You may believe that your career is all about accounting; therefore, you aren’t expected to perform any marketing tasks. That’s simply not true. If you want to advance your career you must continually market yourself. This is often a difficult task for accountants who are typically described as introverted and numerically driven. But even it is uncomfortable, the success of your career depends on your ability to promote yourself to current and potential employers.

In order to help you accomplish this, we’re devoting two newsletters to this topic. This week we’ll touch on the first five of ten tips on marketing yourself:

1. Focus on your soft skills

In order to make an impression on people, you must develop your soft skills, specifically the way you communicate with others. You need to practice being yourself, interacting in an inviting and personable manner that says you would be easy to work with. This may not be easy at first. Consider topics of conversation that draw people in. Just about everyone likes to talk about themselves. Ask about their families, what they do for a living, what they do for fun, where they live, where they’re from. It’s important that you show interest in what they share; often this encourages people to keep talking and helps them feel more comfortable with you.

2. Develop an elevator speech

An elevator speech is like a quick infomercial about you and your skills that can be delivered in the time it takes an elevator to carry its occupants to their floor. It’s something you hone and practice so that at opportune moments you can network effectively, explaining what you do and why you do it so well that everyone deserves to hear about it. A good elevator speech should be under 30 seconds long and should accompany your business card, which you must carry with you at all times. You want to provide your listener with just the right amount of information without overloading them or appearing overbearing.

3. Leave your comfort zone

Sometimes you must leave your comfort zone in order to truly excel and meet those individuals that will strengthen your professional network. Get in-the-know regarding professional community events which might expose you to different businesses and opportunities. And often the most rewarding events are those that are completely unrelated to business. Sometimes you meet the most valuable individuals on a flight, at the gym, or in the line at the grocery store. Always be willing to step from your comfort zone in order to take advantage of these chance meetings.

4. Keep your resume current

You never know when or where opportunities might present themselves. You are best prepared with a current resume. It’s important that you continually note your achievements and add them to your resume; you don’t want to be caught unprepared without having noted the specifics of your career accomplishments. You may think that you would never forget, but put enough time and experience between you and those achievements and they’ll be difficult to recall. Record them now before you forget.

5. Develop a 5-year career plan

You don’t know what the future will bring, but a 5-year career plan will give you something to shoot for, enabling you to make wise choices that will bring you closer to your goals. Many accountants would like to someday own their own accounting practices, where they call the shots and determine just how high their own salaries are. If you’re one of these individuals, now is a good time to think beyond marketing yourself to consider what it would take to market your own business.

Universal Accounting Center, with over 25 years training individuals in small business accounting, knows just what it takes to effectively market those skills. For less than ten dollars you can learn more about the Art and Science of Getting Clients! This will expose you to proven marketing techniques that will not only teach you how to better market yourself, but prepare your to market your own accounting practice. If this is something you’ve included in your 5 or 10-year career plan, learning more about this now will only help you reach that goal. Order your copy today!

Join us next week when we’ll talk about the final five tips in developing an effective marketing campaign, for YOU!

The Next Pay Increase

What You Can Do to Move Your Next Pay Increase That Much Closer

You have been probably wondering how I can be making a little more here and there. Seeing how things are going within your company you have probably already identified that you may need a little more training to get you over that “hump” Universal Accounting is all about getting paid what you worth and here is one of the many solutions we have for you.

Get That Pay Raise with QuickBooks Pro Training
Nearly 80% of small businesses use Intuit’s QuickBooks software. While other programs may be useful, QuickBooks has definitely captured the small business market. As an accountant or bookkeeper you know that over 80% of accounting opportunities are with the small business. Statistics are in your favor; learning QuickBooks is good business.

Universal Accounting Center ’s self-paced QuickBooks program enables you to complete the parts of this software that interest you and skip over the parts that don’t. Even if you have used the program for years, the program teaches you shortcuts and methods you may not have known. You will be impressed by the simple flow and completeness of UAC’s Guide to QuickBooks Pro.

Once you master QuickBooks Pro, you can offer QuickBooks set-up and consultation services for $65-$95 per hour. You’ll find companies who want to do their accounting tasks themselves, but need help in configuring QuickBooks to meet their needs. And once you’ve helped a company set up its initial QuickBooks system, who do you think they’ll turn to for help? You, of course! After all, you’ll have the training and expertise they’ll need whenever they run into a problem. You can compliment your QuickBooks services by offering QuickBooks support. Consider this, Intuit charges $75 an incident and $349-$600 per year for support. That’s too pricey for most small business owners; you could offer QuickBooks support for a more reasonable fee and draw in more clients in need of a little QuickBooks help.

This could be the perfect opportunity for you to expand your business and pay the rental fees for that office space you’ve been wanting. If you order online today, you can get The Professional Bookkeeper’s Guide to Quickbooks Pro at a $100 discount, for only $385. This includes the full academic version of Quickbooks Pro with UAC’s valuable instruction. For only $285, you can get the instruction with a trial version of Quickbooks Pro. Make a small investment that could change your business: order now.

Movin’ on up: Eight Ways to Earn That Promotion

(Part I of II)

Back in the day, Ward Cleaver got hired to a position that promised job security and frequent promotion on his chosen career path. Times have changed, and these days if you want a promotion, you need to chase it down yourself. Here are eight ways to achieve career advancement:

1. Determine your career goals

It’s hard to get what you want when you’re not even sure what it is. Sit down and figure out where you want to be in 5 to 10 years. Once you state your career goals, it becomes easier to see what it will take to achieve them.

2. Go the extra mile

Come to work 15 minutes early, and stay 15 minutes late. This shows your boss that you’re more interested in doing your work than you are in watching the clock. And do more than what is expected of you. Ask for more responsibility, volunteer for different duties and tasks, and be a visible team player.

3.Be proactive

Create your own opportunities by seeing what needs to be done and doing it yourself.

4. Network

Networking not only helps you to get the job, but it can also help you trade that job in for a better one. Get to know more people within your organization and, when possible, help others achieve their goals. This increases your value to coworkers and superiors who will be more likely to sing your praises when given the chance.

5. Document your achievements

Track your achievements, measuring results when possible. While it helps to say that your proposal saved the company a lot of money, it means more to your boss when you explain how your proposal reduced production costs by 30%; numbers always speak louder than words alone.

6. Communicate

At first it may feel awkward to sing your own praises, but unless your boss knows how valuable you are, it’s difficult for him/her to give you the promotion you deserve. You need to share your achievements with your boss, maybe in a monthly email that states your progress on certain projects and lists your recent achievements. It’s also a good idea to tell your boss you’re interested in a promotion. Who better to help you achieve your career goals?

7. Act professionally

Imagine where you’d like to be in five or ten years and then dress the part, speak the part, and act the part. Avoid complaining, take responsibility for mistakes, and be a team player.

8. Increase your skills and expertise

Nothing shows your willingness to advance like increasing your skills and expertise. Often employers will pay for programs designed to help employees learn new skills or stay current in their field. Seek out chances to expand your skill-set, and be sure to share your new knowledge and abilities with your boss.

If you want to increase your accounting skills and earn a professional designation, Universal Accounting Center has the program for you. UAC’s Professional Bookkeeper Program will teach you the day-to-day accounting and bookkeeping needs of small business, enabling you to become a Professional Bookkeeper (PB). The Professional Bookkeeper Program teaches you the skills that you need to skip over the entry level positions and get right to those job opportunities that might take someone with a traditional accounting training years. Your employer may be willing to pay for your tuition. Enroll in the PB Program today!

If this article appealed to you, be sure to read our next newsletter article, “Movin’ on up: How to Ask for That Promotion (Part II of II).”

5 Steps in Taking that First Leap of Faith

A ship in port is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for. – Admiral Grace Murray Hopper

We cannot discover new oceans until we have the courage to lose sight of the shore. - Muriel Chen

Many of us dream about starting our own businesses and may even visualize how successful we could become. But that’s where it ends. The logistics, family concerns, the financial risks, can all be paralyzing and make it difficult to move forward. But as Trammell Crow once said, “There’s as much risk in doing nothing as in doing something.” The longer you wait to act, the more likely you’ll stay put- stagnate, unsuccessful, and ultimately, full of regret. Don’t you deserve better than that? Don’t you deserve to live out your dreams?

If you answered “yes” to the questions above than you need to seriously consider taking that first step to start your own accounting practice. It will require that you leave your comfort zone and experience risk, but unless you do you will never achieve your full potential. But how do you endure the discomfort and take the first leap of faith? The following 5 steps will help.

1. Consider your options.

We want to stress the importance of looking before you leap. You must take the time to consider all your options. Will you start part-time, moonlighting in order to grow your client base? Or do you have enough current and potential clients to provide the income necessary to sustain you and your family? Will you work from your home? If so, what will it take to make your office functional? Think through all the possibilities and allow yourself to gravitate towards that which feels doable. But don’t get stuck on this step. Too many do and find themselves plagued with the infamous “paralysis by analysis.” Think it through and move forward to step two.

2. Research the market.

While it’s important to think through your options, they become more defined when you research the market. How many accountants are currently in your area? Can the market sustain another independent contract accountant? Who would your target market even be? What services are currently being offered and how can you capture the market by enhancing yours to beat out the competition? Is there a niche that’s currently being neglected that you could take advantage of? You can improve on your research by actually talking with other accountants, potential customers, and professionals you respect and admire. They can provide valuable feedback that will ultimately inform your final decision. When on this step it’s important to be thorough, but, again, don’t get stuck here. Answer your most pressing questions and move on to step three.

3. Trust your instincts.

Intuition is more valuable than most think. After spending considerable time looking into your options and researching the market, you’ve gotten a good feel for your alternatives. And chances are you feel better about some of them than you do others. This is your chance to trust your instincts. You know what’s best for you and your family more than anyone else. It’s time to listen to that inner voice and act on it.

4. Act.

This can be the most exhilarating and terrifying step. But nothing happens until you act. Once you’ve made your decision it’s time to move forward, learning as you go. But take note, each event and experience is a lesson, and you should learn from them so you can improve your business and your own approach.

5. Evaluate.

The best businesses are those that continually enhance their products and/or services, grow their offerings and improve their marketing efforts. The only way to accomplish that is by evaluating your business. As your own accountant you need to look at your numbers and determine which areas are weak and which are strong. This enables you to make the best decisions for your business, fostering improvement and growth.

Imagine all that you can see and experience in leaving the comfort of the shore to launch your practice. We can guarantee you will encounter a storm or two, but oh, how grand the view and how exhilarating the ride. Not to mention you can improve your lifestyle, enjoying more quality time with your family and a larger income with which to support them.

Financing a Small Business

Many feel more secure in starting their practice with a small business loan. This can finance your start-up, enabling you to go full-time and concentrate your efforts on promoting your practice and growing your clientele. Universal Accounting Center has designed a manual to help you create a loan package that is complete and effective. Financing a Small Business is packed with clear-cut instructions and terrific resource materials that will make creating a loan application package easy. It even includes a sample loan package that you can use as a model. This manual is not only reasonably priced, but it is a must-read for people like you interested in financing options. Don’t hesitate. Your boat is anxious to set-sail; a successful accounting practice awaits. Order now!

Serving Subscribers with Our Free Newsletters

We enjoy sending you information that we hope improves your efforts to advance your accounting career. Our three newsletters, AB Tips, Tax Tips, and Career Tips, are intended to help professionals like you advance in whatever their current position in the financial field. The AB Tips Newsletter is designed to share accounting and bookkeeping tips with subscribers. Intended for individuals with their own accounting practice or for those who would like to start their own practice, we specifically include tips on how to market your services, how to streamline tasks, how to organize your office space, etc. Our Tax Tips Newsletter is for tax preparers or those interested in tax preparation. We provide tax news, information on starting your own business, tips on building your clientele, etc. And finally, we have our Career Tips newsletter, for those of you who work or would like to work in the accounting field. In this newsletter we include information on getting the right job, advancing in your field, moving into management positions, etc.

As we learn more about your needs, we alter our approach in order to better serve you. We’re adding a few things to the newsletter that we hope you enjoy. Here’s a breakdown of what’s included and how we hope it helps you.

Two articles

Since we began running our free ezines over two years ago, we have included two articles every issue that offer accounting and tax information, tips on running and marketing a small business, career guidelines and promotional pieces. The newsletters provide us with the opportunity to share our products and services with those we believe they best serve. Universal’s programs are top of the line and life-changing; we promote them because we know they help people like you achieve career goals and realize your business dreams.

We also use the newsletter as an opportunity to expose you to our many free resources, including personalized information from our President and CEO, Allen Bostrom in Allen’s Blog, UAC’s accounting and tax forums, the newsletters, and the Universal video tour.

Recently we’ve responded to requests for purely informational pieces as well. Last summer we asked newsletter subscribers to tell us what you wanted to read about. For the past six months we’ve tried to include articles on all suggested topics. Each newsletter contains one, if not two, informational pieces. We continue to welcome your feedback as we write articles intended to help you improve your accounting career. Please visit our forums for a chance to give us feedback on past articles and suggestions for future articles.

Press Releases and New Products

We want you to be in the know about everything Universal, so we include all press releases, enrollment offers, and information about new products in our newsletters. From our new interactive testing center to our customized Professional Bookkeeper Program for Canadian residents, we want you to be the first to know what’s happening at Universal Accounting Center.

Quotable Quote

Everyone could use a little inspiration now and then, so we like to include a quotable quote in each issue of our newsletters. Funny quotes, somber quotes, quotes that make you want to get up and accomplish something, we try to include a variety that inspire and uplift.

“The Bottom Line”

And last but certainly not least is an upcoming addition to our newsletters: a video clip we call “The Bottom Line.” In the serious world of financial statements, taxes, and projected profits, the bottom line is that we like what we do and can enjoy a good laugh about our profession. The humorous clip is intended to help lighten your load and improve your day. We hope you look forward to this new feature and share it frequently with coworkers, family, and friends.

We want our newsletter to help you move forward in your goals as a financial professional.So stay tuned as we continue to improve our newsletters so that they can better serve your needs. We appreciate your support.

Firm Provides Extensive and Focused Training in Accounting

As seen in The Salt Lake Tribune

How would you like to wear whatever you want to work, set your own hours that fit your personal schedule and, better still, just stay home all day?

That’s the lifestyle many have adopted by owning a bookkeeping or accounting home-based business. In fact, this type of service is rated as the best of the best home-based business opportunities available today. And, Universal Accounting Center can help you get started.

Here’s a few reasons why this type of service is so popular: the up-front investment is low; it offers a flexible schedule; and it can provide you an income of $30 to $60 per hour. A home-based business is well-suited for anyone who wants to supplement his or her income, work at home, or change careers.

According to the state Job Service, the accounting field is expected to expand by over 20 percent during the next few years. Accounting is also considered among the top 10 percent of all professions for future job growth.

Couple this with an expanding small business sector, which now accounts for over 98 percent of businesses in the United States, and you discover a great opportunity to share in the growth of small business while providing a needed service as a bookkeeper/accountant.

Cashing in on this opportunity doesn’t take long, nor need it require extensive schooling.

Universal Accounting Center, a Utah-based firm founded in 1979, can assist a person in entering the field. Within just four weeks, and individual with no prior experience can begin providing bookkeeping and accounting services to a small business either on a contract or employment basis.

“There is a notion that a person must be a CPA to perform bookkeeping and accounting services. This is simply not true,” said Allen Bostrom, a CPA and president of Universal Accounting Center.

“CPA credentials are only necessary when performing an audit or when a CPA endorsement is required for a review,” explained Bostrom.

“In fact, due to mandatory peer reviews and continuing education required of a CPA, it may be to a person’s advantage to not be certified as a public accountant when providing bookkeeping services,” he added.

To be successful, a person should be detail-oriented, comfortable working with numbers and at ease when talking with others.

Individuals that know how to account for inventory financed businesses, small manufacturing companies and construction companies are at a particular advantage.

Each of these types of businesses require specialized accounting methods beyond that taught inmost accounting curriculums.

How does Universal Accounting Institute provide so much in so little time? The Universal Accounting training system focuses exclusively on accounting for small businesses.

According to Bostrom, “When an individual wants egg salad, they go to a supermarket and buy the ingredients. Education at the local universities and colleges is similar to buying the whole store.”

He explained, “Only a small portion of the university accounting degree program is actually accounting-related, and most of the course work is emphasizing the large corporate environment and issues that apply to big business. Universal’s training, on the other hand, is uniquely devoted just to small business accounting.”

Universal is a fully registered school with the Utah State Board of Education. The course is taught by practicing professionals and completed during three-hour daily instructional sessions over a four-week period.

The courses begins with and in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of accounting, followed by hands-on experience in the complete accounting cycle for nine different businesses.

In addition, the students receive direction in how to develop, calculate fees, and work with clients or employers.

Students of the Universal Accounting course attend for a broad range of reasons and from equally diverse backgrounds. In a typical class, one-third of the students lack experience in accounting, while more than 30 percent of the students have degrees in accounting. In fact, CPAs are often enrolled in the class.

A recent graduate of Universal wrote: “In four weeks, your course taught me everything – and I mean everything – I would need to know about starting my home bookkeeping business.

“I currently have seven clients I am making more money than I did when I was employed full time and I arrange my schedule to fit my needs, not arrange my life to fit my jobs.”

Get Started Today

A List of Do’s and Don’ts

A job is so much more enjoyable when you like the people you work with. Unfortunately, there’s usually a bad apple in every bunch, and sometimes that difficult coworker can make your job more difficult. From Chatty Cathy’s to White-Collar Bullies, there are lots of personality types that can cause conflict in the workplace. But there is something you can do about it. Here are 10 do’s and don’ts that will help you deal with difficult coworkers:

1. Do examine yourself
First and foremost, examine yourself. Do you often experience difficulty with coworkers? Are you struggling with individuals that no one else has taken issue with? If you find that you are constantly butting heads with colleagues then it’s a good idea to do some reflection and determine if you are the common denominator in these situations. If you are, it’s time to work through some personal issues that may be causing the conflict.

2. Don’t avoid your feelings
Whenever there’s conflict and tension in the workplace it can take a toll on you emotionally. Acknowledge your feelings so that they don’t sneak up on you later and reveal themselves in an emotional outburst at work. Recognize that what you’re experiencing is important and needs to be addressed.

3. Do confide in a friend or family member
This will help you process your feelings. Sometimes when we’re involved in a work-related conflict it can be difficult to maintain a realistic perspective as the tension begins to warp our view. Talking with an objective third party can help with that. Not to mention you may also get some good advice on dealing with the problematic coworker.

4. Don’t gossip
Avoid gossiping at all costs; complaining to your colleagues about the individual won’t make things any better. All it does is generate negative energy that will cause your bad feelings to build. And the last thing you want is for your nemesis to catch wind of your water cooler moments and then use them against you.

5. Do consider your options
There are lots of ways to deal with a difficult coworker; the important thing to remember is you must deal with it. You can confront the individual, standup to the individual when appropriate, publicly call them out on their behavior, or have a heart-to-heart with him/her. You have lots of options and should consider the pros and cons of each before you act.

It can be discouraging to work with an individual who is causing tension or discomfort for you in the workplace. But you must always remember that you can influence the course of your life, and that includes dealing with a difficult coworker. Come back next week when we’ll talk about the following:

6. Don’t avoid the problem
7. Do confront the coworker
8. Don’t take the low road
9. Do involve others, if necessary
10. Don’t expect poor treatment

You Bet!

Victoria Richardson started her business in January of 2004, and has seen incredibly rapid growth and profit ever since. She only spent the first 6 weeks marketing. Since then, she has had all the clients she can handle. In fact, she tells us that she has had to cut down to “only” 18 clients so that she has the quality time that she wants to spend with her children. Victoria is a stay-at-home mom and Professional Bookkeeper.

USA Today notes that while there are no statistics on the number of work-at-home moms (WAHM), the National Association of Women Business Owners reports that there are more than 10 million female-owned businesses in the USA. Many of those are run by stay-at-home moms who manage their businesses and take care of their children from the comfort of their own homes.

Perhaps you’ve wanted to return home to raise your kids but have worried about losing that stable income. But there’s no need to worry. Accounting is a lucrative profession that can easily be done while taking care of your family. Just ask Victoria.

Victoria Richardson, AAHM (Accounting-at-Home Mom)

At the time Victoria started her own accounting business she had two young children: ages one and two months. She was having ethical conflicts with her employer and had reached a point where she wanted something different.

As she considered her options Victoria said:

. . . my list of wants and needs included: complete flexibility to be able to be with my children when they needed me, if they were sick, or something had come up where they needed to spend time with me. I needed to be making at least $60,000 a year. I needed to be able to have a lot of flexibility, and wanted to work an abbreviated work week. And what I found was that … there was nothing out there that was willing to give me that package. . . . I discovered that the only option that was available for me was to be able to start my own business.

The Professional Bookkeeper Program

But Victoria knew she needed more practical education. She had a bachelor’s degree in business, but didn’t feel she had the confidence to manage the accounts of multiple clients without hands-on training. So she decided to enroll in Universal Accounting Center’s Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program; it would give her the flexibility she needed to finish the course quickly and at her own pace.

When she was close to completing the course, she decided to quit her full-time job and become an independent contractor. Her ex-employer became her first client, and within 6 weeks she had enough clients that she could stop marketing.

Victoria feels like she has the edge and doesn’t worry about competition.

I know what they want to hear. I know what’s going to make them feel comfortable, and I know what their concerns are. And the Universal Accounting Courses taught . . . a lot of it has to do with . . . it’s semantics . . . it’s the language that you present it in. When I talk to them about increasing their profitability, they listen. It makes sense to them. I can feel confident in helping them discover what problem areas they have, and what ways they can work through that, so it’s not a situation where I feel like, you know, anybody else is coming in and giving them that because, unfortunately, that’s what they’re looking for and they’re not finding it anywhere. I can come in and do it, and I can do it and save them money.

The PB Program not only teaches you practical, day-to-day accounting for the small business, but it also trains you on marketing your unique skill-set. It gives you the edge over the competition so that you can feel confident in your ability to provide a better service for your clients.

More information on the Professional Bookkeeper Program

References

“Job Opening? Work-at-Home Moms Fill the Bill” by Stephanie Armour, USA Today

UAC Helps Financial Professionals Create Personalized Websites for their Businesses

One great way to promote your business is in having a website. People can get to know you a little better even if they are across the continent. A good website will speak directly to your target audience and let them know how you can make their lives better. A good website will represent you well and increase your clientele. A good website will also work 24/7 as a virtual receptionist, getting the word out about your business while you spend your time doing what you do best: accounting. But where do you start? Getting your own website up and running can be an intimidating endeavor. Not anymore.

The New and Improved AccountWeb Tool

Universal Accounting Center (UAC) has recently announced the release of their expanded and improved Accountweb website development tool, available exclusively for accounting, tax, and bookkeeping professionals. Within minutes you can create a personalized website for your practice, enabling potential clients to access your business even after your office closes.

Much more robust and customizable than the earlier version of the AccountWeb tool, this version includes several templates to choose from along with an in-depth and user-friendly administration tool. Additionally, users will receive an email account and the ability send out monthly newsletters, developed by Universal, to their own in-house list of accounting contacts to be used as a marketing and client retention tool.

Regardless of the package you choose, you will have access to:

• UAC Support
• A personal domain (i.e. www.rickpotter.com)
• The ability to change, remove, add textual content in the form of posts or page.
• The ability to update user and contact informatio.
• The ability to display any UAC designations you have earned (PB, PTP, QBS.
• The ability to add personal Link.
• An upload images feature
• UAC’s basic database of images (with resize and customization features.
• Basic listing in the Accountweb.net director.
• 100 MB Web Spac.
• 1000 MB Transfe.
• 1 Email addres.
• The rebuild-website functio.
• RSS fee.
• Automatic search engine submissions (ping notifications.

“In past years, Universal provided a relatively simple website to its students but the customizability was limited,” said Mike Rigby, Accountweb developer. “With this new upgrade, the user will be able to choose from a large variety of templates, text, and domain names, making their web site unique to their situation.”

Imagine how difficult it would be to create your own website with all the above features without spending much of your own time managing the process. Now imagine that UAC can manage that process for you, enabling you to create a strong web presence without expending much energy.

To see a sample of a website developed from the Universal Accountweb platform, go to www.UniversalAccountingServices.com.

Whether you run a full-time accounting practice or do taxes on the side, you need a website that tells potential clients about your business even when you are unable to. You can add this URL to your business card, increasing your marketing efforts with minimal cost. If you haven’t yet developed a website for your business, today is the day! Order your subscription now-your website will be up and running while you do other important tasks in the 1-2 business days. And if you are a Universal Accounting student you will receive a free six-month trial!

Accountweb Website Signup

(Note: The setup process will adjust for all students terms and the free trial that was sold to them.)

The old adage is true . . . that the only thing constant is change. Times are changing; are you keeping up with the changes or are you becoming obsolete?

Buggy Whips — a Lesson in Obsolescence

At one point in time, selling buggy whips was a lucrative income. Once the automobile came into being, buggy whip industries vanished. Over time, people learn to fix automobiles and even as recently as the late 70’s, a mechanic’s job was no where near as complicated as it is now. The carburetor disappeared and in comes the fuel-injector. What does that mean? It means that the mechanic’s skills became outdated in just a few short years. Today, computers have infiltrated the automobile to the point where auto mechanics needs as much or even more training in electronics and programming than they do in the workings of the mechanical side of things.

Speaking of computers, when’s the last time you found out that your software or operating system needs to be updated? Until recently, on my home computer, I’ve been using Windows Me (Millennium) which came out only five years ago. Already, several of the latest versions of software that I use cannot be used on a Millennium machine. I had to upgrade to Windows XP. Just in the 3 years that I’ve been in school to learn computer programming, my future-scheduled classes have changed 4 or 5 times. Every few months, a new software or programming language becomes the emphasis because it’s gaining market-share. In fact, the information learned in one of my classes is almost obsolete only two years later.

People who work in the call-center industry are having to learn new skills because of the recent laws that impact the way businesses can communicate with customers. The list of changes and updates to the world as we know it is constant and never-ending.

An Industry Where You Don’t Have to Re-Tool Every Few Years

The point is that in most major industries, auto-mechanic, computer programming, business management, technology, etc the industry changes and employees are constantly needing to “re-tool” and learn new skills, and employers are constantly looking for the person with the best skill set. Unfortunately even if you are the best buggy-whip manufacturer and designer in the entire universe as we know it, you are not likely to find employment that will meet your income and lifestyle needs.

So the question you must be asking yourself at this point is “what’s the point of training if I’ll be obsolete by the time I’m done training?” Well the answer is that there is at least one industry out there that hasn’t changed for over 500 years . . . Accounting and Bookkeeping.

If you want a stable job in an industry where you won’t be obsolete in a few years . . . accounting.

If you want a skill that EVERY business not only needs, but must have by law . . . accounting.

If you want a career where your boss can’t afford to lose you . . . accounting.

Accounting Hasn’t Changed Much in Over 500 Years!

The first person to put into print the accounting concepts that are still used today was an Italian monk named Luca Pacioli (pronounced pot-CHEE-oh-lee), in the year 1494. However, the concepts were not even created by him; they were actually a description of a system used by merchants during the Italian Renaissance. He described the same accounting cycle that we used today: journals; ledgers; inventories; assets; liabilities; income; expense accounts; year-end closing, etc. He even made the observation that until the debits equaled the credits, do not go to sleep.

The reason this system has survived for so long is because it works! Because of it’s stability and consistency, according the US Department of Labor, Accounting opportunities will grow by 20% by the year 2014.

So it would seem that it’s clear that accounting is a safe field to go into, but I’m going to guess that you weren’t born knowing how to be a bookkeeper, and like most people would need some training to move into this field. Or you might be lucky enough to already be in the field, but you need to fine tune your skills or have that piece of paper that proves to your boss that you’re worth more than he’s paying you.

Well you basically have two choices; you can either spend four years getting an accounting degree or you can take a condensed accounting course like we offer here at Universal Accounting Center. According to our students, you’ll find that you will learn more in our 60 hour course than you will in a four year degree; plus it’ll only take you four weeks, not four years.

Read a Detailed Comparison of the Professional Bookkeeper course vs. traditional university training

A good friend of mine who happens to be a business owner and a CPA has a saying that he always used when it came to the training and disciplining of his staff . . . “If you can’t change the people, change the people.” Of course, what he meant by that was that if you couldn’t change the behavior of the people (change the people), then get new people (change the people). Unfortunately some people end up in situations where they can’t upgrade their skill sets fast enough to keep up with the demands of the job market. When that happens, the new guy right out of college with the newer more updated skills get the job when the company “changes the people.”

If you don’t want to be the one being changed by the company, then change yourself. Get into a career that is stable and has proven itself for the past 500 plus years . . . ACCOUNTING. This is what we do best. We help you change, so you don’t have to be changed. We offer the best accounting and bookkeeping training money can buy.

“This economy has a need for well trained accounting personnel and Universal Accounting is supplying just that. The intensive training your graduates receive is a highly marketable asset in today’s market. Dollar for dollar I have found no better educational value than Universal Accounting program.”
—Brett Thompson (AccountTemps Staffing Manager)

Less Expensive Than University Training

Many students in the Professional Bookkeeper program were amazed when they found out how much less expensive that distance training can be compared with traditional university training. For less than you would probably pay for a single semester of college, the Professional Bookkeeper program trains you in the complete range of small to mid-sized business Accounting.

Learn How Much Less You Will Pay With Professional Bookkeeper Training

Get Started Today!

Now is the time; this is the place. Don’t wait any longer to get into a career that is stable and in high demand.