They All Start with YOU

Winners compare their achievements with their goals, while losers compare their achievements with those of other people. - Nido Qubein

It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.-Edmund Hillary

The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark. - Michelangelo

The power of the mind is truly mind-boggling. Have you ever pondered the difference between two talented and capable individuals-one successful and one not? Often it’s the attitude each possesses that marks the difference in their achievements. What attitude do you live your life by? And with what mindset do you approach your career?

If you believe that you are on a path to great accomplishment and success, you are. It’s that simple. If you believe that your journey will be rife with struggle and failure, then you’re right as well. We are what we think.

The truth is you CAN start your own accounting practice. And if you already have one, you can make it even more profitable. Others have proven that it’s not only a profitable venture, but it’s easy and attainable. All you need are the skills, know-how, and the ability to market yourself to prospective clients. Sounds easy, right?

UAC Makes It Easy

While we’re not in the business of handing out confidence to our graduates, it seems to come naturally through the course of taking our programs. Here’s what some have said:

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

This course has literally changed my life. When I started I hardly knew the difference between a debit and a credit. Now I have the confidence to tackle almost any type of business and do their books.- A. Moody

The best part was that it gave me the courage and confidence to start my own business, which has been a dream of mine for years.-C. Christensen

In attaining confidence, these individuals have achieved the mindset necessary to successfully start their own bookkeeping service with grace and ease. Would you like to join them?

The Professional Bookkeeper Program

Designed to train individuals in small-business accounting, this program enables students to gain the expertise necessary to target a very lucrative niche market.

Just for fun, thumb through your local yellow pages. How many of the businesses you see are small, local businesses? Probably quite a few. All of those small businesses are required by law to perform various accounting functions. They need small business accountants.

Fortunately, for you, most accountants have been trained in corporate accounting rather than small business accounting, leaving these small business owners in need of a properly-trained professional who can attend to their specific needs. And if you know how to market your services, you’ve got an even greater advantage over your competition.

The Universal Practice Builder Program

Don’t feel bad. Most accountants are uncomfortable marketing their services. But once you know a handful of proven marketing strategies, methods for building an effective professional network, and can apply it all with a mentor by your side, the rest comes easily.

For over 25 years UAC has been teaching individuals like you small-business accounting. In the process we have learned quite a bit about how to effectively market those same services to the best prospective clients. When you enroll in this course you will get the following:

• A guarantee of $30,000 in new annualized billings in only 12 months
• The skills to become a Profit Expert for each of your clients
• 12 marketing strategies that you can implement immediately
• A process which can produce 15 to 25 qualified leads per month
• 3 months of coaching via telephone and Internet
• Training on a computerized database tracking program
• A presentation DVD to show potential clients
• Seminar training for three different instructional courses
• Access to a plan proven to help retain clients

When you couple the Professional Bookkeeper Program with the Universal Practice Builder Program, you have just about everything you need to start and/or grow your own accounting practice. Just bring a positive attitude and we’ll supply the rest. Don’t wait another day to realize your potential and change the course of your future. Enroll now!

Whether or not you realize it, you take risks every day. Driving to the store to get groceries is a risk. Ordering something online is a risk. Deciding to supersize your drive-thru meal can be risky too.

Some are terrified of risk while others live for it. If you’re an entrepreneur you’ve already taken some fairly hefty risks and have lived to tell about it. If you have dreamt about becoming an entrepreneur but are still waiting for the right time, chances are you’re wary of risk.

Often it just takes a little time to examine the risk and determine whether or not it’s worth it.  In his blog on Entrepreneur.com, Brian Tracy discusses the five different types of risk:

1. The risk that’s not yours to take.

Whether the risk belongs to your spouse, your brother or your business partner, this risk is the easiest to deal with because it’s not yours to take. While it may impact you in some way, you are not in a position to own this risk and must let the proper party take responsibility for it.

2. The unnecessary risk.

Unfortunately many take risks they believed were necessary only to find out later they were not. This is often the result of reckless decision making where risks are taken without first being studied. The results of taking an unnecessary (and thoughtless) risk can be devastating.

3. The risk you can afford to take.

When studying a potential risk you must weigh the cost of the risk against its potential for success. And monetary cost isn’t the only thing you must consider. How much time and energy with the risk consume? The same applies to success. While you should definitely be interested in the monetary return you may see, you should also consider how the success will impact your state of mind and personal satisfaction.

4. The risk you can’t afford to take.

This type of risk should be avoided. Again we stress the importance of studying a risk before making a decision. Often it’s only in running the numbers and weighing the pros and cons that you can determine the risk is much too pricey for you in your current situation.

5. The risk you can’t afford not to take.

And then there are those risks that have a potential payoff that’s too significant too ignore. Not only can you afford to take this risk, but you would be crazy not to. The more experience you gain studying out and taking strategic risks, the more skilled you will become at recognizing these valuable opportunities.

For those of you who have considered starting your own accounting practice, Universal Accounting Center is happy to tell you that doing so is probably a risk you can’t afford not to take. Rated as one of the best of the best home-business opportunities by Paul and Sarah Edwards in their book The Best Home Businesses for the 21st Century, a bookkeeping service is not only an inexpensive startup, but it’s a business with a huge potential client base.

When you enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper Program you learn everything you need to know in order to get started. But if that’s a risk you’re still not sure you can afford, you can learn more before making this important decision.

Purchase our video, Start Today and Have Your Own Bookkeeping Practice, for less than ten dollars and discover all you need to know about this venture. We can promise that it won’t take long for you to determine that starting your own bookkeeping practice is a risk you can’t afford not to take. Order the video now and decide for yourself. Or watch it online for free!

References

Tracy, Brian. “Taking Small Risks.” 9 July 2008 Entrepreneur.com

Discover How Cracking a Book May Increase Your Bank Account

Steven Covey’s seventh habit for highly successful people is better known as “sharpening the saw” and refers to a number of ways in which you can renew yourself to become a better professional. In Japan they call this “kaizen,” a term that refers to the constant improvement of oneself.

Even the most dedicated accountant can get a little burned out working day in and day out for their practice. In order to rejuvenate and rededicate yourself, you must look for ways to sharpen the saw. In Steven Covey’s example, he explains that the long-term use of a saw, let’s say nine to five every weekday, can dull the edges, making it more difficult to be productive. In order to sharpen the saw you must sit back and take out your whetstone, attending to your craft without necessarily performing your craft.

The Value of Reading

Reading is a great way to sharpen the saw. It exposes you to countless new ideas and enables you to become a better, more thoughtful professional. In fact, the more books you read the sharper your saw becomes and the better you perform your accounting functions. And not only that, but the better business owner you’ll be.

In one job I held employees were required to spend 30 minutes a day reading the latest news on our discipline in order to be informed of current and even cutting-edge techniques. Not only did it keep me abreast of current events, but it helped me learn new approaches that I could incorporate into my day-to-day work activities. I became more efficient and more informed as I performed my duties. It also enabled me to sound intelligent when talking to peers about my profession.

We suggest that you try to do the same. Schedule 20 to 30 minutes a day, during which you will search books and magazines that will enable you to become a better financial professional. Perform searches on Amazon, ask colleagues and peers for recommendations, and research the literature getting the most buzz. The more you read the longer your reading list will become. Don’t get discouraged; just start at the top and work your way down.

Our Recommendation

The best books for you may be those focusing on running a successful small business of your own. Not only will it help you better manage your practice, but it will also help you consult your clients in doing the same.

Allen Bostrom, president and CEO of Universal Accounting Center has written a book designed to help any and every small business become more profitable, and it’s called In the Black: Nine Principles to Make Your Business More Profitable.

Allen’s father, Alf, made a living turning small businesses around. In fact, he was called the Turnaround King. For a small percentage of a business’s future profits, Alf would their business around, often yanking them from the brink of bankruptcy. In doing so, Alf learned many key principles about ensuring a business’s success. He passed those on to his son, Allen, who also has extensive experience helping small businesses thrive. Using his father’s principles and those he developed himself, Allen wrote In the Black.

In the Black presents 9 practical principles that you can begin applying to your practice, or your clients’ businesses, immediately. It’s a quick read that will enable you to see how, exactly, you can increase a business’s profitability. And as an accountant, you can use this information to enhance your practice, becoming your clients’ Profit Expert.

If you would like to enhance your business, and your bank account, by reading books that will sharpen your saw, start here. Order In the Black today and have 9 principles, at-the-ready, that you can use to enhance your accounting practice. This small investment will make a big impact on your future.

The Successes and not so Bright Spots of the Year

This time of year is often a favorite for many who look forward to starting anew and looking back at the accomplishments over the last year. As your children may be counting down the days until that morning of anticipation and wonder, we in the accounting profession have a chance to take a step back and look over the year that we just had.

For some out there, it’s been a year to remember with fantastic growth in the amount of clients they have contracted with; increased their billable hours to a point where “living comfortably” is a good description of their current state. The state of their business is flourishing and everything is clicking on all cylinders like a finely tuned engine chugging along nicely.

For others it was a year of trial and error, where you had some successes, getting that larger client, finding that new way of doing things that shortened the time you spent on this or that particular task. But it was also full of mistakes, and of errors that were caused by inexperience, or simply from not knowing what to do. Mistakes that inevitably took away from the company’s bottom line and resulted in losing a client or two along the way.

Yet still for others this was a trying year, one that would be eligible for a “mulligan” if it were a round of golf. Although the effort was made, things and accounts just didn’t seem to come your way. It has now become very clear that drawing on additional Accounting and Bookkeeping experience is what is needed. This do-over year was full of pratfalls and blunders that bring the toughest to their knees and yet you survived it, ready for a new year.

However this last year was for you, this next year is a year of anticipation and wonder. You can make a great situation greater, a good thing much better and turn around the bad results into the learning experiences that they were and incorporate those lessons for this next upcoming season.

Here are a few things that help every company to take stock of how their year went.

• List the changes that happened to the practice of last year from the year previous
  • Additions or subtractions of clients, employees, services offered, and industries entered.
  • Any additions or subtractions of office equipment or capabilities of doing business.
• As all of us are inclined to do, get down to the dollars and cents of what happened in the year.
  • When you were more profitable than other times.
  • When you could have been more profitable and weren’t.
  • What was the real cost and profit of the practice over the year.

The success of what your practice does is on your capable shoulders. You are the deciding factor in how the business is run and what is accomplished throughout the year. Decide today how and what your business will accomplish for the upcoming year so you can take the steps that will bring you the success you look for. After you assess the right and wrong moves you made this year, resolve to continue your success and to gain more this next year. Universal’s Accounting and Bookkeeping web site can help you keep yourself on track. Click here and bookmark the site for future and continued referencing as we share and place what we share on that information-filled site.

Retirement Savings Motivation

While the information provided in this article doesn’t necessarily help you as an accountant or bookkeeper, I thought it would be valuable for you to know. Please let me know if you would like to have more articles of this type in the future.

Results from the 1998 Women’s Retirement Confidence Survey are both encouraging and discouraging. Major findings of the survey, which was conducted by the American Savings Education Council (ASEC), show that…

* Fifty-nine percent of women have saved for retirement, while 41 percent have not.

* Twenty percent of women are very confident about their retirement income prospects, while 40 percent are somewhat confident, and 31 percent are not confident at all.

* Among those women who are saving for retirement, only 30 percent are confident that they are investing their savings wisely.

* Sixty percent of women say that they have not figured out how much they need to save for retirement.

Why Women Don’t Save

While women cite many reasons for not saving for retirement, by far the most common reason is too many current financial responsibilities (67 percent). Other major reasons for not saving include uncertain economic events (30 percent), lack of retirement savings plan at work (26 percent), expectation of a pension (24 percent), lots of time remaining until retirement (23 percent), have not thought about it (21 percent), and retirement will work itself out when it comes (21 percent).

A smaller but significant number of women indicate that they have not saved for retirement because they can’t find investment information that is easy to understand
(19 percent), they don’t know where to start (19 percent), or they are not comfortable dealing with banks or other financial institutions (13 percent).

The ASEC points out that with interest compounding, a 25-year-old woman who begins saving $20 per week will accumulate a $132,000 nest egg over 35 years. For a woman aged 65, $132,000 could purchase an annuity for life of $870 per month or $10,440 per year.

The survey points up the need for more and better education for women about planning and saving for retirement. While many are saving, many still are not. What’s more, even those women who are saving need help–most have no idea how much they need to save, and many are not doing a good job of investing their savings.

Other Features From Today’s Newsletter:

• We Want You To Teach Us How to Improve
• First Impressions Do Count
• Give Clients Early Warning
• Show Me How to Make $80,000/year With My Own Accounting Service

Dare to Begin

“All Glory Comes From Daring to Begin”
-Anonymous

President Thomas Jefferson’s had the vision. But it was up to Meriweather Lewis and William Clark to make it happen. Their challenge: explore the Missouri River and find passage to the Pacific Ocean.

This presented a pretty daunting challenge over 200 years ago. Fortunately for the budding country, Lewis & Clark didn’t fear that challenge.

To prepare for the epic journey, Lewis studied everything he could on botany, celestial observation, zoology and medicine. He spared no effort to prepare for the journey that for several years would separate him from the comforts of home.

Suffering many hardships, Meriweather Lewis and William Clark finally made it to the Pacific Ocean. On November 7, 1805 they saw their first view of the rugged coastline of what is now Northern Oregon.

“Chance Does Nothing That Has Not Been Prepared Beforehand.”
-Alexis de Tocqueville

Like Lewis & Clark, our personal and professional success is not a matter of chance. It is a matter of preparation. What prevents you from preparing for the lifestyle you and your family deserve?

Don’t Let These 4 Obstacles Keep You From Your Dreams

1. You Need Specialized Skills and Knowledge- You might be thinking, “I’m not an accountant, can I really do this?” The answer is, yes. Whether or not you’ve ever worked in the accounting field before, here’s some good news. Universal Accounting’s Professional Bookkeeper Course fully prepares you with everything you need to know to do small business bookkeeping. In fact, you’ll become a small business bookkeeping expert.With all the tools and information to help business owners keep their businesses profitable, you will be a valuable asset to any business. If you don’t have previous experience in bookkeeping or accounting, you can still do this. With basic math skills, you have the building-blocks for a successful bookkeeping and accounting business.

   At Universal Accounting, we believe that hands-on learning is hands-down the best. With DVD and textbook instruction as well as practice sets of actual bookkeeping records, you’ll experience doing actual books for several small businesses during your course work. From a frame shop to a convenience store, you’ll have the skills to help any small business. From accounts payable and receivable to payroll, you’ll have the specialized skills to succeed.
   
   

2. You Need to Make an Investment in Time as Well as Money- Unlike Lewis & Clark, it won’t take several years to finish the Professional Bookkeeper Program. If you devote a couple of hours every night, you can be finished in as little as 4 weeks.And because you can reasonably expect to earn $30 to $60 per hour with the skills you’ll learn, the $1485 cost of the program quickly pays for itself. To make it simple and easy, we offer the option of purchasing the course with a credit card or with no-hassle student financing. In fact, if you can put as little as $145 on a credit card, you’re already approved.

   Whether you choose to pay for your course with a credit card or to finance, you’ll find the Professional Bookkeeper Course a great value. In all my searching for a better bookkeeping and accounting education, I haven’t found anything that even comes close to the value of the Professional Bookkeeper Program. Even franchise opportunities that can cost up to $80,000 just to get started don’t provide the training and real-world business knowledge the Professional Bookkeeper program provides.

   However, the real value of the course has nothing to do with what it costs. The real value is in it’s ability to create the income and lifestyle that you and your family want and deserve. Once you’ve completed the course, just follow the step-by-step marketing program to earn an aggressive income. Finally, get paid what you’re worth.

   What’s more, it only takes two hours or less per week to service a client, for which they’ll pay you $300 per month! So even if you are want a supplemental income, you can start small and and gradually increase how many clients you want to take over time. For many, once they have 10 clients, they make more in their part-time bookkeeping job than they do in their full time job. Then you get to decide, “Do I fire my boss now?” Keep your full-time job or really increase your income by building your business full-time, it’s up to you. And personal choice and freedom are the among the best benefits owning your own business has to offer you.

   Learn How to Make $35 to $60 Per Hour as a Part-Time Small Business Bookkeeper

3. Your Investment in Time Will Pay Big Dividends- Most of us feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day. The Professional Bookkeeper Program will teach you everything you need to know to make the most of the time you spend servicing clients to generate the most income. By prioritizing your time and energies, you’ll not only be able to generate an enviable income. Most importantly, you’ll also have the time to enjoy it.Dedicate 60 hours to your future. That’s all it takes to complete the Professional Bookkeeper program. A huge advantage of distance learning is that you can learn at your own pace. By dedicating a couple of hours each night, you’ll finish in less than a month.

   According to the University of California at Berkeley, Americans spend about 3 hours every day watching Television. Learning the skills to earn $30 to $60 per hour might cut into some TV time for a few weeks, but the earning potential of this powerful business more than justifies this small sacrifice.

   Let’s talk about the potential to maximize your time and multiply your earnings for a minute. If you presently make less than $15 to $30 per hour, I’ve just introduced you to something that can double your income. What I’m really saying is you can either make twice as much as you do now or work half-time and make the same income you do now.

   Click Here to Learn How to Make More Money in Less Time

   The Professional Bookkeeper program not only teaches you the ins-and-outs of small business bookkeeping, it will teach you the most efficient ways to service your clients in the least amount of time. You’ll learn the tricks-of-the-trade experienced professional bookkeepers use to squeeze the most out of every minute. Tools like the Client Organizer help you and your clients streamline your workflow so you spend less hours working and more hours doing the things in life that are most important to you.

4. You Need to Walk the Walk if You’re Gonna’ Talk the Talk- We all know people who talk a good game, but when it comes time to actually do something, well… they don’t. Thomas Edison said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”If I told you building a your business won’t take a commitment on your part, you wouldn’t believe me anyway. You will need to be determined to make this a success. But you should know, you really can be successful at this business. I say this because I have seen it happen. If you haven’t looked at what some of our successful graduates have to say about the Professional Bookkeeper program yet, click HERE to see what this program has done for so many others.

   The Professional Bookkeeper program, unlike most distance learning courses available, is presented in an easy to understand and accessible way. With DVD instruction and hands-on learning activities, you’ll experience a perfect learning environment. We believe that hands-on learning is hands-down the best. That’s why as a part of the Professional Bookkeeper program, you’ll do a sample set of books for several small businesses. When you learn by doing, you retain the knowledge much better. Working with clients, you will find yourself saying, “I can do this. I’ve done it several times before.” Only this kind of practice gives you that level of confidence.

   But that’s only the beginning. As part of the Professional Bookkeeper program, you’ll have a personal coach to help with your questions and keep you motivated as you learn the nuts-and-bolts of small business bookkeeping and accounting. In fact, we measure our success by how successful you become. Of course, we can’t do it for you, but short of that, we’re here to help you every step of the way. In no time, you’ll become a small business bookkeeping and accounting expert.

Don’t Forget the Universal Accounting 100% Money Back Guarantee

I have never taken a college course that offered a guarantee. But Universal Accounting Center does.

Universal Accounting’s Ironclad 100% Money Back Guarantee

Purchase and complete the course, and if you don’t feel that you’ve received your money’s worth, you can return the materials and get a complete refund. All of us here at Universal Accounting are so confident that you will find this training to be of value that we all stand behind it, 100%.

So, What’s Holding You Back?

“All Glory Comes from Daring to Begin.”

There has never been a better time to start a professional bookkeeping and accounting service than right now. The Professional Bookkeeper program gives you the tools to teach you everything you need to know to make your business a success.

You really can experience the personal and professional rewards that come from owning your own bookkeeping and accounting practice. Let me show you how achievable, profitable and easy it really is.

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.

If you are considering adding Tax Preparation and Planning to your Financial Services business at some point, you get a great price by purchasing both programs as a bundle.

Start Today!

The Professional Bookkeeper (PB) program consists of video instruction, practice books, and manuals.

In recent newsletters we have spoken about networking strategies and the need to update and maintain a date base as a platform for marketing activities.

Have you ever considered the value of your network of clients, contacts, suppliers and mentors? If you are the same as the majority of business owners, the answer is a resounding “no”.

Well - what is the value of your network. A simple “lots” answers this question. Our network has been developed and nurtured over a period of many years from an amazingly wide range of contacts.

Could you imagine conducting business without your network. To say the least it would be most difficult. People who commence business without the benefit of a network like yours can really suffer - one of the major benefits of purchasing a franchise business is the fact that it comes with its own built in network and there is no need to “re-invent the wheel”.

Once you begin to appreciate just how important your network is, you begin to realize that you should not only cherish it but also regularly communicate with members of your network and be on the lookout for additional members with whom you can conduct business or who can help you in other ways. Obviously this is a two way street and you should also be focussing on ways which you can be of assistance to members of your network without considering what they can do for you.

Your own network is the final outcome of all your networking activities and, as such, forms a vital part of your total marketing efforts. With this in mind it is something which should always be on your mind.

Learn More About What Module 4 of Our Accounting and Bookkeeping Course Teaches About Marketing Your Business

Other sections from this week’s newsletter:

• Success Begets Success
• Start a Part-Time Bookkeeping Service
• Growing Your Client’s Profit

Eight Time Management Secrets for the Accounting and Bookkeeping Home Business

You took the leap of faith and started your own Accounting / Bookkeeping business, and now you have enough clients to keep you busy for a long time. But you’re starting to wonder how you’ll keep up with it all, providing your clients with quality service while having that time to yourself you’ve always dreamed about. So how do you manage your business so that it doesn;t manage you? Here are eight time-saving tips to help you manage your business and recover your life.

1. Better Organize Your Home Office

If you’re like most people, you have wasted seconds, minutes, hours in precious work time hunting for that one invoice, file, or perhaps even the stapler. Your mother probably taught you that there’s a place for everything and everything should be in its place. That’s sound advice. If your office is well organized, you’ll waste little time hunting things down. While it may seem a daunting and time-consuming task at first, you’ll save yourself lots of time in the end if your organize your home office now (for more help on this, read our two articles: “Organizing Your Home Office Part I” and “Part II“).

2. Templatize

How many repetitive tasks do you do in one day? If you’re wasting time recreating the same documents or sending the same types of email, it’s time to standardize some of these tasks. Create form letters, standard documents, and redundant text for typical, lengthy emails. This should save you time, and because time is money in this business, you’ll be able to spend that saved time either making more money or enjoying what you’ve already made.

3. Punch The Clock

Okay, okay. So you quit your day-job so you wouldn’t have to punch the clock anymore. But the truth of the matter is if you don’t set your own hours and keep them, you’ll find yourself on the job 24/7. Generally, when working a 9 to 5 job you only work past five when there’s an emergency; do the same while working for yourself. Set some rules right now. For example: “I will work from 5AM to Noon, Monday through Friday and I will only work overtime when…” Be specific. Otherwise you’ll find that your work is managing you rather than the other way around. You’ll be amazed at how this will help you to work smarter. You may be wasting two hours everyday simply because you have them to waste. Also let your family know what your working hours are. If they know that you need to honor your business hours in order to honor family time, they’ll be more likely to give you the time and space you need (as long as your respect that time set aside for the family).

4. Plan Daily

The old adage goes, ” If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” How true that is! Take a few minutes every morning to review your schedule and plan your day. Take a few minutes when you are wrapping up work in the evening to plan your next days activities. Whenever you do it, do it daily, this time will go far in helping you use your time more effectively.

5. Prioritize Tasks

Just last week I spent 5 hours on a project I felt strongly about, but when I looked over my accomplishments later, I realized I hadn’t finished a task that was more important and timely. When we don’t prioritize our tasks, we run the risk of putting a lot of effort into something that isn’t crucial. By planning daily you will be able to find that the prioritization gets easier to do.

6. Avoid Procrastination

Procrastination is the great time-killer. All of us have had our bouts with it one time or another. It would be interesting to count up all the time wasted simply by procrastinating the essential tasks. How much time and energy do we spend worrying about one of those important to-do items? How often do we distract ourselves with silly busy work that doesn’t get you anywhere? Stopping short of diabling the game of solitaire on your computer, you need to fight the urge to delay the “unpleasant” tasks of the job. Take a deep breath and procrastinate no more. Delve into the task as soon as you can, with the attitude that it is as pleasant as the most simplest of tasks. And it will soon become that.

7. Become a Speed Reader

We’re not kidding. Some of us are slow readers, and lots of time could be saved in learning how to locate significant data quickly. It also helps us to keep on top of information that is crucial to our success in the accoutning and bookkeeping profession. Just think of it, how much reading do we do each day? If we could cut our time we spend on that and still get the same benefit, why not work to gain that reading skill?

8. Log Interruptions

Everyone in business is interrupted countless time a day. Some of those interruptions help grow your business (like clients who call with work for you to do). But some interruptions are unecessary and counterproductive to the working environment. If these can be anticipated, and handled in a timely manner, you will have a step up from the rest who cannot. We would suggest for those who would want to be better at handling the interruptions of their day to take a small pad of paper and note each interruption for one week. Be sure you note the time, date, interrupter, and the subject of the interruption. Once you have the information, you can evaluate it. Which interruptions could have been avoided? Which were of no value? Perhaps you have someone calling you for information that you could teach them to find themselves? While the teaching moment may cost you an hour now, it may save you hours in the end.

We all need to be aware of our time and how we spend it. Money is time and time is money in what we do, and we would need to stay on top of those things that are keeping us away from making what we could if we were just that much more organized. If you are able to do that, then the time spent working is more effective (and profitable), the time spent on them is minimized, and you will be able to enjoy that free time doing what you want to do when you want to do it.

If you are looking to become trained as a Professional Bookkeeper, and be able to handle your time better with the time-saving tips contained in the training program, click here to find out more

Become a Professional Bookkeeper today.

24 hours a day… 7 days a week. How would you like to have a sales force that never sleeps, works 24 hours a day, never expects to be paid, and delivers your complete message without leaving anything out each and every time they meet with your clients? Any business owner would love to have such a tireless and faithful sales force.

You might be thinking to yourself, “;Who would be willing to work so hard and not expect to be paid?”;

You may find this hard to believe, but the tools to create this sales force are literally right at your fingertips.

Your Sales Force Can Use The Personal Approach

If I were to suggest “;direct mail”;, you might think only of those cheaply made 1/2 sheet fliers that you get with coupons. That couldn’t be further from what I’m talking about. The biggest mistake most business owners make is assuming that all direct mail is impersonal, cheesy and poorly crafted. That is not the case.

Over the past 25 or 30 years, the Wall Street Journal has used a very effective direct mail campaign to solicit new subscribers to their magazine. You may have even received a letter yourself. Over the years I’ve received a couple of them myself.

I’ve noticed that the letter has remained fundamentally the same each time I receive it. Why? Because it works. Isn’t it interesting that something most of us pass off as cheap and cheesy, the Wall Street Journal has used effectively for years? As we discuss the beauty of the “;sales force that never sleeps”; let’s talk about why what’s good for the Wall Street Journal will be just as effective for you.

Let’s take a look at why the letters from the Wall Street Journal work and the coupons you’ve seen before don’t:

1. They use a personal approach. They send a personal letter. Don’t make the mistake of dismissing this because it’s something as simple as a letter. The truly great marketing minds of the last 50 years will all tell you that a personal, finely crafted letter is one of the single most powerful selling tools in existence.
2. They use statistically proven methods to make sure their letter gets read. Believe it or not, the science to the “;direct mail”; sales letter has been tested and successfully demonstrated for years. They use these tested methods whether or not they personally would respond to them. Statistically substantiated methods prove far superior to acting as a “;focus group of one”; like many of us tend to do. How many times have you heard someone say, “;I wouldn’t read or respond to that!”.
3. They present their message in a concise and interesting manner. Nobody wants to waste time reading fluff… despite the fact that they send a 4+ page letter, they make sure that every word pushes the reader through the letter, the sales pitch and the close.
4. They unashamedly ask for the reader to subscribe. They make no excuse that the purpose of the letter is to gain your subscription. By presenting the benefits to you, the reader, they demonstrate the ability of the Journal to meet those needs and ask for your subscription. Their salesman always asks for the order at the end of every presentation.
5. They continually seek to test and improve. Like all great direct marketers, constant testing against this proven letter is required. Some of their potential subscribers get a modified letter to make sure that the letter they send out gets the best results possible. But they keep the tried and true. Why? Because it works.

Find New Clients, Reintroduce Yourself to Old Clients or Keep in Touch with Current Clients

The personal letter does all these things. You’re “;sales force that never sleeps”; multi-tasks and reaches out to all of your contacts. Remember, a personal, well crafted letter is one of the most powerful sales tools you can use.

You might say, “;I don’t see any other bookkeepers or accountants using a sales letter.”; That’s great. Using a sales method that others don’t in your particular market is a really smart move.

Universal’s Marketing Module Offers You Proven Sample Letters to Use with Your Clients and Prospective Clients

The Wall Street Journal uses a letter that has been tested and has proven itself over time. You can benefit from the same type of testing. Part of the Professional Bookkeeper Course offered exclusively by Universal Accounting includes a marketing module filled with tried and tested sales letters, presentations and contact ideas that have been successful for years.

No other program offers as complete an education in small business accounting as Universal. No other course offers the tools to ensure that you are successful. Learning everything you’ll need to know and providing you with tested and effective sales tools that you can start using today will ensure your success.

The need for professional bookkeeping and tax professionals has never been greater. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts that the need will continue to increase for the foreseeable future. There has never been a better time to start your business as a skilled bookkeeper and tax professional.

You can build your Bookkeeping Practice by using methods proven effective. You don’t have to be a marketing genius. Universal Accounting has the tools that allow you to join the ranks of successful bookkeepers and tax professionals all over the country. People just like you and me who never considered themselves to be marketers before, but with tried and tested methods have discovered how truly simple a successful marketing effort can be.

The most complete education in accounting is one click away. Enroll now in this time-tested course that will not only train you in small business accounting, but enable you to effectively market these skills. Order now!

Are You Sabotaging Your Professional Image?

Positive or Negative Image

When we interact with clients and coworkers, what is their impression of us? We might like to think that they see us the way that we see ourselves, but often that is simply not the case. From how we dress to little habits that we have that we may not even notice ourselves, we each display aspects that others may read negative things into, whether accurately or not. What kinds of things might we be doing today that could harm our professional image? While the focus of the article below is on issues that we often relate to females, many of them apply to both genders to greater or lesser extent.

Inappropriate or Suggestive Dress

Inappropriate dress is one of the most obvious ways to undermine your credibility with potential clients. While this applies to both sexes, it is especially true for Women. Experts cite inappropriate television role models, fashion designers, and a lack of self-awareness as the causes of poor career-wear choices among women.

If the clothes that you wear are suggestive in nature, it cheapens your image, especially to female coworkers or clients. They may see you as not focused on business or that you want to get ahead by appealing to men in a sexual way. If female coworkers sense this in you, it may engender feelings of competition or resentment. Male coworkers or clients may get the wrong idea, that you are interested in them or again, that you are cheap. If they are attracted to you by the things that you wear, you create a distraction to the business that needs to get done. You may then have to deal with unwanted advances or other problems. Simply put, the business that you do for clients is complex enough without adding to it with interpersonal issues and potential conflict.

Speak too softly.

Some women speak but are not heard because they do not speak loudly enough. Speaking softly often conveys a lack of confidence in what you are saying. Your clients need to know that you are secure in your ability to do work for them. Those that are noticed are those that are often outspoken and convey that they have something meaningful to say.

Also, when you speak softly and are not heard, you create a laborsome conversation where a client must continually ask, “What did you say?” Even worse, your clients may misunderstand what it is that you are saying and come to incorrect conclusions. Misunderstandings will make you less effective and will often strain client relations.

Wear their hair too long.

Experts consider long hair too girlish and distracting. Long hair should be pulled back and off the face during the workday. It is said that well over half of the information that is conveyed in a conversation is done non-verbally through facial expressions and other non-verbal cues. If your face is partially hidden by your hairstyle, you reduce your ability to effectively communicate. Some people that are shy by nature wear long hair and let it hang down intentionally to obscure their facial expressions and to “hide”. You do not want any of these connotations to badly affect your professional image with clients.

Smile and giggle too much.

Many women don’t realize they smile and giggle as much as they do. It’s often a nervous habit, but it robs them of their credibility. You want to be seen as mature and businesslike, one who is in control of yourself and your emotions. You may find that others assume less intelligence than you actually posses because of stereotypes that we have all been exposed to.

Smiling too much or giggling may also give the impression to male clients that you are interested in them for more than business, no matter how innocent your motives might be. You may be seen as flirting with them or making advances.

Use nervous gestures.

Hair-twisting and hand wringing, for instance, are annoying to others, and send a negative message. They will be seen for what they are, indications that you are uncomfortable. When clients sense that you are uncomfortable, they will wonder whether you question your own skills and ability to do the work that they are paying you for. When you radiate confidence, it puts your clients at ease as well.

Apologize too much.

It’s important to acknowledge a genuine mistake, but it’s not appropriate to take responsibility for something that is not your fault. People with little confidence tend to apologize for things that are not their doing. You do not want to be associated with people with low self-confidence.

Conclusion

Whether we like to admit it or not, to a greater or lesser extent, we all take visual cues from others and relate them to those that we have worked with in the past. The mind is a giant association machine, so it is impossible to completely disassociate what we see now with what we have seen before. Knowing that others’ minds work in this way can be to our advantage. If we dress and conduct ourselves in a way that clients relate to very professional people that they have known in the past, we will leave a better impression and have a better working relationship.

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