It’s coming!  We are preparing our first Release of software.  September has been a busy month for 2Shakes building features and functionality.  October is all about getting 2Shakes ready to launch to our early adopters.  It’s so close now – and very exciting….

What does Release 1 will do?

We are moving 2Shakes onto Microsofts Platform as a Service (PaaS) in the cloud.  Microsoft support the infrastructure so 2Shakes works in a highly secure and robust environment.

Sign Up clients

The 2Shakes sign up form makes it easy to get all the information from clients at sign up.  You are in control and can amend the details of each sign up to reflect what you agree to do for each client.  You can quickly, accurately and professionally sign up your clients.

Promote your brand

Customise 2Shakes by loading your Logo, Contact details, Services, Fees, Ts&Cs, Email footer, Social media and Staff.  Or use our default options to get straight to work.

Use Verified Company data

2Shakes pulls down company and director details from Companies Office. This replaces the bulk of data entry by loading validated company & director details in a few key strokes.  Release 1 does this for companies, and thanks to the NZBN future releases will pull down data for other entities like charities, trusts and partnerships too. In the meantime you can still sign up these other entities, typing information in once that gets used over and over to save you from form-filling drudgery.

Electronic Signatures

2Shakes complies with the Electronic Transactions Act so you can capture clients signatures in a number of useful ways:

• Signing face to face: Clients who are visiting you in person can sign electronically.  2Shakes sends a 6 digit confirmation code to their mobile.
• Signing Remotely: Clients who are not in the office with you can still sign electronically.  2Shakes emails them a link so that they can sign up from where ever they are.
• Multiple Signing Parties: It lets multiple people sign.  Because we pull down directors it’s quick to select one or many to sign.  Of course you also have the ability to add in non-directors (like the Finance Manager) as well. You can even have some people sign in person, and others sign remotely.

Automate your paperwork

Once clients have signed up we fill in and send out the the paperwork for you:

• Authority requests: 2Shakes completes and submits IR, ACC and Companies Office authority requests for you, electronically signed, saving you and your clients time and hassle.
• Sends copies of paperwork: A copy of the signed agreement is automatically emailed to each of the clients who signed the agreement, and to you.
• Dashboard: Our agreements dashboard means that you can see the status of each client agreement, so you can see if any action is required.

One click to create new clients in your CRM

At a click of a button your new client is uploaded into Xero Practice Manager or Workflow Max. 2Shakes will:

• create the client
• create the directors
• save the agreement paperwok with your new client as a document

If you don’t use Xero Practice Manager or Workflow Max you can download the new client details into a CSV file and view it in MS Excel, and upload to your own customer software.

But wait there is more…

Sorry – no steak knives available here! But – Release 1 is just our first release.  We aim to continue adding functionality to release 2 (due out in early next year).  As always, we are very keen to hear your opinions on the features you will find the most useful.   We will be exploring:

• Signing up multiple entities: For example if a client has a trust, a company and also wants you to do their personal tax returns how could we capture that in one sign up process.
• Sign up existing clients: Want to get your paperwork sorted from clients you already represent.  2Shakes wants to help you get your agreements ship shape and up to date!  When your clients want you to add more services, we can also help you get set up with additional authorities for other organisations.
• BlockChain: We already provide you with a secure, tamper-proof record of your client agreements. In Release 2 we can put that certainty on the BlockChain, making it even more robust, and giving you further peace of mind.
• AML CFT compliance:  Ensuring you can comply with the Anti Money Laundering – Counter Funding of Terrorism Act by electronically verifying the identify of clients you sign up using 2Shakes.
• Banks and Insurance Authorities: 2Shakes will expand to setting up authorities for non-government sector as well.  The trickiest authority process is with the Banks.
• Automating Authority set up: 2Shakes currently sends electronic authority forms to set up phone access for your clients at IR. In future as transformation there (and elsewhere) rolls out new interface options, we will continue to extend the authorities we set up for you, such as for their online services. That way everyone benefits from government service improvements.

Getting Ready – What you can do now…

If you are an Early Adopter, to make the most of 2Shakes we recommend that you do the following:

Set up a Companies Office Organisational Account

2Shakes will make it much easier for you to be set up with authority for your clients with Companies office. When you sign up clients, they can select the option for you to be given authority to act for them with companies office with a click of a button.

If you represent clients with Companies office you should be using a Companies Office Organisational account. For details on getting set up with this account please click here.

Schedule a 2Shakes Demo

We will be offering our Early Adopters a demonstration of how to get set up.  Contact Mike@2Shakes.co.nz  to organise a 10 minute session to get set up and ready to go.

Visitors and Presentations

As well as getting ready for our first release, it has been a very busy month for 2Shakes in other areas.

2Shakes presents

This month we have been busy spreading the word….

Software Demonstrations

Every fortnight we have been demonstrating our latest software features. The NZBAI exec, bookkeepers, and representatives from public and private sectors come to review our progress and give us their feedback. Thanks for all your help!

Westpac Innovation Fund

Mike and Ata pitched 2Shakes to the CEO of Westpac NZ, Westpac Australia CEO as well as MBIE’s CEO.  2Shakes are keen to make it easy, safe and secure for bookkeepers and accountants to get set up with authority at their client’s banks.

BNI

2Shakes was invited to talk to business networking group BNI in Wellington.  It was great to see such a variety of small and medium businesses supporting each other through their networks.

Ideas Forum 7 x 7

2Shakes was invited to talk at the last 7 x 7 Ideas Forum. Interested? Just click on the link below to see a 7 minute video of the presentation.

 

2Shakes listens

Being based at Creative HQ helps keep us engaged with diverse visitors and speakers.  We have had inspiring talks from and conversations with:

Matt Hunckler

Matt is the CEO of VergeHQ from the US. Matt explained the secrets to pitching  your ideas.

Minister Jo Goodhew

Minister Goodhew talked about the fantastic customer focused innovation work being done at MSD.

Wellingtons Mayoral Candidates

In the run up to Council elections the Mayoral Candidates talked about how they could support innovation in Wellington.

Eric Hysen of the US Digital Service

Here to talk at the Open Source Open Community Conference.  Eric explained how his team are using ideas from Lean Start up and Google to make positive innovative changes from within the US government.

Monthly Updates

We will be sending out monthly updates going forward, so you will receive our next update at the end of October. For more regular updates on what we are up to you can follow us on Twitter @2ShakesNZ.

Thanks again for all your support, and please get in touch if you have any questions or feedback.

2Shakes
Creative HQ
Level 1, 7 Dixon Street
Wellington
ata@2Shakes.co.nz
021 142 9888