Category Archives: BMS Products

New Year Dictionary of Governmental Budget and Accounting Terms

By Black Mountain Software | Published January 11, 2019

Has your EOY caused your prior-year encumbrances and expenditures to deplete your reserves, or were you in the black because those expenditures were WRTFY?

If all this budget and accounting talk has your head spinning, we’re going to lighten it up with some Happy New Year Vocabulary, courtesy of the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations.

So if you don’t know your program budget from your appropriations, give them a quick once-over with a New Year Review of Governmental Budget and Accounting Terms.

NEW YEAR DICTIONARY OF ACCOUNTING & BUDGET TERMS

H – Hourly (or Non-Exempt)
An employee who fills a temporary or short-term position. Read more >

Posted in Accounting Basics, Back to School Tips, Best Practices, BMS Events, BMS Partners, BMS Products, BMS Staff, BMS Tech Tips, City Clerk Cafe, Clerks in the News, Cloud Computing, Customer Spotlight, Dashboard News, Government Accounting Standards, Latest News, Office Efficiency, School Software, Small Cities, Technology, Uncategorized, Utility Billing | Leave a comment

Goal Setting by Month for a Better and Balanced Work Year

By Black Mountain Software | Published January 7, 2019

How was 2018 for you? Did you accomplish all you wanted to accomplish? Did you do everything you hoped you would do? Were you able to strike a balance between work and relaxation?

How the previous year went plays a large role in determining how we execute our goals and resolutions for the year to come. If portions of your work life left you feeling the need for a little more organization and fun in 2019, here are a few monthly suggestions to spark some enthusiasm in your goal planning for the New Year.

Month-By-Month Goal Setting for a Better and Balanced Work Year

January
Set work and personal goals for the New Year.  Read more >

Posted in Accounting Basics, Back to School Tips, Best Practices, BMS Events, BMS Partners, BMS Products, BMS Staff, BMS Tech Tips, Clerks in the News, Cloud Computing, Customer Spotlight, Office Efficiency, School Software, Small Cities, Technology, Uncategorized, Utility Billing | Leave a comment

Goal Setting by Month for a Better and Balanced Work Year

By Black Mountain Software | Published January 7, 2019

How was 2018 for you? Did you accomplish all you wanted to accomplish? Did you do everything you hoped you would do? Were you able to strike a balance between work and relaxation?

How the previous year went plays a large role in determining how we execute our goals and resolutions for the year to come. If portions of your work life left you feeling the need for a little more organization and fun in 2019, here are a few monthly suggestions to spark some enthusiasm in your goal planning for the New Year.

Month-By-Month Goal Setting for a Better and Balanced Work Year

January
Set work and personal goals for the New Year.  Read more >

Posted in Accounting Basics, Back to School Tips, Best Practices, BMS Events, BMS Partners, BMS Products, BMS Staff, BMS Tech Tips, City Clerk Cafe, Clerks in the News, Cloud Computing, Customer Spotlight, Latest News, Office Efficiency, School Software, Small Cities, Technology, Uncategorized, Utility Billing | Leave a comment

Helping You Adapt to Change

By Black Mountain Software | Published December 20, 2018

“The only thing that’s constant is change.”

Regulations change, reporting requirements change, and technology changes, too. Within the past few years, we’ve seen a number of reporting requirements change–from the Montana Public Retirement System to Federal Affordable Care Act reporting. These changes are frustrating for clients. It means new reports, more data entry and a system to check for errors. But we are determined to ease that pain, to the best of our ability, by creating add-ons to our software and updating our systems whenever there are new mandated compliance requirements for our clients.

How BMS Software Eases the Pain of Changing Compliance Requirements

  • US-based support.
    • Read more >
    Posted in Accounting Basics, Best Practices, BMS Products, BMS Staff, BMS Tech Tips, Government Accounting Standards, School Software, Small Cities, Technology, Uncategorized, Utility Billing | Leave a comment

    Helping You Adapt to Change

    By Black Mountain Software | Published December 20, 2018

    “The only thing that’s constant is change.”

    Regulations change, reporting requirements change, and technology changes, too. Within the past few years, we’ve seen a number of reporting requirements change–from the Montana Public Retirement System to Federal Affordable Care Act reporting. These changes are frustrating for clients. It means new reports, more data entry and a system to check for errors. But we are determined to ease that pain, to the best of our ability, by creating add-ons to our software and updating our systems whenever there are new mandated compliance requirements for our clients.

    How BMS Software Eases the Pain of Changing Compliance Requirements

  • US-based support.
    • Read more >
    Posted in Accounting Basics, Best Practices, BMS Products, BMS Staff, BMS Tech Tips, City Clerk Cafe, Government Accounting Standards, Latest News, School Software, Small Cities, Technology, Uncategorized, Utility Billing | Leave a comment

    Why We Are Grateful, In Eight Words for Thanksgiving

    By Black Mountain Software | Published November 19, 2018

    “We often take for granted the very things that most deserve gratitude.”

    It’s easy to get bogged down in all that life throws at us. But fortunately, it’s even easier to be grateful. At Black Mountain Software, we are here because someone had an idea, and someone else thought it was good enough to buy. Twenty-six years later, we have a strong business with a great clientele in one of the most beautiful places in the world. And for that, today we must say, we are so grateful! Grateful for this opportunity, this industry, this location, and our customers, of course. Read more >

    Posted in Best Practices, BMS Events, BMS Partners, BMS Products, BMS Staff, BMS Tech Tips, Government Accounting Standards, School Software, Small Cities, Technology, Uncategorized, Utility Billing | Leave a comment

    USDA Allocates $4B for Grants and Low-Cost Loans

    By Black Mountain Software | Published August 27, 2018

    Given that we specialize in Utility Billing software and many of our clients live in small, rural areas, we are excited to report that the United States Department of Agriculture has set aside four billion dollars for grants and low-cost loans to improve rural water infrastructure.

    The program aims to provide funding for drinking water systems, sewage/solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage for qualified households and businesses in eligible areas, which include most state and local government entities in towns with populations of ten thousand or less, private nonprofits, and federally-recognized Tribal organizations in rural areas.

    Applications can be filled out online via the RD Apply tool or through a local USDA Rural Development state field office. Read more >

    Posted in Accounting Basics, Best Practices, BMS Events, BMS Partners, BMS Products, BMS Tech Tips, City Clerk Cafe, Government Accounting Standards, Latest News, Office Efficiency, Small Cities, Technology, Uncategorized, Utility Billing | Leave a comment

    USDA Allocates $4B for Grants and Low-Cost Loans

    By Black Mountain Software | Published August 27, 2018

    Given that we specialize in Utility Billing software and many of our clients live in small, rural areas, we are excited to report that the United States Department of Agriculture has set aside four billion dollars for grants and low-cost loans to improve rural water infrastructure.

    The program aims to provide funding for drinking water systems, sewage/solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage for qualified households and businesses in eligible areas, which include most state and local government entities in towns with populations of ten thousand or less, private nonprofits, and federally-recognized Tribal organizations in rural areas.

    Applications can be filled out online via the RD Apply tool or through a local USDA Rural Development state field office. Read more >

    Posted in Accounting Basics, Best Practices, BMS Events, BMS Partners, BMS Products, BMS Tech Tips, Government Accounting Standards, Latest News, Office Efficiency, Small Cities, Uncategorized, Utility Billing | Leave a comment

    Small Town Story: West Fargo, ND

    By Black Mountain Software | Published August 22, 2018

    Black Mountain Software is proud to have been working with the city of West Fargo since October of 2003, and we are all amazed that in the last fifteen years it has become one of the fastest growing and vibrant areas in all of North Dakota. While it’s easy to write off the state as nothing but icy winters, farmland, and the occasional woodchipper, West Fargo (and the greater Fargo-Moorehead metropolitan area for that matter) prove that North Dakota is not only a great place to visit, but also call home.

    While just about every town has a historical district, West Fargo’s Bonanzaville hosts a pioneer village and Cass County Museum on twelve sprawling acres with dozens of historic buildings and thousands of artifacts that capture the spirit and charm of Red River Valley and Cass County at large. Read more >

    Posted in Accounting Basics, Best Practices, BMS Events, BMS Partners, BMS Products, BMS Staff, City Clerk Cafe, Cloud Computing, Customer Spotlight, Government Accounting Standards, Office Efficiency, Small Cities, Uncategorized, Utility Billing | Leave a comment

    Small Town Story: West Fargo, ND

    By Black Mountain Software | Published August 22, 2018

    Black Mountain Software is proud to have been working with the city of West Fargo since October of 2003, and we are all amazed that in the last fifteen years it has become one of the fastest growing and vibrant areas in all of North Dakota. While it’s easy to write off the state as nothing but icy winters, farmland, and the occasional woodchipper, West Fargo (and the greater Fargo-Moorehead metropolitan area for that matter) prove that North Dakota is not only a great place to visit, but also call home.

    While just about every town has a historical district, West Fargo’s Bonanzaville hosts a pioneer village and Cass County Museum on twelve sprawling acres with dozens of historic buildings and thousands of artifacts that capture the spirit and charm of Red River Valley and Cass County at large. Read more >

    Posted in Accounting Basics, Best Practices, BMS Events, BMS Partners, BMS Products, BMS Staff, Cloud Computing, Customer Spotlight, Government Accounting Standards, Office Efficiency, Small Cities, Uncategorized, Utility Billing | Leave a comment

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