio and Karbon to deliver flawless client experiences

Liscio Co-Founder, Chris Farrell, and Karbon Co-Founder, Ian Vacin, delve into the new Liscio and Karbon integration.

51 min video

The importance of documenting your firm’s critical processes

Ian Vacin, Karbon Chief Partnerships Officer and Co-Founder, delves into why you need to document and standardize your internal processes if you are serious about scaling your accounting firm.

4 min read

A blueprint to price more profitably and sell with confidence.jpg
A blueprint to price more profitably and sell with confidence.jpg

The mindset required to sell and succeed

Many accountants are uncomfortable selling to their clients. Find out why this mindset is wrong, and how you can make the change to grow your firm.

65 min video

How to create more value by linking compliance and advisory

Rachel Fisch explains why compliance should be linked to your advisory services, and how services like payroll can be the beginning of a long and profitable client relationship.

59 min video

Perfecting your client onboarding process

Discover critical considerations to make your client onboarding process as strong and efficient as possible.

60 min video

Time and budgets in Karbon
Time and budgets in Karbon

Using Karbon with TSheets and QuickBooks Online

Find out how to get the most out of Karbon's integrations with TSheets and QuickBooks Online.

62 min video

Planning for a successful and stress-free tax season

Discover the time-management and capacity planning techniques successful accounting firms use to navigate their busiest periods.

57 min video

Email management habits to guarantee less time in your inbox

Discover tips and proven techniques to manage your email more efficiently and spend less time in your inbox.

57 min video

Designing an efficient, painless and streamlined bookkeeping process

Karbon and Receipt Bank host this masterclass on one of your most critical processes: bookkeeping. Learn the critical steps, best practices, and common solutions being utilized by industry-leading firms.

63 min video

Designing a fully integrated accounting firm tech stack

Learn how to select the right tools for your firm and design your tech stack so that it is completely connected, streamlines data and built for automation.

64 min video

Bring more value to your clients through HR advisory services

Learn why HR Advisory Services is a logical opportunity for your firm to expand into, and steps and resources to get started.

60 min video

Advanced techniques to automate your workflow

Develop a plan for your accounting firm that will automate time-consuming tasks, improve the efficiency and outcomes of your most critical processes, and deliver a higher quality service to your clients.

64 min video

How to stop chasing clients

Discover client collaboration best practices that will improve your service delivery and boost efficiency.

60 min video

Mastering your firm’s process management

Discover everything you need to know about building, personalizing and implementing processes for your firm’s most common services.

63 min video

Transitioning your clients to connected, collaborative banking

Learn how to leverage collaborative banking with your clients to streamline workflows and improve their financial visibility.

49 min video

Effectively managing your firm’s internal operations

Learn techniques for managing your firm, sharing what everyone is working on, and setting a process for constant improvement across your team.

54 min video

The essential metrics to measure your firm’s health

Learn the critical metrics and KPIs you should track to truly understand your firm’s performance and future growth.

64 min video

The secrets of efficient and effective team collaboration

Learn communication habits that will unite your team, remove blind spots, and enable efficient collaboration

58 min video

Supporting your clients through COVID-19

Learn how Gusto, Jirav, Ignition and Karbon are working together to power you and your firm through this time of need.

64 min video

ExplainerHow to automate the Payroll Protection Program template

To help you implement your COVID-19 Rapid Response Toolkit, learn how to automate the Payroll Protection Program template.

5 min video

ExplainerHow to automate the Economic Injury Disaster Loan template

To help you implement your COVID-19 Rapid Response Toolkit, learn how to automate the Economic Injury Disaster Loan template.

4 min video

ExplainerHow to automate the Initial Consult & Discovery template

To help you implement your COVID-19 Rapid Response Toolkit, learn how to automate the Initial Consult & Discovery template

3 min video

ExplainerHow to automate the Cash Flow Advisory template

To help you implement your COVID-19 Rapid Response Toolkit, learn how to automate the Cash Flow Advisory template

5 min video

ExplainerHow to configure work statuses and work types

To help you implement your COVID-19 Rapid Response Toolkit, learn how to link your Work Statuses to your Work Types.

2 min video

Utilizing templates from the COVID-19 Rapid Response Kit in Karbon

Discover how to use the COVID-19 Rapid Response Kit templates in Karbon and tips to fine-tune them for maximum efficiency.

36 min video

Building and personalizing standard operating procedures in Karbon

Learn best practices for building, personalizing and implementing Karbon's best practice templates in your accounting firm.

55 min video

Mastering the first 30 days of client advisory

Experts from LivePlan, Ignition, Intuit and Karbon join forces to outline what steps will ensure the first 30 days in your advisory process are streamlined, efficient and painless.

63 min video

 Karbon best practices2
 Karbon best practices2

Best practices for managing your team

Discover how Karbon gives you complete visibility and control over what your team is working on and their progress.

30 min video

 Karbon best practices2
 Karbon best practices2

Capacity planning in Karbon

Learn new ways Karbon can help you to plan more confidently, make accurate predictions, and data-backed decisions.

33 min video

10 essential breakout sessions at #QBConnect 2018
10 essential breakout sessions at #QBConnect 2018

10 essential breakout sessions at #QBConnect 2018

Ian Vacin's selections for the 10 must-see sessions for accountants at QuickBooks Connect 2018 in San Jose.

4 min read

3 metrics to measure performance and predict growth
3 metrics to measure performance and predict growth

The metrics that matter for performance and growth

Discover the essential KPIs to pay attention towards to measure your firm's performance and predict future growth.

58 min video

Benchmarking your firm against the wider industry
Benchmarking your firm against the wider industry

Practice ExcellenceBenchmarking your accounting firm against the wider industry

A simple way to assess your firm's strengths, weaknesses, and overall practice excellence—and compare your performance against others.

2 min read

7 essential sessions for accountants at QBConnect Toronto
7 essential sessions for accountants at QBConnect Toronto

7 essential sessions for accountants at #QBConnect Toronto

QuickBooks Connect comes to Canada in early December for three days of learning and networking. These are your must-attend sessions.

3 min read

My three big takeaways from QuickBooks Connect 2017
My three big takeaways from QuickBooks Connect 2017

My three big takeaways from QuickBooks Connect 2017

Ian Vacin shares his three big takeaways and learnings from three days of QuickBooks Connect 2017.

2 min read

10 must attend breakout sessions at QuickBooks Connect 2017
10 must attend breakout sessions at QuickBooks Connect 2017

10 must-attend breakout sessions at #QBConnect 2017

The top 10 breakout sessions at #QBConnect 2017 that will leave you with clear takeaways to grow your practice and drive your success.

3 min read

The education gap in the accounting industry
The education gap in the accounting industry

The education gap in the accounting industry

Ian Vacin explores the critical missing component of the industry that is resulting in so many accountants being left behind.

3 min read

The 10 breakout sessions you can't miss at #QBConnect
The 10 breakout sessions you can't miss at #QBConnect

The 10 breakout sessions you can't miss at #QBConnect

Besides the normal big names everyone will be checking out, there are some amazing breakout sessions at QuickBooks Connect that will help you grow your practice and become a #QBFirmoftheFuture

1 min read