QuickBooks Connect 2017 took place over three action-filled days in San Jose. Throughout the keynote presentations, interviews, breakout sessions and discussions, I identified three big takeaways that kept coming up over and over again.

We are a community

No matter where you were in the venue—in sessions, in the halls, in the exhibit halls, or eating lunch—there was a vibe that I could not shake: we’re all in this together.

Every accountant or bookkeeper attending QuickBooks Connect all face similar challenges, and this proved to be a great forum for everyone to come together, share their knowledge, and discuss how we can make things better together. There was also a huge international contingent, so the melting pot of ideas was truly unique and inspirational.

Small business is massive around the world, and I am a firm believer that by helping clients to grow their businesses, accountants have tremendous potential to make the world better.

The cloud is here

In many previous industry events that I have attended, there has been a sense of trepidation toward the cloud amongst attendees. But this year there was genuine excitement about what our profession has at its feet. I noticed a consistent attitude that questioned, "now we are here, how do we make the most of it?" The cloud has well and truly arrived.

Brad Smith’s entire presentation explored change, and he used an analogy of flipping a coin between challenge and opportunity. This set the tone for the entire three days, where every second discussion challenged the audience to think about what their firm will do to harness the cloud.

There is now an obvious momentum—the cloud is here to stay, and the North American accounting community is embracing it. There is excitement about what the future holds and what accountants are capable of.

Be a leader

Many sessions spoke about the importance of understanding, acknowledging and embracing the fact that you are a leader. Not only a leader to your team, but also to your clients.