Accounting and Bookkeeping Articles

Making Your Message Memorable

We understand that financial professionals, while being good with numbers, often struggle with PR, namely promoting themselves and their services.  When it comes to marketing your services, you need to ensure that your message is more than memorable, but provokes action (namely, contacting you and scheduling a consultation).  As competition to secure prospective clients increases throughout the recession, you need to sharpen your marketing skills and learn new ways to enhance your messages.  Kim T. Gordon, in her Entrepreneur.com article entitled “How to Make Your Message Stick,” shares four tips designed to move prospective clients to action.

1. Evoke emotion

We’re all moved by emotion.  Whether it be joy, fear, sadness, or happiness, we often make key decisions based upon how the potential outcome will make us feel.  Your call-to-action will likely be more successful if it follows an emotional appeal.  It’s important, however, that you avoid marketing ploys that are heaven-handed, crossing the line from emotional appeal to manipulation.  When done correctly, however, an emotional appeal can move prospective clients to action faster than any other marketing strategy.

2. Earn referrals.

Gordon claims that when researchers ask American consumers what influences their buying decisions most, referrals from families and friends always top the list.  In order for current clients to actually refer your services to their family and friends, you must ensure that you’re providing stellar customer service.  And you don’t have to wait for your clients to spread the word on their own.  If you time it right, you can ask them if they have anyone to refer; be sure to offer incentives for sharing this information.

3. Create “ah-hah” moments.

When you enable prospective clients to understand something new for the first time, you create an “ah-hah” moment that makes your services more appealing.  If that “ah-hah” moment enables potential clients to see that retaining your services may make them more profitable in the end, you can help them have an epiphany that drives them to your practice faster than anything else.

4. Offer significant savings.

Everyone likes a deal.  When you can offer significant savings for introductory services, you’re more likely to attract new clients.  It can be a first-time, returning or seasonal offer.  Whatever the case, it should be considerable enough to attract quality clients that will return even when your fees normalize.

Build Your Practice

UAC’s Universal Practice Builder (UPB) program has helped other accountants like you grow their practices beyond their wildest dreams.  Designed to train you how to market your services effectively, the UPB will share more than 12 proven marketing techniques that will enable you to secure 15 to 25 qualified leads per month.  In fact, this course is guaranteed to make you more than $30,000 in increased annualized billings in just 12 months.  That’s nearly 17 times the cost of the course! That’s quite the ROI.  But don’t take our word for it.  Listen to our graduates share how this program has changed the face of their practices.  Visit Universal Accounting Center today!

Resources

Gordon, Kim T.  “How to Make Your Message Stick.”  11 Feb. 2009  Entrepreneur.com

You have a number of options in responding to the recession. You can 1) try to maintain status quo, 2) retreat, or 3) advance. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs have taken a more aggressive approach even in the worst economic times. They see an economic storm as the opportunity to strengthen their foothold so that when the tempest clears, they are found dominating the market.

You too can take a more aggressive approach without much risk. By simply adding tax services to your menu you can become a full-financial provider, edging out the competition in a matter of months. And with two professional designations and a handful of effective marketing strategies, you can be more than ready to dominate the market once the tempest clears.

Tax Services

From tax preparation to tax planning, you can offer a host of new services that will appeal to both current and prospective clients. In doing so, however, it’s important that you also provide professional credibility in order to secure their trust and loyalty.

Universal’s Professional Tax Preparer program provides you with solid training in the preparation of personal and business returns while enabling you to earn the PTP designation to accompany it. Through our unique hands-on training you will gain the confidence and expertise necessary to tackle just about any return. You’ll complete a number of forms and can move through the course at your own pace, mastering the content in your spare time. And once you enroll, you will have 12-months of follow-up support, enabling you to contact our tax professionals with any questions or concerns you may encounter as you work with clients.

The modules in this course include the following:

1. Establishing the Tax foundation

• Getting Started
• Wages, Salaries, & Tips
• Schedule B - Interest/Dividend Income
• Schedule C-EZ and Schedule F
• Schedule D-Capitol Gain (or Loss)
• Retirement Income
• Schedule E - Income (or Loss) from Rental Property/Royalties/partnerships/SCorporations/Trusts
• Other Types of Income
• Occupational Adjustments
• Educational and Personal Adjustments

2. Becoming the 1040 Expert

• Standard vs. Itemized deductions - Part A: Medical/Taxes
• Schedule A - Part B: Int/Char/Theft
• Schedule A - Part C: Job/Misc.
• Calculating the Tax
• Non-Refundable Credits - Part A
• Non-Refundable Credits - Part B
• Other Taxes
• Payments & Refundable Credits
• Closing the Return

3. Profitable Business Returns

• Business Entities
• Tax Elements in Accounting
• Financial Components
• Dispositions of Business Property
• Schedule C
• Form 1065
• Form 1120
• Form 1120S

4. Building Your Successful Tax Practice

• Getting started Right
• Effective marketing
• Comfortable Interviewing Techniques
• Profitable Fee Calculations
• Always the Expert Preparer

Many tax preparers make enough money during tax season to live on for the remainder of the year. Imagine enjoying that kind of “raise” in a recession! But why stop there?

Small-Business Accounting

In addition to tax services, you can enhance your professional appeal by mastering small-business accounting and earning the Professional Bookkeeper (PB) certification. This program is designed to help you serve this niche market in desperate need of a Profit Center Expert, a title that could easily be yours. Whether you’re a novice or expert accountant, this program is designed to train you to start or grow a successful and lucrative business as a Professional Bookkeeper. The modules include:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

You can see that the last module will equip you with valuable marketing techniques you can use to secure paying clients. Like the PTP program, the PB course will enable you to move at your own pace, mastering the content as quickly or leisurely as you desire. Once completed, you can have two designations to add to your business card (PB and PTP) and a full-financial practice that will attract more clients, increase your bottom line, and help you become the premier financial professional in your area. Don’t allow the recession to force you into retreat. Advance today by enrolling in these phenomenal programs today!

As the recession deepens for many small business owners, you may find yourself surrounded by fretful clients who worry where this economic downturn will take them.  As their accountant, you may become akin to a financial therapist, alleviating their concerns whenever possible.  If thus far you’ve wondered how you might calm your concerned clients and point their thoughts in a more positive direction, we have 5 suggestions:

1. Listen and acknowledge their concerns.

First, it’s important that you listen to and acknowledge their feelings.  Allow them a few minutes to express themselves and release all those negative thoughts.  With this step we suggest you don’t indulge their fears too much; obsessing about them will only cause them to expand in their minds, becoming more overwhelming and insurmountable.  At some point you are responsible for turning to the conversation in a more positive direction.

2. Don’t avoid the monster in the closet.

While it’s important to be positive, you shouldn’t avoid their greatest fears.  What happens if their cash flow decreases?  How much can revenue dwindle before their business is in trouble?  While addressing these fears, help them maintain a realistic perspective.  What’s their current financial standing?  And in looking at key indicators, what needs to change in order for their business to remain or become profitable?

3. Be positive.

Regardless of how frightened your clients may be, it’s your job to remain positive.  If you indulge their fears and jump on the worst-case-scenario bandwagon, chances are the negative energy will propel you both towards failure.  You must help them see that regardless of how bad things may seem you can always take measures to improve them.  Remind them that the more positive they are, the more positive their situation will likely become.

4. Remind them of your value.

Thank heavens your clients have an accountant to help them through the recession!  Who better to help lead their business as it barrels through this economic storm?  Remind them that you’re there to assist them through any financial difficulty, watching those key indicators and informing them how they might use your accounting data to make more profitable business decisions.

5. Establish a Recession Plan.

It always helps to have a plan.  And developing a Recession Plan may be just what your clients need to feel at peace regarding their business’s future.  As you share their current standing, interpreting the accounting data in a way they can best understand, have them determine where they would like their business to be and establish some goals your client can work towards in order to see that happen.  The more specific the goals, the better.

It’s important that you acknowledge your clients’ concerns and help them work through them, coming to terms with their current financial standing and taking measures to improve them.  As you help your client better manage their business through this recession, you’ll find the efforts are well worth the customer loyalty you will certainly secure.

Secure Your Own Standing

You may be feeling a little recessional stress yourself.  You can secure your own standing in these difficult times by earning professional designations that will put your clients at ease while enhancing your service offerings.

Professional Bookkeeper (PB)

UAC has designed a curriculum specific to the needs of small businesses, and Universal Accounting offers the most complete small business accounting course anywhere.  The Professional Bookkeeper Designation assures clients that you have been properly trained in small business accounting and will help you know what those clients need most from you.

Professional Tax Preparer (PTP)

Many tax preparers make more money in the months leading up to the April 15 tax deadline than others make all year long! Since all individuals and businesses, small or large, are required to file taxes, tax preparation is a respected skill that will always be in demand.  And many of your current clients would probably be happy to have you file their taxes as well as perform the standard accounting services you currently provide.

Also consider who your clients will trust to file their taxes.  Countless individuals are scammed each year by people who claim to know what they’re doing.  More and more are becoming weary of tax preparers without any credentials.  The Tax Preparer Designation will put many of those individuals at ease, assuring them that you have been properly trained in tax preparation.

So consider securing your practice’s current standing by adding two professional designations to your name.  Learn more by visiting Universal Accounting Center today!

The minute you start talking about what you’re going to do if you lose, you have lost.-George Shultz

Morale is faith in the man at the top. - Anonymous

Work joyfully and peacefully, knowing that right thoughts and right efforts will inevitably bring about right results.-James Allen

Employee morale is spiraling as quickly as the economy.  If you have a support staff, chances are they’re feeling burdened by recession stress which impacts the work environment, and consequently, their performance.  In order to boost morale you need to demonstrate your genuine appreciation for them and their work, but in today’s economy it needs to be fairly inexpensive.  Last week we discussed the following 5 inexpensive ways to boost employee morale:

1.    Redesign the break room.

2.    Consider adding an exercise room.

3.    Promote community service.

4.    Add Pizza Fridays to your schedule.

5.    Provide free professional seminars.

This week we’ll cover the final 5:

6. Schedule a monthly movie date.

It doesn’t cost much to treat your employees to a monthly matinee.  Like Pizza Fridays and community service, it builds camaraderie in the office and promotes positive feelings for your organization.  You may even consider a yearly movie date where employees can invite a spouse or friend to accompany them.

7. Promote family parties.

This is a great spring or summer activity.  For little cost you can invite everyone to a local park, or perhaps your backyard, for a picnic and games.  You can provide the entrée (grilled steak and chicken, for example), while employees provide side dishes, potluck style.  This is a great way to become better acquainted with your employees and their families.

8. Provide free continental breakfasts.

There’s something about a regular treat that lifts peoples’ spirits.  A weekly continental breakfast can be a great way to start the week, say on Monday, by offering free donuts, bagels, muffins, and/or fruit.  Again, this is an inexpensive way to express your appreciation for their work.

9. Award free car washes.

For five dollars you can award an employee with a free car wash.  While it’s not that significant, it can be a simple way to acknowledge extra effort or exceptional performance.

10. Consider providing free professional training.

You employees just may be the greatest assets of your business.  When you provide them with professional training, you are investing in this asset while building your company and enhancing employee performance.  In addition, you’re giving them the opportunity to build their skill set, which, in this economic climate, is a tremendous benefit.

UAC Offers Onsite Employee Training

UAC has been training professionals for over 25 years in bookkeeping, accounting and tax services.  We know what your clients need; we know what your business needs.  And a knowledgeable, trained staff will do wonders for your bottom line.  Whether it be business management, accounting, or tax training, we can provide complete, onsite training for your employees.  And regardless of their positions, we can help them understand how their work contributes to your business model.  Learn more by visiting UAC’s website today!