For all of you late adopters out there — and I’m talking to you, CPAs — the cloud is a pretty big deal. That means you should start paying attention now.

Actually, that means you should have started paying attention months ago, but who am I kidding? We’re still trying to convince most CPAs that social media is important. The cloud could take years.

So let’s get started, shall we?

I was lucky enough to be invited to an IC Opportunities meeting in Chicago earlier this year, and among the really smart people in the crowd were a bunch of cloud vendors who serve the CPA community. Here’s why they think CPAs should care about the cloud:

• “(It provides) the ability to work on your schedule and have total control of your life.” — Kasey Bayne, director of business development, Kashoo
   
• “It frees up time on the accounting side (so you can devote) that time to add value (and) become a trusted advisor for your clients.” — Mark Pinard, product manager, Xero
   
• “It’s a safer and more secure way of storing information for CPAs and their clients. It’s efficient and saves time and money. And it changes the game for how accountants interact with their clients through collaboration and transparency.” — Kathleen Long, vice president of customers, Bill.com
   
• “I see a lot of opportunities for the multi-office firm and for firms that have employees and clients in different locations. It becomes a no-brainer from a process perspective.” — Dustin Hostetler, principal, Flowtivity LLC
   
• “Time, efficiency, real-time interaction, improved client-customer service — (those are) all things that can help a small accounting firm that is resource-challenged. As more products and opportunities move (to the cloud), why not? Growing the business and remaining viable and competitive is the number one priority of these firms, and the cloud enables that.” — Kerri Gibson, director of product management, CCH Small Firm Services
   
• “It helps them better serve their clients. When you talk about what drives change in any organization, it needs to start with the customer and what they need from you. … The cloud is a tool that enables collaboration so that CPAs can be the trusted advisors they really want to be.” — Jennifer Warawa, vice president, partner programs and channel sales, Sage

Listen to their interviews in their entirety: 

Now tell us: What does the cloud mean for you and your clients?