Accounting and Bookkeeping Articles

The self-employed often become so engrossed in their efforts to effectively manage their own businesses that they become somewhat reclusive in their business practices.  Cutting-edge trends, approaches and technologies are often sacrificed for the immediate need to get stuff done.  However, the most successful business owners are educated and aware of current strategies, continually interacting with clients, peers, and their competitors to discover how to improve services and the way in which they market them.   These well-balanced entrepreneurs have businesses that easily tip the scales towards growth and profitability.

Acquiring that broad vision that enables you to see the industry and how your practice measures up is crucial in this market.  One thing you can do to acquire that vision, and the competitive advantage that comes with it, is to attend professional conferences and workshops.  In just a few short days, you can accomplish the following:

1. Networking. When you select the right conference, you will be surrounded by professionals with whom you have much in common.  As you exchange information, you network with individuals who may be able to refer clients and provide you with even more contacts.

2. Peer Advice. As you network, you will be talking with individuals who experience many of the same struggles you do.  You will have the opportunity to hear how others have resolved similar problems, streamlined their processes, marketed their services and more.

3. Exposure to Industry Trends. While they say that no one operates in a vacuum, if you isolate yourself in a home office, focusing only on your clientele and their needs, you come pretty close.  Without exposure to industry trends, software advances, and procedural changes, you lose your competitive advantage and contribute to your own obsolescence.  Attending professional conferences enables you to combat that tendency, staying current and relevant.

4. Education. A good professional conference will offer sessions that cater to your own unique needs, enabling you to resolve concerns specific to your clientele and practice.  In a short matter of time, you’ll acquire practical advice that you can apply as soon as you return to your office.  Not only that, but generally you’re given contact information for each presenter so that you can call or email them with more questions later.

5. Timewise Investment. The most powerful characteristic of a conference is that they’re short—generally no more than 3 days.  In just 36 to 72 hours you could network, receive valuable peer advice, expose yourself to industry trends and receive an industry-specific education.  What a great way to break from an isolated environment to gain that broad vision crucial to your success.

Universal Accounting Center realizes how valuable professional conferences can be to financial professionals like yourself.  In an industry that’s continually changing, it helps to receive training at the hands of renowned professionals working in the trenches themselves.  That’s why we’re holding our second annual Universal Accounting Conference this September 20^th – 21^st in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Here’s what some of our participants said about last year’s conference:

I feel so blessed by being able to attend this conference.  I have met so many wonderful people.  I am leaving with knowing that I have the knowledge that it takes and the right people to help me.— Debra C.

I came to learn how I could be a good support for my daughter’s business so I can help her grow.  In attending, I realized I can take the information I was shown and apply it to my own consulting business.— Ingrid C.

Thank you very much!  Well spent money.— Anonymous

I was so impressed with your company that I would love to work with you.  If you think my skills and knowledge can be an asset please let me know. –- Brenda B.

This year’s conference promises to be just as rewarding, if not more so, than last’s.  Here are some of the sessions we’ll be offering this year:

• Getting Started with Office Technology
• Networking and Relationship Strategies
• Planning Practice Growth
• The Power of Presence: Your Ultimate Marketing Channel
• Becoming a Profit Expert with Business Benchmarking Reports
• Technology Strategies for the Growing Office
• Working through Resistance
• Phenomenal Women in Business
• Smart Staffing Strategies to Work Less and Make More
• How to Find and Create Expanded Service Opportunities
• Tax Practice Administration
• Introduction to Social Media
• How the Right Client Feedback will Perfect Your Practice
• Future of the Accounting/Financial Services Industry
• From Friend to Fortunate: Making Social Media Pay

Propel your practice to the next level in just a matter of days.  Reserve your spot by registering for the Universal Accounting Conference now!

There can be a lot of perks in working from home.  In fact, many business owners may have launched their startups based on all the advantages they perceived in being self-employed.  But for those who are considering the transition, it’s important to have a reality check before giving your two-week’s notice.  Here are five things you should be aware of before you start working from home.

1. The self-employed are self-disciplined. Howard Hook, a certified financial planner and public accountant in Roseland, N.J. says, “If you are not disciplined enough, you can be much more inefficient than if you were at work.”  When preparing to work from home, consider that there will probably be more distractions there than there ever could be in a cubicle.  Many want to work from home because they love the idea of logging billable hours in their pajamas.  Unfortunately, many do not possess the self-discipline require to actually work when they could be surfing the internet or watching day-time television.  There are plenty of interruptions you’ll have to manage in your home office.

2. The watercooler is gone. The social interaction found in a traditional work environment can be gratifying for many.  However, when working from home, that adult interaction is reduced to a minimum, and while you will interact with clients, those relationships may not be as personal or extensive as you would like.  For those that thrive on social interaction, this will be something to consider before taking the leap.

3. There’s no paid vacation or personal days.  While on an extended family vacation to the Oregon coast, I awoke at 5am every week day in order to get some work done.  My family balked at my version of “vacation.”  Unfortunately, because I am self-employed with deadlines to meet, I did not have the luxury of getting paid time-off, a detail many of those eyeing self employment will want to consider.

4. Beware of the tax requirements. Claiming a home office is not a red flag for the IRS like it once was.  It’s more common for individuals to claim a home office these days, especially since nearly half of small businesses are operated from owners’ homes. So when working from home it’s important to take advantage of home office tax breaks.   However, qualifying can be tricky if you’re unaware of the IRS’s requirements.  This one phrase, “regular and exclusive use,” is the requirement to which you must pay particular attention.  The area in which you conduct business must only be used for business purposes.  And the IRS is serious about this detail.  In an article on SmartMoney.com, Martin Nissenbaum, National Director of Personal Income Tax Planning at Ernst & Young, is quoted as saying, “Exclusively really does mean exclusively.  The rule is clear. You can use the space only for your trade or business. If you happen to have a TV set in there and you watch it while you’re working, fine. But if your kids play there and you use it as a den, you cannot take a home office deduction.”

5. Professionalism is still required. While your home environment may feel more relaxed, you are still required to act professionally.  And if clients are invited to your home office, it’s important that it provide a business atmosphere.  While it’s true that looks can be deceiving, many clients will judge your professional capability on the image your project.

We’re not trying to scare you away from self-employment with this reality check.  We are, however, helping you fully prepare to work from home.  When you’re able to clearly recognize both the pros and the cons, you’re better equipped for success.

Preparing to Launch Your Startup

It’s important to have all your ducks in a row before launching your home business.  Mastering software and honing your skills will enable you to be ready for whatever comes your way.

The Professional Bookkeeper’s Guide (PBG) to QuickBooks will enable you to master this software program that over 80% of small businesses use to manage their accounting.  Once you do, you will be able to work more efficiently as you use all the features, functions, and shortcuts QuickBooks offers.  Not only will the PBG enable you to manage your own books more efficiently, but it can increase your bottom line as you add QuickBooks consultation, help and setup services to your menu.  With hands-on training you can earn a professional designation as a QuickBooks Specialist that will give you the creditability you need to convince prospective clients that you are an outstanding bookkeeper!

With just one small initial investment, you can increase your income and your clientele.  Order now!

We welcome and encourage your questions and comments!  Please let us know what you think of this article.

Resources

McCuan, Jess.  “Setting up a Home Office that Qualifies for Tax Breaks.” 6 June 2007.  SmartMoney.com.

Mueller, Karin Price.  “How to Create a Productive Home Office Space.” 2 April 2010  Entrepreneur.com

In Stephen Covey’s well-known and oft-quoted book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, the last and final habit is known as “sharpening the saw.”  Covey explains that this habit “means having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual.”  If you’re like many professionals, the idea of taking a time-out to rejuvenate yourself may seem a little self-indulgent.  Aren’t you too busy sawing, for heaven’s sake?  Unfortunately, too much sawing and not enough sharpening makes your work less effective and eventually, inadequate.  Consider creating your own program for self-renewal using the following suggestions.

Physical

Neglecting your health will come back to haunt your business at some point or another, either in sick time, lack of focus, or compromised workflow.  And while we’re not suggesting you train for a triathlon, we are saying that taking better care of yourself will only benefit your business in the long run.  Getting plenty of sleep, water, and exercise, while enjoying a healthy diet, will provide the perfect foundation for a balanced life.  Not only that, but it’s an outward manifestation of your desire to take care of yourself, in all the areas of your life.

Social/Emotional

What’s life about if not making meaningful connections with the people around you?  Whether it be friends, family, or neighbors, take the time to associate with those you care for.  In fact, to demonstrate your commitment to balancing all aspects of your life, use the same calendar for both personal and business activities.  Otherwise you may miss something important because you were looking at the wrong calendar.

Spiritual

Covey suggests that honoring the spiritual element of your life might require “spending time in nature, expanding spiritual self through meditation, music, art, prayer or service.”  In addition,  Walter Bagehot claims, “No great work has ever been produced except after a long interval of still and musing meditation.”  To many, meditation is a mystical, new-age activity for which they have no time.  But what if we told you that meditation could help you achieve greater focus, tranquility, and direction in your personal and professional life?  Would it become a more appealing practice?  Those who practice meditation claim to be more adept at concentrating, critical thinking and problem solving—all of which are important skills for the business owner.

Mental

Regardless of your profession, it’s important that you continually challenge yourself mentally.  Learning new things and keeping up on industry advancements enables you to keep the saw sharp while improving your practice.  To do that, we suggest regularly attending professional conferences.  There are many specialty conferences and workshops offering a wealth of information enabling you to keep up with your industry.  Not only can you learn from the presenters on the program, but you can also learn from other attendees who may face the same challenges you do in their own accounting practices.

Universal Accounting Conference

If you’re looking for a conference that will positively impact your business’s profitability and success, register for Universal Accounting’s 2010 Conference.  Held at the Salt Lake City Radisson Hotel, this conference is intended to help you start, build and improve your bookkeeping, accounting or tax practice.  This year we’ll focus on marketing, practice management, and expanding client services in order to make your practice the premier accounting service in your area.

Here is what a few attendees of last year’s UAC Conference have said:

“I feel so blessed by being able to attend this conference.  I have met so many wonderful people.  I am leaving with knowing that I have the knowledge that it takes and the right people to help me.”- Debra C.

“I came to learn how I could be a good support for my daughter’s business so I can help her grow.  In attending, I realized I can take the information I was shown and apply it to my own consulting business.” - Ingrid C.

“I was so impressed with your company that I would love to work with you.  If you think my skills and knowledge can be an asset please let me know.”- Brenda B.

It’s time to sharpen your mental saw.  Learn more about the 2010 Universal Accounting Conference today!

Resource

“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw.” StephenCovey.com

Your practice’s survival depends upon your ability to effectively promote your services.  But often, financial professionals are uncomfortable marketing themselves and are unaware of the best strategies in securing and retaining new clients.  In fact, many do not know how to differentiate between advertising and marketing—a simple distinction that could help many build better promotional campaigns.

Marketing consultant and strategist Laura Lake’s explains the difference in her About.com article entitled “Marketing vs. Advertising: What’s the Difference?”

“The best way to distinguish between advertising and marketing is to think of marketing as a pie, inside that pie you have slices of advertising, market research, media planning, public relations, product pricing, distribution, consumer support, sales strategy, and community involvement.  Advertising only equals one piece of the pie in the strategy.  All of these elements must not only work independently but they also must work together towards the bigger goals.  Marketing is a process that takes time and can involve hours of research for a marketing plan to be effective.  Think of marketing as everything that an organization does to facilitate an exchange between company and consumer.”

Your Marketing Plan

In order to develop that big promotional picture, you must develop a marketing plan which includes the following elements:

• Marketing Goals and Objectives
• Pricing of Products/Service
• Key Marketing Strategies
• Implementation of Your Marketing Plan

Your Marketing Plan establishes what you hope to accomplish through your overall marketing efforts and includes key strategies your plan to implement.  This may require you to do significant research in order to determine the realistic expectations for growth in a successful accounting practice.

Advertising

Advertising, then, is just part of the entire marketing process, or the big promotional picture.   Mary Cruse, in her AllBusiness.com article, defines it as “a persuasive, action-oriented message to convince consumers to buy a product or service.  Advertising is shorting in duration than a marketing campaign, which in part, may contain advertising components.”  Here’s a sampling of different advertising techniques: direct mailings (brochures, postcards, flyers, etc.), television advertisements, radio advertisements, print advertisements (in magazines, newspapers, local publications, the phone book, etc.), and website promotions.

Putting it All Together

But as a financial professional, how do you create the perfect marketing plan for your business, employing the right strategies for your field and target market?  Allow Universal Accounting to help with the Universal Practice Builder (UPB) Program.

For 30 years, Universal Accounting Center has been training professionals like you how to promote their businesses.  The UPB program will train you in the following (and much more):

• Creating your own customized marketing plan
• Increasing your annualized billings by $30,000 within the next 12 months
• 12 proven marketing strategies that will increase your client base
• Techniques that can generate 15 to 25 qualified leads per month
• Effective phone marketing techniques

In a matter of hours, you will know exactly what you need to do to grow your business.  Advance your accounting practice to the next level and become the premier firm in your area.  To learn more, visit our website and listen to testimonials of our very own graduates, sharing what they found most valuable in this program.  Build your business.  Enroll in the Universal Practice Builder Program today!

Resources

Cruse, Mary.  “The Reel Story.” 13 February 2010  AllBusiness.com

Lake, Laura.  “Marketing vs. Advertising: What’s the Difference?” About.com

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. – Maria Robinson

Even though you may have dreamed of launching your own practice for years, you probably haven’t made a list of all those things, in their proper order, that must be done before your doors open for business.  In this two-part series, we’ve created that list for you, with lots of additional resources.  Last week we introduced 6 of 12 steps to follow when launching your startup.  This week, we finish our checklist with 6 final items:

7. Open the necessary bank accounts.  Establishing business accounts will streamline your accounting processes.  In this, you avoid the hassle of trying to distinguish personal transactions from business transactions.

8. Purchase your equipment. When setting up an accounting or bookkeeping service, one of your first concerns is having the right equipment and office configuration.  Read more about what you’ll need in order to establish a fully-functioning office for your new accounting practice.

9. Organize your office. Your office should provide you with a productive and favorable work environment.  Generally this means it should also be well organized and professional.  For more information on setting up your office, read our two-part series on office organization.

10. Launch a website. One of the most inexpensive marketing tools available is your business website.  With minimal startup and maintenance costs you can develop a good website that will represent you well and increase your clientele.  It will also work 24/7 as a virtual receptionist, getting the word out about your business while you can actually work.  And if well developed, your business website will be more than an inexpensive marketing tool, but a good point of contact and an effort to further brand your business.

11. Determine your business hours.  It’s important for you to let prospective clients know when you’re open for business.  It also enables you to establish some firm boundaries as to when you’re willing to answer business calls and do work for clients, especially if you work from home.  Check with your family before setting those hours in stone, however; you’ll need them to honor those hours as well

12. Spread the word and open your doors. It’s important that you get the word out about your new practice.  When marketing your startup, make sure you use proven strategies that work for your unique target market.

UAC Can Help Your Startup Secure Clients

One of the greatest challenges for many small business owners comes in the marketing.  You may love working with numbers but groan at the thought of promoting your services and expertise.  Universal Accounting Center understands this struggle and can help you eliminate it.

UAC has developed a turn-key marketing solution which will enable you to grow your business with our proven system.   You could work for years on a marketing plan, hitting and missing, only to find your business growing at a snail’s pace.  The Universal Practice Builder can guarantee you will earn $30,000 in annualized sales in just 12 months!   Let us provide you with those proven strategies that will help you spread the word and secure clients.  Enroll in the Universal Practice Builder Program today.

The ladder of success must be set upon something solid before you can start to climb. – Anonymous

If you’ve been thinking about launching a startup, you should be aware of the steps required to successfully get your business up and running.  Whether you plan to operate your practice full or part-time, it’s important that you have a plan.  The following checklist will help you perform all the startup tasks in the proper order:

1. Name Your Business. Recognize that naming your business is just the beginning of creating a brand for yourself.  It’s important that you put some serious thought into your business name in order to best appeal to your target market.

2. Create a business plan. Perhaps you’ve spent hours dreaming about your business, imagining your achievements, and talking with friends and family about your goals, but without a business plan you haven’t given yourself the opportunity to truly plan all the necessary details and build a foundation for your success.  Read up on how to create a successful business plan.

3. Create a marketing plan. No matter how good you are at accounting, you still have to focus some of your energy on marketing; if you don’t do any marketing, you’ll have no one to do any accounting for. So what do you do? You create a marketing plan to go along with your business plan.

4. Determine your business entity. There’s no one right or wrong answer when matching your business to the right business entity. And the business entity you choose depends largely on your personal situation and circumstances. We don’t want to imply that your decision isn’t a weighty one; the type of business entity you choose will affect your liability, your creditors’ access to your assets, and your tax obligations. So it is a decision that requires pertinent information and considerable thought. Sometimes just a little knowledge can ensure that you make the best choice for you.

5. Determine your business location. In real estate they say what matters most is location, location, location.  The same applies to your business.  The most important element in picking the right location is finding a place that will allow you to be productive and focus on your work.  If you’ve decided to lease an office, take the time to research an appropriate area.  Can you find a business district that complements your services?  Can you realistically afford to lease an office space right now?  Is there a room in your house that could be dedicated to your new business?  Weigh the pros and cons and pick a place that works for your current situation and budget.

6. Make it legal.  It’s important to start your business off on the right foot.  File the proper papers and pay the required fees.  It’s also not a bad idea to consult with a lawyer to ensure you’re headed in not only the right direction, but a law-abiding one.  Also, as you begin working with clients, document your correspondence and save your files.

Knowing what to do and when to do it can be crucial to your startup’s success.  Join us next week when we share the final 6 items on our Startup Checklist:

7.  Open the necessary bank accounts.

8.  Purchase your equipment.

9.  Organize your office.

10. Launch a website.

11.  Determine your business hours.

12.  Spread the word and open your doors.

Financing a Small Business

Whether you would like to secure a small-business loan for yourself or a client, our manual, Financing a Small Business, can help.  Packed with clear-cut instructions and terrific resource materials, you will find that completing a loan application package is much simpler with this book.  Using the sample loan package included as a model, you can easily apply for a valuable business loan or help your clients apply.  Within hours you can begin offering your services as a financial consultant.  Get ready to launch your startup and order your copy now!

Resources

–.  “Checklist for Starting a Home-Based Business.”  Small Business Solutions at smallbusiness.dnb.com

–.  “Homebased Business Startup Checklist.” Entrepreneur.com

For each entrepreneur that sees his/her dream come true, there are probably 100 that never even try.  What’s the difference between those that follow their aspirations and those that don’t?  In order to determine what that might be, we’ve gathered advice given by entrepreneurs whose dreams withstood the test of time.

You can do anything if you have enthusiasm. – Henry Ford

A few years ago I remember watching an Oprah episode where fulfilling one’s dreams was the topic of discussion.  She made a comment then that I’ve never forgotten.  She said that if it feels like you’re swimming against the current, maybe it’s time you turned around.  Her point was that when deciding where to focus your career efforts, the determining factor should always be your passion.  Moving your dream forward should be enjoyable and the effort you exert should propel you forward, not back.

Do not fear mistakes.  You will know failure.  Continue to reach out. – Ben Franklin

The idea that you can learn from your mistakes is not a new one.  However, when you’re in the middle of a business venture and are experiencing the painful consequences of your mistakes, the value of that concept can be more difficult to appreciate.   No one said that running your own business would be trouble-free.  Everyone is bound to make his/her fair share of mistakes.  But the true marker is in how you perceive them.  Are they burdensome obstacles or powerful learning experiences?  We’ll let you decide what successful entrepreneurs believe.

When you expect things to happen – strangely enough – they happen. – JP Morgan

The Law of Attraction is a concept that’s been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years.  Like the Law of Gravity, it influences your life whether or not you believe in it.  Plainly stated it goes something like this: your life is a reflection of what you think, what you focus on, and what you expect to happen.  If you’re unsatisfied with your life and the success of your business, then your thoughts have been of an unsatisfying life and an unsuccessful business.  To see greater success, you must expect greater success.

If you don’t sell, it’s not the product that’s wrong, it’s you.— Estee Lauder

Or at least your approach.  This is one principle that can make your business more profitable: nothing happens until you make a sale! This concept is critical to the success of any business. What do you have to sell? How does that product or service meet your customers’ needs? How do you get customers to your door so you can show them your product or service? If you do not have a method to sell, then there is no need to have a business. Everything starts with the sale.

It can be done, but you have to make it happen. – Chris Gardner

Building a business takes hard work, and unless you’re willing to invest some blood, sweat and, yes, tears, you should probably stick with your day job.

Are you ready to change the course of your life and launch your own accounting practice?  You must bring the determination, drive and dedication, and we’ll provide the know-how.  Enroll in Universal Accounting Center’s Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program and Professional Bookkeeper’s Guide (PBG) to QuickBooks in order to secure the skills and expertise necessary to serve your every client’s need.

Accounting Training

Our Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program will help prepare you to be a proactive and profitable account.  Here are just a few things the PB course will provide:

• Practical and extensive training in small business accounting
• The skills necessary to become a small business’s Profit Expert
• Marketing training that will help you effectively promote your new skills
• The opportunity to earn valuable certification as a Professional Bookkeeper
• DVD training materials you can review again and again
• Hands-on instruction that will provide you with experience setting up and managing small business accounts from scratch
• Flexible training that you can master on your own time and at your own pace
• 6 months of follow-up support provided by knowledgeable accounting professionals
• An iron-clad guarantee

The Professional Bookkeeper course will teach you all you need to know in order to start and/or grow your own accounting practice.

QuickBooks Training

You probably already know that 85% of small businesses use Intuit’s QuickBooks accounting software.  This means that your target market could use a QuickBooks consultant to help them set up their books, use the program more effectively, and/or answer important questions.  Not to mention, the Professional Bookkeepers Guide to QuickBooks (PBG) can also save you considerable time and energy managing accounts yourself!  And who do you think these new clients will come to for their accounting needs?  YOU, of course!

The PBG can help you do all that and more.  Benefits include:

• The ability to accomplish more in less time
• The opportunity to earn certification as a QuickBooks Specialist
• Practical and efficient QuickBooks training
• Instruction specifically designed for the small business accountant
• Hands-on training in which you enter account information and learn QuickBooks by experiencing QuickBooks
• A valuable reference to add to your accounting library
• An iron-clad guarantee

As Peter Drucker once said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”  That can only happen when you take that first step towards launching your own accounting practice.  Don’t procrastinate your success!  Enroll in these two programs today!

Resource

–. “Famous Entrepreneur Advice.” EvanCarmichael.com

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

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.

10 Questions to Ask before Taking the Plunge

Victor Kiam once said, “Procrastination is opportunity’s assassin.”  If you’ve been procrastinating your startup, it’s time to determine, once and for all, whether or you’re truly interested in the opportunity to build your own accounting practice.  Last week we posed the following five questions to help you gauge just how prepared you are for self-employment:

1. Do you enjoy making decision and taking charge?
2. Are you flexible?
3. Do you have a vision of what your business could become?
4. Are you self-motivated?
5. Do you have the necessary expertise?

This week we pose five more:

6.  Are you passionate about accounting?

If you answer “no” to this question, than go back to the drawing board.  You should be passionate about your business, otherwise you’ll dread the work you do, regardless of how skilled you are.  But if you are passionate about accounting, it will exude from you, attracting more clients who trust your enthusiasm and confidence.

7. It is financially feasible for you to quit your job to start an accounting practice?

This is where you ask yourself if you should continue to work full-time while serving a few clients in your spare time, or if you have enough clients to sustain your home business and quit your day job.  Maybe you’re ready to quit regardless, but do so with a well-padded savings account that can fill in the gaps until your income can support you.

8.  Whose your competition and how can you gain a competitive advantage?

You should do a little market research to see if the area can sustain another accountant.  And what are those other accountants doing that you could improve upon?  This could also be where you get some ideas on marketing.  How are they attracting clients and how could you improve on those methods?

9.  Will your family support your decision?

This is not the type of decision you casually break to your spouse.  “Honey, guess what I did today?”  In order to succeed, you’ll need your family’s support.  Be sure to discuss all the pros and cons together before making any decisions, because in a crunch you just might need to enlist their help in order to succeed.

10.  Will you be happy working for myself?

Ask yourself if you’re truly interested in running a full-time accounting practice.  Will you enjoy managing the business-end of your practice?  Is this something you will enjoy doing every day?  Because if you’re unhappy having your own accounting practice, then nothing else will compensate for your dissatisfaction.  But, on the other hand, if it’s something that will challenge and excite you, then pursue it with gusto.

Asking yourself the right questions can determine whether or not you’re ready to start your own accounting practice.  And just because you’re uncomfortable with some of your answers now doesn’t meant you can’t open your practice later.  It just means that you have a bit more to do in order to prepare for success.

UAC’s Training Can Help

The Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program is just the course you need to prepare your startup.  For over 25 years we’ve honed our training in small-business accounting, the most lucrative market for contract accountants.  In less than 60 hours you can learn everything you need to know to start your own practice and attend to all your clients’ needs.

When you enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper Program you receive to the following:

• Flexible training you complete on your own schedule
• Rich and engaging training DVDs you can view again and again
• Hands-on instruction and practice sets 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

The time is right to realize your dreams of self-employment.  Take action today and enroll in UAC’s Professional Bookkeeper Program.