Defined by wordspy.com as “…entrepreneur(s) who create and manage a home-based business,” homepreneurs are faring much better in this recession than experts originally anticipated.  BusinessWeek.com claims that “More than half of all US businesses are based at home.  These companies often are dismissed as quaint hobbyist ventures, but new research suggests that’s a mistake…, and by many measures they’re just as competitive as their counterparts in commercial spaces.”

This is significant considering that everything a contract accountant does can easily be accomplished from a home office.  In fact, of all the home-business options, a bookkeeping and accounting practice is considered by some to be one of the best. In fact, Paul and Sarah Edwards, authors of The Best Home Businesses for the 21st Century, rate a bookkeeping service as the “Best of the Best” home-based businesses.  In addition, the US Department of Labor has long toted accounting as a lucrative career choice, predicting that the, “Employment of accountants and auditors is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014.”

The Life of an Accountapreneur

Working from home as a contract accountant has never been more appealing, especially when you can earn, on average, $300 per client per month.  Once you secure just 20 clients, you can be making $6000 per month; that’s $72,000 a year!  The life of an Accountapreneur may be just what you’re aspiring for.

But that’s not the only perk in working from home.  Many contract accountants enjoy the following:

• The opportunity to offer a service in high demand
• A flexible work schedule
• An enhanced standard of living
• A satisfying occupation
• The ability to call the shots
• A low-expense business

If you’re not already in business for yourself, now is the time to launch your practice.

Launching Your Practice during a Recession

The truth is starting a business is tough regardless of what the economy is doing.  However small businesses are more agile than big corporations and can quickly change direction or implement new strategies that will enable them to better navigate through a recession.  They can also take advantage of a hiring pool saturated with talented applicants, tax benefits and inexpensive supplies.  Not to mention, every business is required by law to perform certain accounting functions.  Your startup would offer valuable services in high demand!  What’s holding you back?

Master Small-Business Accounting

Your natural ability to manage and manipulate numbers creates the perfect environment in which you can master small-business accounting.  From payroll to job costing and accounts payable to invoicing, the Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program will train you in the day-to-day accounting tasks required by small businesses.  In less than 60 hours you can acquire the confidence and expertise necessary to start your own bookkeeping practice.   You can also earn professional certification that will secure your clients’ loyalty and trust.

The PB Program consists of four modules that will teach you everything you need to know to setup and manage a company’s accounts.  Not only that, but you’ll also learn how to establish your practice and market your newly-acquired services to qualified prospective clients.  Here’s a brief description of what is covered in the Professional Bookkeeper program:

Accounting Made Easy

This module will enable you to master the tools, procedures, and underlying principles that make up the bookkeeping processes of all businesses. Once completed, you will understand the core building blocks of Accounting and Bookkeeping.

Practical Small Business Applications

In module two you will apply your understanding of the core accounting principles to specific industries. You will learn to set up books from scratch, do payroll like a seasoned pro, and much more.

Advancing Your “Account-Ability”

This module exposes you to sure ways to set up complete bookkeeping systems and manage the books for a variety of more sophisticated industries.

Building a Success Accounting Service

In this module you will learn the steps to finding paying clients. You will be fully equipped to start and grow a successful accounting practice.

Successful business owners know that in order to grow a business, they must enhance their offerings to include complementary services.  This increases their clientele and their bottom lines.  And QuickBooks services will piggy-back nicely on your accounting skills.

Get QuickBooks Training

Over 85% of small business owners use QuickBooks software to manage their accounting needs.  This means that countless local businesses will, at some point, need QuickBooks setup, consultation and help services.

The Professional Bookkeeper’s Guide (PBG) to QuickBooks will train you in all the features and shortcuts this software offers.  And like the PB Program, you will also have the opportunity to earn a professional designation evidencing your QuickBooks mastery.  Here’s a quick synopsis of what’s covered in the PBG:

Module 1

In the first module, you will learn how QuickBooks fits in your world.  We’ll introduce you to QuickBooks including how to get around in the program, some accounting fundamentals and how these fundamentals are implemented in QuickBooks.

Module 2

In this module, we cover everything that has to do with the customers and sales—the reason you’re in business.  You’ll learn the answers to several questions including, Who do you add to the Customer List?  What functionality is in the Customer Center?  How do you get more detail on various jobs?   When and how can Classes help me?  And much, much more.

Module 3

You will learn about another crucial element of running a business—vendors and paying bills.  In accounting for business transactions, you have to keep track of what you owe with just as much detail as you keep track of what you are owed; this module will help you do that.

Module 4

In the final module, Mastering Advanced QuickBooks Topics, we begin by training you on payroll, including payroll subscriptions, payroll preferences, and payroll setup interview.  You’ll learn how to set up employees in the Employee Center and enter their time for billing customers or entering paychecks.  Then of course, you’ll see how to pay employees and the various payroll taxes each of which is calculated and tracked by QuickBooks.

With Universal Accounting’s training package, you can master both small-business accounting and QuickBooks within a matter of weeks.  This means you could launch your home-based business by the summer, enjoying great success and profitability by year’s end.  Don’t let personal doubt or recession prevent you from achieving your dreams.  Enroll in these two valuable programs today!

Resources

Tozzi, John.  “The Rise of the ‘Homepreneur’.” 23 October 2009  BusinessWeek.com

It seems we’ve unintentionally caused a stir.  In an offer sent out recently, we suggested that you don’t need to spend four years in a university setting to enjoy a lucrative career as a small-business accountant.  While we stand by that claim, this post is intended to clarify a few things we said.

First of all, if you dedicated time and energy to receiving a university degree, you should be proud of that accomplishment.  It represents personal achievement and priceless experience.  And if your intention was to establish a career as a corporate accountant, even better; your accounting degree will definitely work to that end.

Unfortunately, less than 10% of accounting opportunities reside in the corporate sector.  You’ll find more prospects in small business which employ nearly half of the workforce and comprise approximately 99% of total US businesses.  Our purpose in that email was to say that depending on your intended career path, Universal Accounting is not only a sound alternative to a university degree, but it’s a more practical choice for those who want to focus on small-business accounting.

We maintain that those who are interested in working as small-business accountants, either for themselves or an employer, will find Universal’s Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program well worth the time and effort.  Not only is it reputable, but it’s also self-paced, enabling busy professionals like you to complete the program in less than 60 hours.

This is all about redirecting your efforts to align with your desired professional path.  If you went to school for 9 years to become a doctor, and then later decided you wanted to work as an architect instead, your medical degree would not help you accomplish that; you would need to retrain. That doesn’t mean the previous schooling would not prove beneficial in some ways, but it wouldn’t be sufficient. The same applies to those who were trained in corporate accounting.  If they decide to focus on small-business accounting instead, they need to retrain.  UA’s PB program is the perfect vehicle to help those individuals launch themselves forward on this new career path.

For 30 years, Universal Accounting Center has been training professionals in small-business accounting.  We recognize that this is a valuable niche market where specialized instruction is crucial to your success.  In addition to being able to complete the program in a matter of months, but you will have access to the following:

• Rich and engaging training DVDs you can view again and again
• Hands-on instruction through which you gain much-needed experience
• Training in building and marketing your new practice
• 6 months of valuable follow-up support
• The opportunity to earn professional certification
• Our iron-clad risk-free guarantee

We hope this clears things up a bit.  As always, we appreciate the feedback and hope you will not only rate this post, but also leave any comments you may have on the subject of retraining.  For more information on the Professional Bookkeeper Program, visit Universal Accounting Center today.

Our telemarketers talk with many of your peers, some of whom have been laid off and are looking for work.  As we encourage them to see this time as an opportunity to launch their own accounting practices, they are hesitant, and some flat-out refuse, explaining that they want to find a job before they enroll in our training.

When we call them back in a few months, we find that they’ve run out of savings or unemployment and can no longer afford to enroll; they also haven’t found a job. It’s at this regrettable point that both the potential student and our salesperson realize that had that person acted 3 months earlier, he or she would be in a much better situation now.

Employment Uncertainty: The Perfect Opportunity

The recession has changed the workforce, driving many into self-employment out of necessity rather than choice.  If you’ve ever wanted to start your own practice, it’s important that you do so on your own terms, as the result of strategic planning and foresight.  Waiting for a pink slip to “inspire” your entrepreneurial spirit will launch your startup prematurely and on shaky ground.

If you currently have a full-time job, you can take steps now to plan for self-employment while enjoying the security of a regular paycheck.  If you’ve recently lost your job, don’t lose hope; you can still use this time to increase your skill-set and build a practice as your re-build your career.

Make Small-Business Accounting Your Business

Small business accounting is a valuable niche market.  In fact, over 90% of accounting opportunities can be found in the small business arena.  Universal Accounting Center (UAC) has been training professionals like you in small business accounting for 30 years because they recognize what many do not; most universities and trade programs are teaching students corporate accounting which isn’t preparing them for the typical, real-world accounting experiences they will encounter.

The Professional Bookkeeper Program

Becoming a small-business accountant doesn’t require years of your valuable time.  UAC’s Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program is not only reputable, but it’s self-paced, enabling a busy professional like you to take your time or complete the program quickly, in less than 60 hours.

And when you take this program you are trained to act as your clients’ Profit Expert.  What is a Profit Expert?  A proactive accountant who realizes that the information he/she generates provides crucial data that can make or break a business.  It’s the accountant’s job to share this data with business owners, explaining it in such a way that they both understand what the information indicates and can use it to make informed business decisions.  The PB Program will train you how to do that.

You will gain the confidence and skill necessary to start and manage nearly every client’s books, and when you have a question, our follow-up program enables you to call and ask one of our seasoned professionals.

This valuable course provides you with access to the following:

• Flexible training you complete on your own time and at your own pace
• Rich and engaging training DVDs you can view again and again
• Hands-on instruction through which you gain much-needed experience
• Training in building and marketing your new practice
• 6 months of valuable follow-up support
• The opportunity to earn professional certification
• Our iron-clad risk-free guarantee

Success Stories

Countless students have benefitted from this training as evidence by the hundreds of testimonials we have received.  Here are just a few:

As an average for each client I am making about $30 – $50 an hour, I’ve been able to quit my full-time job. Thanks again to everyone at Universal Accounting Center! It has created for me a brighter outlook financially, as well as more free time in my personal life. And, I didn’t have to go to college for years and pay thousands of dollars for an education.-S. Thomas

This is the best investment for the money and for my future.-B. Davies

You gave a stay-at-home-mom the knowledge and understanding of accounting needed to go out and get work that can be done from home. -I. Snow

You’ll be glad to know that in the time since I completed the course, I have gone from 1 client, a friend of mine, to 27 clients in a matter of just 8 months. I’m finally realizing the potential that I always knew I had. -V. A. VonTonder

In this down economy, don’t wait until you’ve been unemployed for 3 months before doing what you’ve wanted to do all along: act now and enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper Program.  It’s could be the one Christmas present that you’ll use far into the future.

550,000 New Opportunities for Bookkeepers Every Month

550,000 new businesses… Wow! A study, sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, showed that the number of small businesses in the U.S. grew by 550,000 per month from 1996 to 2004, despite swings in the economy.*

If you’ve ever thought of making a change in your life… now is a great time.

I know there are many opportunities out there, but there are lots of advantages to a owning your own professional bookkeeping business and I’d like to spend a few moments with you to discuss them. If a recession-proof business and the opportunity to make $30 to $60 an hour appeals to you, read on.

Small Businesses Are Required by Law to Do Accounting

This is a great opportunity for you. In fact, the US Department of Labor predicts that as the economy grows, the number of business will increase, requiring more accountants/bookkeepers to prepare taxes, set up books, and provide management advice. As these businesses grow, the volume and complexity of information developed by these professionals regarding costs, expenditures, and taxes will increase as well.

They go on to say that the increased need for qualified bookkeepers and accountants will rise from changes in legislation related to taxes, financial reporting standards, business investments, mergers, and other financial matters.

Many entrepreneurs who start a new business don’t understand the ins-and-outs of the accounting process and need the skills of a qualified bookkeeping and accounting professional. Allen Bostrom, President of Universal Accounting and author of, In the Black: Nine Principles to Make You Business Profitable, suggests that you should have one accounting professional for every 10 employees.

He also suggests that if you have less than 10 employees, you should contract with a freelance bookkeeper to prepare your bookkeeping records each month. The need for skilled and qualified bookkeepers who provide valuable advice and direction for small business owners has never been greater. Mr. Bostrom calls these professionals, “Profit Experts.”

Wanted! Profit Experts!

There are several advantages to owning your own small business bookkeeping business and not the least of these is the ability to earn an incredible income! Let’s take a look at some of the reasons that you should consider this lucrative business.

• You will earn a better income. If you’re like most people, you’ve spent a good deal of your life working for someone else and putting money into their pocket. Wouldn’t it be nice to earn the same type of income your boss does? Would you like to do better than that? With a career in professional bookkeeping, you can. With the right training, you’ll be able to bill $30 to $60 per hour or more for your services.

• You will be your own boss. Working for yourself can be one of the most rewarding things you can do. You’re in a position to provide for yourself and your family the type of lifestyle you deserve.

• You will create a stable income. You might be thinking, “Owning my own business can provide a stable income?” “I thought it was just the opposite.”

Let me assure you…it sure can. If you plan and use a proven strategy for success, you will be able to create a very stable income and a very comfortable lifestyle.

In years past, you could work in a big corporation and find all the security of lifelong employment, but those days are over. Because of corporate restructuring, layoffs, downsizing, and countless other reasons, many people have found that the career choice they thought would lead them to a secure future didn’t.

But don’t despair; you can experience that security by being in business for yourself. You just need to make the right choices.

• You can enjoy increased tax benefits. When you own your own business there are a few perks that the average employee doesn’t get to enjoy. There are many things that you can either partially or completely write off as tax deductions. Your car, your home office, your computer and your office supplies to name just a few.

I Don’t Have Any Experience in Bookkeeping … Can I Really Start a Bookkeeping Business?

Absolutely. There is no question in my mind. Thousands of people just like you are finding the interesting and rewarding business of small business bookkeeping is the perfect business for them.

Many of these folks are people just like you and me, people without a background in bookkeeping, but with the right education, they are finding their professional bookkeeping business to be one of the most rewarding things they have ever done.

“That’s all fine and good, but how can I know for sure?”

The first step is to evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses. If you follow the link below, I’ve included a short questionnaire that might help you determine for yourself if a professional bookkeeping business is right for you.

I’d Like to See if a Professional Bookkeeping Business is Right for Me

If you’d like to learn more about starting a professional bookkeeping service, just click on the link below and you’ll find all the information you’ll need to create a profitable and beneficial bookkeeping business.

Okay… Show Me How to Start a Professional Bookkeeping Business

*The study, conducted by Robert W. Fairlie of the University of California, Santa Cruz, who drew on Census data and Bureau of Labor Statistics for the study, indicates that entrepreneurship in the U.S. has remained relatively constant over the past 10 years.

What’s The Cost of NOT Starting Your Own Accounting Business?

We have been in the Accounting and Bookkeeping business since 1979 and have seen, and been a part of many successful businesses that provide write-up and daily bookkeeping services for small businesses. We have seen and put into practice the highly effective strategies, tactics and methods of Accounting and business and experienced many times over the exhilaration of dreams realized and company goals met by following what is taught in our courses.

One constant that has run over the course of the last 25+ years in the role of the accounting employee, and the inability to be paid equal to who they work for. The constraints that naturally come with such a position do not allow, in our day and age of business, to remain an accounting underling, and pay for the best in life.

Perhaps you’ve experienced these limitations yourself. The following are just some of the things we have observed about that type of a position.

• Strapped down by what someone else thinks you need to be paid – Entry level pay aside, for those who have been conducting accounting duties for years have found that their pay is determined by what someone else (usually their boss) thinks they need to be paid. Sometimes the driving factor is what the company can afford, regardless, someone else is making the decision what your time is worth.
• Kept to the 3% cost-of-living pay increase – Pay increases are limited to usually the 3% cost-of living increase that companies dole out each year. This is designed only to keep the employee on pace with inflation. Not a way to increase their bottom line and take home pay. It’s been said that when you’re just treading water you’re only one arm stroke from drowning.
• Control of your position out of your hands – How much you are paid is completely dependant on the fancy, whim or circumstance of the:
  • Economy – Businesses are smart to expand and shrink as the market demands, but most times this tactic leaves their employees high and dry. Accounting and Bookkeeping services are as recession-proof as you can get.
  • Bosses – We’ve all experienced that type of boss that doesn’t have our best interest in mind. Whether conflicts of personality, or purpose or even professional knowledge come into play, who usually wins… The boss.
  • Corporate Culture – Corporate culture with some companies can be cutthroat and demeaning. Even if it makes no difference either way it isn’t set up with your welfare in mind, but the welfare of the company. Many employees can get lost in the welfare of the Corporation.
• No matter how well you do, usually pay remains the same until your yearly review – All of us like to be rewarded in a position in what we do and when we do exceptionally well we would like that reflected in our take home pay. Most of the time this is not possible to do until HR schedules out your yearly reviews. By the time that can roll around, the momentum of that wonderful result would have lost its luster and the realized impact on the company would have waned.

So How Can All This Benefit Me?

You may be thinking, “I’m looking for work, not to go out on my own, why am I still reading this?” Frankly, for some people to be their own bosses is not in their make-up. It’s just not something that they have the discipline to do. However for those types of people like you and me, it’s time to consider and weigh the immediate pain and work for the overall results and rewards. First let me ask you this question, can you afford NOT to go out on your own with the help of the Professional Bookkeeping Course? Let’s run some numbers.

Let’s take the entry level pay for an average accountant and boost it a bit. Let’s say you are making around $20 an hour currently and you are a healthy 30-35 year old person working the normal 40 hours a week, 50 weeks out of the year. (2 weeks off for vacation of course, don’t want to work you into the ground do we?) Before taxes that’s $3200 a month or $38,400 a year, not too shabby. Not taking into consideration the taxes, health benefits and 401K situations most companies have, over the course of the next fifteen years ( and taking into the equation of the 3% yearly living expense increase each year) your earning potential only reaches $59,826 a year for a 15-year gross total of $774,025.

You’re probably thinking, “Ok, what’s wrong with making $59K by the time I’m 45 years old, three-fourth of a million dollars is a lot of money”… Yeah, look where you can be if instead of $20 an hour you were making $45 an hour on your own (taking the same formula above).

• Your starting gross yearly pay would be $86,400 (a $48,000 difference to START).
• Adjusting the 3% increase of living each year by the end of that 15 years your yearly gross income would come to a mere $134,608.
• A whopping difference of $74,782 a year between the two!
• Over the course of those 15 years you loose out on potential earning of nearly $970,000 dollars.

And this is not considering if you grow your Accounting practice to require employees and dozens of clients. This is only taking into account what you can do! So I ask again, can you afford NOT to get this program?

Nut and Bolts of the Universal Offer

All that aside and based on the program’s merits this is the best decision, and the easiest decision you can make. While developing the most comprehensive training course found in the market – chock full of 25-years worth of experience and up-to-date proven strategies, methodologies, and tactics. Crafted to the student, and taught in such a way to have everything for the beginners to the most advanced in the profession – we have given to those who have come before you this Iron-Clad Guarantee.

Getting the program is as Risk-Free and “Benefit-Full” as we could make it. A better offer is hard to find.

And we extend this Universal Iron-Clad Guarantee to you! Purchase your copy of the course today and you will have not only the Knowledge-packed course, the Iron-Clad Money-Back Guarantee but we’ll give you an additional two practice sets ($198 value). Business types that you can practice doing books on, so you can completely familiar with all the methods of the accounting process.

Practice Makes Perfect.

The three modules already contain practice sets for nine different types of businesses. Purchase the Professional Bookkeeper today and you’ll receive two more practice sets, giving you eleven in all. This will give you even more confidence and experience in various industries and the opportunity to work with additional types of clients.

In addition to the practice sets we recognize that you will need the support from Universal to help you through your coursework and answer questions that arise from all that is involved in the program. We won’t just leave you high and dry! We’ll add into this offer 6 months of Universal Coaching Support, a $585 value for FREE. You’ll have access to our Academic Coaches to be able to get your questions about the course work, but you’ll also have 6 months access to our CPA Coach to be able to answer the questions that arise when you are applying what you learn to your position. By phone or email both of these coaches are here to answer what questions may come along. This also includes the cost of $485 for the final exam for the Professional Bookkeeper’s designation. Certification to your employers that you have gone through the best possible training and have mastered everything there is to know in the program.

What’s Next For Me?

There you have it. If in the end you feel this course wasn’t worth its cost, you can get your money back! Very few opportunities like this come with a risk-free guarantee. Just add in the rest of what Universal can get to you, for FREE and this sounds like a sweet deal.

But WAIT! Hold On A Moment

We want you to be sure, we want you to be absolutely positive that this is something that you want to do. We don’t want you to have that moment in the middle of training where you could get off-track and second guess yourself. Your peace of mind, as well as our training and the effort put into the program by our instructors is too valuable to waste, even on the slightest doubt.

So, instead of giving you what enrolling into the course will run you, Universal Accounting encourages you to simply order your FREE copy of the “Introduction to The Professional Bookkeeper Program ” DVD. All we ask you to do is pay for shipping it to you, a mere $4.95. Take this opportunity by clicking here to order your copy today. You’ll be able to see after the mailing information is given for the FREE DVD, the details of what’s in each Module and the low pricing of the program.

Read it, digest it, bookmark the page and then wait for your copy of the DVD. Take a good long look at Universal and all that you can expect from such a comprehensive training course, you can’t go wrong.

Click Here to Order your FREE Copy of the “Introduction to The Professional Bookkeeper Program”

Ask Yourself: Do You Enjoy What You Do?

For way too many of us, the answer is no. Work can be hectic and stressful. Often, our careers just are not going anywhere. We need something to get them going again. The Professional Bookkeeper program gives you hands-on training in the full range of Accounting and Bookkeeping skills needed to succeed.

Learn How the Professional Bookkeeper Program Can Get Your Career Back On Track

Make $30 to $60 per hour… and you don’t need a college degree.

Become a Professional and Get Paid What Your Worth!

You can bill $30 to $60 per hour or more as a professional freelance bookkeeper. I say this because there are thousands of people, just like you and me, who are doing it right now. Highly respected professionals, without a college or university education, are providing a specialized and technical service to their clients. And you can do it too.

Over 500,000 new businesses start every year. Each and every one of them is required by law to do accounting. This presents a tremendous opportunity for anyone willing to learn the skills to be a professional small business bookkeeper. You don’t need a college education to provide this valuable service to small businesses. You do need a specialized education and skill set.

Over the next five weeks I’d like to give you an overview of the exciting and rewarding business of professional bookkeeping and accounting. If you are in search of a recession-proof business that will help you create the lifestyle that you and your family deserve and make it possible to get paid what your worth. It won’t take very long before I think you’ll agree, this is the business and now is the time.

Okay… what can I expect over the next five weeks?

• Week #1. The Proper Small Business Bookkeeping Education. We’ll discuss what you should be looking for in a bookkeeping and accounting education. We’ll outline some of the different types of education that is available and the pros & cons of each.With an overview of what’s available and the kind of education that you’ll need to succeed in your bookkeeping business, you’ll be prepared to make the next move and arm yourself with the education that best suits your goals.
• Week #2 How to Market Your Bookkeeping Business. (Part 1) Allen Bostrom, President of Universal Accounting and author says, “Nothing happens until you make a sale.” We’ll talk about what it takes to make everything happen!If you’re like most of us, the idea of being a salesman might not be your favorite thing. Don’t be concerned, there are a number of easy-to-implement methods that will make the entire sales and marketing process something easy and systematic. Anyone can do this!

  In Week #2 we’ll talk about creating what I call the “Automatic Referral System”. In other words, referrals without begging.

• Week #3 How to Market Your Bookkeeping Business. (Part 2) We’ll continue our discussion of easy and “doable” marketing methods that extend beyond referrals. We’ll talk about Tag-Team marketing and networking just to mention a couple.
• Week #4 Universal Accounting: The Perfect Small Business Bookkeeping Education. We’ll discuss why Universal Accounting Center is the perfect place to obtain the most complete and comprehensive small business bookkeeping education found anywhere.
• Week #5 A Bookkeeping Practice and a Professional Tax Preparation Business are the Perfect Match for Maximum Profits. The advantages of combining a Tax Preparation Business with a Bookkeeping service are many. Our final discussion in this series will demonstrate how they might be the perfect combination for you and your future professional bookkeeping and accounting practice.

What can I expect from here?

Welcome aboard. I’m looking forward to showing you why I think a professional bookkeeping and accounting business is such a wonderful opportunity and for the chance to give you the information that you’ll need to determine if it’s a “right fit” for you.

Information on starting your own professional bookkeeping business is only a click or two away. Follow the link below and find out for yourself what an incredible business opportunity this really is.

I Want to Know More About Starting a Professional Bookkeeping Business

Enjoy a More Flexible Schedule and Be A Successful Business Owner

Are You an Entrepreneur or a Propreneur?

What is a “propreneur”? Many very successful small business owners don’t fit the classic entrepreneurial mold. They’re not so much into the “business of business.” They are more interested in finding meaning in their careers and creating a lifestyle that will allow them to spend time doing those things that are most important to them.

If this describes you, you’re a propreneur. And with the right business, you will be very successful.

Aren’t All Business Owners Very “Driven”?

If by “driven” you mean someone who thinks of nothing but work, no. Many people who are happy and successful in their own businesses aren’t what you would consider “driven.” In fact, the key to succeeding as a propreneur lies in managing your business in such a way that you can perform those functions you do best.

The Following 4 Things Will Make You a Successful Propreneur

Authors and career coaches Paul and Sarah Edwards describe 4 things that you will need to do to be a successful propreneur. In a previous newsletter, we discussed what Paul and Sarah had to say about what is the best home-based business. (Click HERE to read about what Paul and Sarah say is the “Best of the Best Home-Based Business.”)

1. Have a Professional Attitude. Treat your business like a real business. Take the legal steps to form your business entity (proprietorship, corporation, LLC, etc…), open a business banking account, launch a website, and so on.
2. Get Business Coming to You. Learn to attract new business in ways that are the most comfortable to you. Do the things that come the most naturally, but remember, “Nothing happens until you make a sale.” You may have to step out of your comfort zone a little, but finding and keeping customers doesn’t have to be an uncomfortable thing to do.
3. Have a Good Relationship with Money. Don’t be afraid to talk to your clients about what you expect to get paid for the services you provide. Bookkeeping and accounting are highly specialized fields that require the skills of a trained professional. You must feel comfortable talking openly about money issues with your clients. Never feel you have to apologize for charging a fee for saving them a lot of time, headache and money.
4. Set Up a Support Network. Line up a network of professionals you can turn to for advice and assistance. For 6 months after your graduation, Universal Accounting Center will be there to offer you free advice, motivation and guidance as you begin your professional bookkeeping and accounting practice.

There is a Lot of Opportunity in Small Business Bookkeeping and Accounting

85% of the opportunity for bookkeepers is in small businesses. Small business owners need the services you can provide, and what’s more, it’s required by the government. Every business must do accounting and keep accounting records; qualified small business accounting professionals are in high demand.

The Professional Bookkeeper Program will teach you everything you need to know to do bookkeeping for any small business. We’ve been teaching small business bookkeeping and accounting since 1979. That’s 25 years of teaching people just like you and me the ins-and-outs of bookkeeping for small businesses. In fact, we’ve been called the Small Business Accounting Experts.

You don’t have to take my word for it. With thousands of successful graduates across the country, I’m confident that you will find the same level of personal and professional satisfaction that they have found. See for yourself what a few of our graduates are saying about the Professional Bookkeeper Program.

Your Professional Bookkeeping and Accounting Practice Will Earn a Better Income

The accounting profession has been around for a long time. Over 500 years to be exact. And you should know that the need for accounting and bookkeeping professionals is at an all-time high. Every year 500,000 new businesses are created, and all of them need the advice and expertise of a trained bookkeeper. As this trend continues, the need for your skills will continue to increase as well.

According to Robert Half/Accountemps, the nation’s largest placement firm for accounting professionals, the demand for skilled professionals in the accounting field is so large right now that bookkeepers and accountants are able to demand better incomes. There’s never been a better time to own a bookkeeping and accounting practice than right now.

Earn $30 to $60 per Hour and Save Your Clients Money

The average freelance bookkeeper can expect to charge $30 to $60 per hour for services that have the ability to save small business owners time and money. With the right training you can charge those kinds of rates for your services too. If you’d like to increase your income, create a better lifestyle for yourself and your family while becoming a propreneur, order our DVD “Start Today & Have Your Own Bookkeeping Business.” For less than $10 you can be on your way to a more flexible schedule, a more lucrative lifestyle, and the opportunity to earn money doing what you enjoy.

Part Two of a Two-Part Series on The Right Professional Investment

We’ve examined the wonderful opportunity that exists in the business of small business bookkeeping and accounting and how most small business owners don’t have a complete understanding of the accounting function in their business. Wow! What a great opportunity to earn a very profitable income and create a wonderful lifestyle for you and your family.

When you first heard this, you were probably a little skeptical. I think that’s a fairly understandable reaction. But as you’ve looked closer at what’s involved in starting your own business, the type of education you might need, the marketing methods you might employ to grow your business and how others like you have already achieved success, you might be thinking to yourself, “I can do this.”

You CAN Do This

If there’s nothing else you gain from our conversations together, know this: I know you can do this. In fact you don’t even have to take my word for it. As we talk to graduates of the Professional Bookkeeper program, and ask them about the success of their practices, they tell us that they are charging $30 to $60 per hour for their services. (And that’s the average, some charge even more.)

Unlike many programs available, of 100 graduates of our program that we interviewed this year, 12 months after their graduation, 74% were working in the accounting field, had been promoted to a management position, or owned their own bookkeeping or accounting practice. The best news is this can be you, and you can create a wonderful lifestyle for yourself.

“Great success is commoner than great abilities.” -Luc de Clapiers de Vauvenargues

You might be asking, “What does this have to do with me?” Most people will agree that hard work, determination and integrity are what it takes to find success in America. It’s not great ability that makes successful people; it’s doing just what you’re doing right now – setting a goal, finding out what it will take to reach that goal and then taking action.

Only Invest in the “Right” Education

With the need for qualified professional bookkeepers increasing every year, the opportunity is greater today than it has ever been. And as the opportunity increases, the need to obtain the best possible education available has become more important than ever before.

Last week I shared with you what I felt the “right” education must include. Let’s take a minute and review the list.

5 Things You Should Look For in a Small Business Bookkeeping Education

1. Flexibility
2. Complete education
3. Hands-on training
4. A qualified professional to answer questions
5. A guarantee

Click Here to refer back to our previous discussion on what must be in the “right” education.

Universal Accounting Center offers the most complete small business bookkeeping curriculum that can be found anywhere-including the universities or franchises. Period.

There are many courses that provide you with the training to get a data-entry type positions making $8 or $9 per hour, but they won’t provide the education that will create financial security and the type of lifestyle you and your family deserve.

Hands-on Training

Universal is “hands-on” learning. It’s been that way since 1979. Unlike other training programs available, Universal provides hands-on experience doing the books for different businesses. This will provide you with experience that allows you to demonstrate to potential clients and employers that you can save them money, experience that will build confidence in yourself and your ability to handle any type of small business accounting questions that you might face.

Get the Tools Necessary to Be Prepared for ANY Accounting Challenge

There are no filler classes here. You’ll learn small business bookkeeping, not 10-key or data entry. You shouldn’t be satisfied with learning only enough to be somebody’s clerk. Don’t limit yourself. When you’re finished with our course, you’ll be a qualified small business bookkeeping professional; and if you complete the course material and evaluation with a 90% or better, you’ll earn the exclusive designation of Professional Bookkeeper (PB). Universal will show you the best way to be successful in the least amount of time possible.

We’ll Help You Start the “Perfect” Business Once You’ve Had the “Right” Education

Look at the tools that ensure your success:

• If you have questions, you can speak with a live voice on the other end of the phone for six months after you’ve completed your course. You can have confidence in your ability to help your clients because of your “support team” that is always ready to help you.
• By learning proper client interview techniques, you’ll learn how to ask the questions that will allow you to properly evaluate what you can offer your clients and what to charge for your services. You’ll be able to address all of your client’s needs because you’ll know not only what to ask, but how to ask it.
• The exclusive PB (Professional Bookkeeper) designation demonstrates to your clients and peers that you are a trained and qualified bookkeeping professional. Earning the PB designation allows you to enjoy a level of professionalism that demonstrates your commitment to both your clients and your profession.

Any bookkeeping and accounting course that doesn’t offer you the tools to either find a great job or start your own business is incomplete.

The Good News? This is Good for You!

The education you receive from Universal Accounting will make you a valuable asset to your clients. You’ll know everything you’ll need to know to provide the type of service to your clients that will help them save money.

Affordable Student Financing is Also Available

You can get started with a student loan; there’s no credit check and you’re pre-approved if you have a major credit card. Once your financing is arranged (which takes about 5 minutes online when you click the “Finance” button), you’ll get the entire set of course materials delivered to your door. No waiting.

Universal’s Ironclad Money-Back Guarantee Removes All Risk

If, after completing the course materials, you feel the course didn’t live up to your expectation, simply return the materials to Universal, for a 100% refund of any monies paid.

Do colleges and universities offer that type of guarantee? What about the franchises? (And unlike franchises, it won’t cost you up to $80,000 to get started.)

If It’s About Accounting, It’s Universal

Universal Accounting Center provides finest education in small business bookkeeping anywhere, with no hidden costs for books, tests, etc. I think you’ll agree that now is the time and Universal is the place.

Enrolling in the Professional Bookkeeper Program is the “right” choice for you. And when you order today, you will receive an additional 6 months of free coaching following your completion of the course. That means you can call us with a question at anytime for an entire year after you complete the program materials! Don’t wait another day to take advantage of the best investment you can make-in yourself! It’s the perfect start to the New Year. Enroll now.

Meet President and CEO, Allen Bostrom

Last summer, Universal Accounting Center updated their website and added a video tour to better introduce visitors to the UAC mission and to key Universal players. At the beginning of the video you’ll find Allen Bostrom, President and CEO of Universal Accounting Center.

Allen, Son of UAC Founder, Alf Bostrom

Allen is the son of Alf Bostrom, founder of UAC. In the 1960’s, Alf decided to venture into business for himself, and he started a management company. For a percentage of potential future profits, he managed failing businesses, many on the brink of bankruptcy, and promised to turn them around using his own capital and lines of credit. Alf managed 22 businesses in the course of his career, 8 together at one time. He became known as “The Turn-around King” and learned a thing or two about why small businesses fail and what they can do to succeed.

Alf learned how to make any business successful by adhering to basic principles in production, marketing, and accounting. He also learned that most individuals with accounting degrees lacked the proper training to do the accounting for the small business. Accounting professionals also didn’t seem to know how to market themselves. So to fill the gap, Alf created and wrote a small business accounting program. He opened his doors in 1979. UAC was formed to teach CPA’s, accountants, and business owners the proper method of small business accounting.

In 1992, Allen (a practicing CPA) and his brother Ken, joined the company and helped UAC to become an international institution with campuses located across the nation and a large online presence with multiple websites.

Allen, President and CEO of Universal Accounting Center

Allen is the first to tell you that he owes much of his business sense to his father, Alf. As a young man, Allen often accompanied his father to work where he observed powerful management principles in play. “These principles are even more important today than they were thirty-five years ago due to increased competitive pressures,” says Allen.

Allen himself has over 30 years experience working with businesses of all sizes and has taught over 25,000 people different aspects of accounting and business management. He has authored countless business management articles for publication and distribution. His weekly e-zine boasts a circulation of nearly 15,000 readers. And his blog offers his personal insight on accounting and other business issues. Additionally, he has developed coursework that is used in Universal campuses across the country.

He has refined and added to his early training that is contained in his latest release, In the Black: Nine Principles to Make Your Business More Profitable. It’s a quick read that can dramatically change the way a business owner looks at his or her business.

Allen is a much sought-after speaker and presenter promoting the importance of using accounting information in business decision-making. He has taught and practiced the Nine Principles in many industries, in all economic conditions.

Allen lives in Sandy, Utah, with his wife Sheri and their four children.

Allen’s Introduction to the UAC Video Tour

Allen himself introduces the video tour, explaining what Universal has to offer accountants, tax preparers, and small business owners.

Welcome to Universal [audio script]

Hi. My name is Allen Bostrom, CPA and President of Universal Accounting Center.

Welcome to the Universal tour. Since 1979 we have focused on the practical day-to-day application of the accounting process within small business.

We recognize that in the business world profit margins are too tight to let the bookkeeping, accounting and tax be ignored. In the next few minutes you’ll learn about the performance tools and curriculum Universal created to help businesses reduce taxes, increase profits, and put more money in the bank.

During this presentation you will be invited to access additional information about the great opportunities Universal offers. Below you will see different icons that will be mentioned during the tour; if there are any you would like to learn more about, click on them at any time.

Each of the icons below will transfer you to a new page providing more information on the corresponding topic. If you wish to return to the tour, just exit that screen and you’ll be brought right back to where you left off.

Now, to learn more about Universal, click Continue.

Start at the Beginning

Of Course My Business Is In The Black! Isn’t It?

My experience was pretty common. Having spent time at the helm of a small business, I know how touchy this question really is. Like many small business owners, I took my successes and failures very personally. And yes, I thought I had a real handle on what was going on financially within my business.

Allen Bostrom, President of Universal Accounting Center, was a friend of mine and we would talk about what I was doing in my business and where I thought my greatest profits and losses came from. As a small business financial expert, he always made himself available to offer insight and suggestions into things I might do to build my business.

Later, I’ll tell you how my lack of knowledge painfully taught me something that will make you very valuable to small business owners.

My Background Wasn’t In Accounting… and it Hurt My Business

Like most small business owners, my background didn’t include any accounting. I could read a profit and loss statement and a balance sheet. I could interpret the information and make financial decisions based upon its information, but I didn’t completely understand the accounting process and where those numbers came from or how they related to each other.

I Didn’t Know if the Information on My Balance Sheet Really Reflected What Was Going On in My Business – What’s Worse… I Didn’t Know that I Didn’t Know!

I fell into the trap most small business owners do… I believed the software company when they told me I didn’t need an understanding of small business accounting to use their software to do my books. That was a mistake. Without an understanding of the accounting process, I couldn’t know whether or not the information I was getting was the right information. You know you have the right information when it helps you confidently make better business decisions.

The software programs most small business owners use are only as good as the data entry. Let me show you how your expertise as a small business bookkeeper will make you an important and valuable part of making any small business profitable.

A Software Program is No Substitute for a Qualified Bookkeeper

Allen probably offered a dozen times to look at my books and offer his help. Of course, I felt like I had it handled and declined his offers.

A qualified small business accountant has an understanding of the bookkeeping process allowing him or her to offer insights into the information the accounting software reports to the business owner.

Learning the software is only the first part of becoming a small business accounting expert. At the end of this article, I’ll explain how you can learn these valuable skills and become worth your weight in gold to any small business owner.

OK… Who Are These Small Business Accounting Experts? How Do I Become One?

Many of these real experts worked in small businesses for years. They accumulated knowledge of small business accounting issues through years of successes and mistakes, by trial and error. Many of them work for small businesses who celebrate every day the contribution they make to their businesses.

These business owners understand that their bookkeeper is worth more than what he/she is paid because of the benefit he/she brings to the business. These “profit experts” forge an important link in the chain of business profitability.

To learn how a small business bookkeeper is really a small business profit expert click HERE

I’m Not a Bookkeeper. How Does this Help Me?

You may not be a bookkeeper yet, but with the help of Universal Accounting’s Professional Bookkeeper Program, you’re not far away. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll learn the ins-and-outs of small business bookkeeping. And you won’t have to learn by trial and error either, because you’ll learn best practices developed over many years of real-world accounting and bookkeeping experience.

At Universal Accounting, we’ve taught small business bookkeeping and accounting for over 25 years. You’ll find that experience will greatly reduce your learning curve. You’ll be a small business profit expert in no time.

To learn more about options for bookkeeping and accounting training click HERE

Universal Accounting Trains 100’s of “Profit Experts” Every Year

Universal has trained people for this important and satisfying profession since 1979. We have small business bookkeeping down to a science. Many experts consider us the “Small Business Accounting Experts.”

Hands-On Learning is Hands-Down the Best

At Universal Accounting, years of experience proved to us that hands-on learning is the most effective way to learn the exciting and rewarding skill of small business bookkeeping. You’ll learn accounting by doing the books for a variety of small businesses. Examples include a frame shop, a construction company, a bakery and a motorcycle shop, to mention just a few.

You won’t just read about accounting, you’ll be doing it. You’ll have the confidence you need to start your bookkeeping and accounting business from the very beginning.

To Learn How to Pick the Best Bookkeeping and Accounting Training click HERE

Sir Francis Bacon said, “Knowledge is power.”

It has never been more true than in small business bookkeeping and accounting. Become a small business profit expert. You’ll be worth your weight in gold.

A Great Deal On the Most Complete Small-Business Accounting Training Available Anywhere!

Having a solid understanding of the Accounting and Bookkeeping methods and procedures is a great first step in learning the concepts behind Financial Business Analysis. You will learn to do books for small to mid-sized companies and how to analyze the books to prepare reports. You will learn to interpret reports so that you can advise your clients how to reduce costs and to better understand their financial standing and profitability. Your clients will look to you as an invaluable source of information about the financial health of their organization.