Asking for a Promotion, Raise, or Additional Perks

In preparation for this article on career negotiations, last week we discussed the different perks you can request if a salary increase isn’t currently realistic.  This week we will help you prepare for that important meeting where you actually talk with your boss about that promotion, raise, or additional perks.

If you’ve reached the point in your career where you want to negotiate for better compensation, we’re guessing that in evaluating your contribution to your employer you’ve determined that you have indeed earned what you hope to request.  The last thing you should do is wake up one morning and decide to ask for a promotion simply because you’re in the mood for one.  You must first demonstrate that you have earned it.  Then, and only then, can you follow these seven steps:

1. Consider your employer’s needs

Your appeal for a promotion will go over better if you have considered your employer’s needs and how your contribution enables them to better accomplish their objectives.  The more integral you are to their mission, the more valuable you are as an employee, and the more likely you are to receive a promotion.  In communicating how much you’ve contributed to the company and how much more you’d like to contribute, your boss will be much more receptive to your requests.

2. Express yourself

Before that important sit-down meeting with your boss you want your employer to realize how valuable you are.  Take on additional assignments, express your enthusiasm for your position, and take the time to notify your boss when you have achieved anything notable.  This will enable management to recognize your contributions and how much you benefit the collaborative work environment.

3. Pick a good time.

Don’t go to your boss during the busiest time of the year.  Wait for a time when your boss is relaxed and ready to respond to you positively; this applies to the time of year and even the time of day.  It’s also a good idea to ride a wave of success into your boss’s office; it may be best to schedule “the talk” after you’ve made some significant contributions that are a good measure of your success.

4. Know what you want

Before you begin negotiations, share your achievements with your boss, measuring your success with tangible numbers.  When you do begin making requests, be sure you know what you want, and be specific.  How much of a raise are you expecting (be realistic)?  Or were you more interested in being promoted to a different position with more responsibility?  Perhaps, after last week’s article, you’ve decided to request different perks that would enable you to better enjoy your job.  Whatever you’re interested in, be sure to ask for it specifically.

5. Have a backup plan

This article is called “Creative Career Negotiations” for a reason.  When you talk with your boss about enhancing your employment, the discussion is likely to include give and take.  You probably won’t be handed your request on a silver platter.  In the case that you need to back off your request, be sure you come ready with a Plan B.  Try not to walk away empty-handed.  Is there something else you could request in the interim?  Perhaps permission to attend a high-profile conference or receive additional training may be more reasonable requests at this time.

6. Be graceful, whatever the response.

Remember that you shouldn’t end the discussion if your boss doesn’t offer you the promotion.  It is the perfect time to ask for feedback.  What more would you need to do to earn the promotion?  Is there a possibility of enhancing your compensation in the future?  Walking out of the office and slamming the door won’t do you or your boss any good.

7. Know when to leave

There are definitely times when you should stay in a job regardless of whether or not your employer is able and/or willing to enhance the compensation you receive for it.  But there may also come a time when you must evaluate your standing and determine how long you’re willing to work for your current pay and benefits.  There is such a thing as a dead-end job, and if you feel that describes your current position, there may come a time for you to leave and look for something better.

Enhance Your Promote-ability

You can increase your chances for receiving a promotion by enhancing your skills and earning professional certification.  The Professional Bookkeeper Program will teach you small-business accounting and train you to act as your employer’s Profit Expert, enabling you to help the company make informed business decisions that will increase profitability.  Does that sound like a skill that will increase your promote-ability?

When you enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper Program you learn the following:

• The key components of the accounting process including General Ledgers, Specialty Journals, and Subsidiary Ledgers.
• The various accounts used by specialty industries such as Flooring Payable, Contracts in Transit, and Bank Reserve Accounts.
• The assessment of a company’s financial position.
• The uses and methods of calculating depreciation and allowance for bad debts.
• Various collection techniques for slow-paying accounts that will improve success.
• How to master debits and credits through recording hundreds of daily and monthly transactions.

Once you pass the Professional Bookkeeper exam with a score of 90 percent of above, you will also be able to add the PB designation to your name and resume.  Don’t wait to enhance your chances of promotion.  Enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper Program today and begin enhancing your promote-ability.

If It’s Accounting, It’s Universal:

Get to Know More About the Company That Will Change Your Career!

Universal Accounting is a company that is making a difference in the lives of their students! For those who are pursuing or looking into the possibilities of pursuing a career path into the Accounting, Bookkeeping and Tax Preparation services, you need to get to know more about what all Universal offers in their comprehensive training programs.

If you prefer onsite classroom study or looking for the benefits received on independent study, we have developed the programs that you will be able to get the one-on-one experience in your own home. The skills we have used over the course of the last 28 years, with the trial and error, the fine-tuning of accounting methods and strategies, and what we and thousands more have experienced running their own practices – we have provided to you the advantage to stay on top of your profession. Our coursework is designed to be exactly what you will be doing when you are servicing the biggest customer base available, the small business owner.

If you are looking for the knowledge, the skills, and the know-how to start or build your accounting or tax practice, or just looking to gain the essential skills to further your career in your place of business, Universal’s Programs are what you are going to need.

Click here to take the Video Tour of Universal and all that we offer to you, the accounting and tax professional to be the best in your field and to have the success in business and in your professional life that you are seeking.Our exclusive short term courses do just that!

Imagine staying on top of the latest in the industry and having access to the experts who can assist you through training? Imagine what you are learning can be applied the very next day at work? Imagine being able to keep the materials, and the reading for continued referencing as you take that path in Accounting, Bookkeeping and Tax Preparation? You don’t have to imagine too hard, because that is one of the many things you receive when you enroll in these specialized programs! Click here to get to know Universal Accounting.

Are You Ready For The Next Step?
Be in business for yourself, but not by yourself getting paid what you’re worth! Are you tired of thinking, “Why not me?” You have gotten this far in your search to do what you want to in your chosen career, take the next step. The time is now to be able to get the training and the change you desire in your professional life.

Be the Profit Expert Professional for Small Business! Don’t hesitate another day in getting the Accounting and Marketing Training that makes the difference. Click here to get more information on what you need to know about becoming the Profit Center Expert for small business accounting and tax!

What Does Your Freedom Look Like?

Test the Waters of Financial Freedom and Run Your Own Business Part-Time

Would you like more time, more income, and more freedom to enjoy your life? While you may not be ready to quit your day job to run your own accounting and tax practice full-time, you can start small by moonlighting as a professional tax preparer. By doing so, you can increase your income significantly while building a client base that will establish a successful business.

Tax Preparers Are in Great Demand

If you’re good with numbers and enjoy accounting, you’d make a great tax preparer. Every year, more and more individuals and businesses have professional tax preparers do their taxes. The complexity of tax laws is enough for most tax payers to look for help during tax season, and because every adult is required to file their taxes every year, your potential client base is limitless.

But why start now? Summer is the perfect time to take the necessary training that will give you the practical skills long before tax season begins. Not only that, you’ll have time to get the word out so that when January rolls around, you have a handful of clients who want you to prepare their taxes.

The Professional Tax Preparer (PTP) Program

Universal Accounting Center’s Professional Tax Preparer Certification is one of the best on the market, affording students hands-on training in the preparation of personal and business returns. The PTP Certification contains all of the following:

• Video Instructio.
• Full 104.
• Full Business Returns (1065, 1120, 1120S.
• Step-by-step instruction in starting a sole practitione.
• One Year Follow-up Support from expert tax preparer.

And while many programs will lecture you on tax law and preparation practices, Universal’s program is effective because it provides the practice that will make your skills perfect. Theory is taught as guiding principles, but the focus is on actually doing taxes to gain proficiency.

The PTP course consists of 20 hours of video training. Most tax preparation courses include books and some worksheets. Our training is very engaging and entertaining as seasoned tax preparers give practical advice on not only tax issues, but give real-world solutions to give you the edge in productivity and profitability. Our instructors know what challenges you will face because they have been there themselves.

The Value of a Professional Designation

To be honest, you don’t need a Professional Tax Preparer designation to prepare taxes. Currently, there are no qualifications for any individual to become a paid tax preparer. But in today’s world of complex tax laws and increasing tax fraud occurrences, tax payers are looking for specialists with credentials. Not only that, but with Congress considering regulation for tax preparers, earning a professional designation is a good start to establishing yourself as a trusted professional. It affords clients peace of mind to know that the individual they’re working with is qualified and knowledgeable. It also affords the tax preparer peace of mind to know they’ve been properly trained. Universal recognizes the value of a professional designation and awards the Professional Tax Preparer Certification.

A Profitable Forecast

Others like you have completed the Professional Tax Preparer Certification with great success. Graduates have prepared tax forms for up to 50 individuals in their first year. At an average of $150 each, they made $7,500 working just the 45 days before April 15. For many people, this represents 3 months of salary. If you are the kind of individual that likes to work hard for a concentrated period of time and then have time to relax, preparing income tax forms could be perfect for you. And imagine, in just 30 hours you can earn enough money moonlighting as a tax preparer to pay for the program 3 times over.

Stay-at-Home Accounting and Tax Preparation? 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.

Adding Tax Preparation to the Mix

Ralph Barnes quit his job as an accountant for a radial tire chain 14 years ago. He performs regular accounting tasks for 20 clients and prepares, roughly, 150 tax returns every year. He’s as busy as he would like to be and enjoys a flexible schedule, spending leisurely time with his wife, adult children, and young grand children. What’s the benefit of adding tax services to your menu? Ralph says, “That’s where I make my living. I get 75% of my money from taxes.”

If you want to give your business the chance to truly excel, you’ll learn tax preparation and become the one-stop financial stop for all your clients. Everyone is required by law to file taxes; what an expansive base of potential clients!

Universal’s Professional Tax Preparer Certification can train you in the preparation of individual and business returns. And because their practical programs enable you to learn at your own pace, you can earn a professional designation in as much, or as little time as you feel is necessary.

In just a matter of months, you can be ready to launch your own accounting and tax practice. No longer need you feel confined to work a 9-to-5 job in order to pay the bills. You can enjoy the flexibility to raise your family, set your own schedule, and enjoy as much profitability as you wish.

For the next two weeks, Universal Accounting Center is offering this power package for one low price. The sooner you enroll the sooner you can enjoy the independence that comes from being your own boss. Take the initiative and Order Now!

References

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

What is a Profit Center Expert?

The accountant/bookkeeper is a major cog in the business machine. Accountants/bookkeepers analyze key accounting indicators that assess a business’s profitability. If the accountant/bookkeeper shares that information with those who can make necessary modifications, profits will increase. This type of proactive accounting evolves an ordinary accountant into the Profit Center Expert. If you want to be a Profit Center Expert you must study key accounting indicators that will signal areas in need of attention.

Score-carding

In his book In the Black, Allen Bostrom, President and CEO of Universal Accounting, suggests “score carding” in order to monitor these key indicators. He explains, “score carding’ is a term used to describe the important, even critical, numbers that a business owner or department manager can quickly scan to get a feeling for how the business is doing, and how it will be doing in the future.”

Sit down with your supervisor to discover what information he/she would like to see on a regular basis. Be prepared to suggest indicators you find valuable. Once you identify four to five key indicators, you should tract them regularly. Scorecards should have a quick summary for marketing, sales, production, customer satisfaction, and cash flow. While key indicators vary business to business, some may include cash balance, current ratio, sales commission percentage, number of leads generated, and percentage of sales financed. See the example below:

Once you have this information you can compare data.

• How did this month compare with last month?
• This quarter vs. last quarter?
• This quarter vs. the same quarter last year?
• Year-to-date this year vs. year-to-date last year?
• Year-to-date vs. budget?

You can see how assessing this information enables an organization to make more profitable business decisions.

Once you have this information it’s important for you to communicate it with your supervisor so that it can be shared with other employees. It’s amazing how numbers improve simply because employees are aware of what’s being measured.

If you’re interested in advancing your career as an accountant or bookkeeper, or if you want to learn more about becoming a Profit Center Expert, enroll in Universal Accounting Center’s Professional Bookkeeper Program. The Professional Bookkeeper’s Guide to QuickBooks is another program that will help advance you in the accounting profession.

Learn about a Professional Bookkeeper Career

A Valuable Introduction to UAC’s Professional Bookkeeper Program

While colleges train accounting majors how to manage the finances for large corporations, over 98% of businesses are small. There is a huge demand for accountants who understand the specific needs of small businesses, because the most common problem plaguing small business owners today is their inability to understand their finances. Not only that, but for years Universal Accounting Center (UAC) has proudly relayed reports that by 2008 accounting jobs would increase by 20%. That great forecast has been extended to 2014! They predict “Employment of accountants and auditors is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014. As the economy grows, the number of business establishments will increase, requiring more accountants and auditors to set up books, prepare taxes, and provide management advice.” The future is bright for accountants!

If you’re interested in securing a job in accounting, or would like to advance in the accounting field, it’s not as difficult as you might think. You can earn at least 20-30% more without going back to college. It’s no longer necessary to spend 4 to 5 long, agonizing years and thousands upon thousands of dollars of your hard-earned money to increase what you can earn in your accounting career. Universal Accounting can help you do this, like more than 30,000 others just like you!

Ask Yourself an Important Question

Have you ever looked at those in the accounting business who are making more than you and ask yourself, “Why not me?” You’ve even gone as far as to look into what it would take to reach that level and found it could take years of training and tons of practical experience and asked yourself, “How in the world am I going to get that?”

Is it possible to draw from 25+ years of experience and the highest quality practical training in less than 90 days?

In the video you are about to watch below you will understand how Universal Accounting’s Professional Bookkeeper Program is designed. Since 1979 Universal Accounting has specialized in training those like you in small and large business the art of accounting and what you need to know in order to advance your career within the profession. We have put that experience to work for you so that you could get to the level you want to be, in your accounting and bookkeeping career, in the shortest amount of time possible.

The Professional Bookkeeper’s Program contains proven accounting strategies developed and practiced by Universal Accounting and its graduates.

Take a few moments and watch this five-minute clip and see what is involved in changing your life for the better with these new skills. Universal Accounting Center’s President and CEO, Allen Bostrom, will provide a description of the course modules, including the benefits of this video-based program. Click on the play button to start the Introduction.

In watching the video above you discovered how today’s universities train individuals in the complexities of audit, tax, and accounting standards for large corporations. Little is mentioned regarding the day-to-day accounting practices for the small business. In choosing a bookkeeper/accountant, a small to mid-size business owner should seek a professional qualified to support the needs of his/her small business. And when you earn the Professional Bookkeeper designation you will be recognized as an individual with the vital small-business bookkeeping and accounting expertise in a variety of industries.

The Professional Bookkeeper certification uniquely announces to employers and clients that you have proven your ability through training, testing, and experience to confidently provide full bookkeeping and accounting services. The best decision you can make is to invest in yourself with the right training that will get you to your next level, your next promotion, or increase in pay. Can you afford to hesitate to take the easiest step in the whole process of getting to your professional goals and dreams?

A Message from President and CEO, Allen Bostrom

” . . . Continuing education is key to furthering your career, and the fact of the matter is the more skills you are able to bring to the table, the quicker your career will become everything you want it to be.

There’s never been a better time to get yourself on the right track and enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper’s program. The rewards will not only be richly rewarding but will give you greater satisfaction over almost anything else you can do.

When you make the right investment in your career, your employer will pay you and be glad to pay you what you’re worth.”

Best Wishes,
Allen Bostrom

Enroll Today!

Don’t wait another day to make that personal investment and advance your career. Order the Professional Bookkeeper Program today!

An Introduction to What Beginners Will Glean from the Professional Bookkeeper Program

Are you tired of working for what seems like an eternity, without ever getting ahead? Do you dream of making more money and being able to enjoy it? Do you wish you had more free time to spend with your family or pursuing your favorite hobby? The field of accounting could offer you all that and more. The accounting field is growing at a phenomenal pace and the US Department of Labor predicts that “Employment of accountants and auditors is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014. As the economy grows, the number of business establishments will increase, requiring more accountants and auditors to set up books, prepare taxes, and provide management advice.” In fact, here are just a few occupations you could qualify for with the proper accounting training:

• Accountants Accounts Payable Clerk
• Accounts Receivable Clerk
• Bookkeeper Clerk
• Payroll Clerk
• Accounting Clerk
• General Ledger Bookkeeper
• Office Manager
• Accountant
• Controller
• Full-charge Bookkeeper
• Internal Auditor
• General Ledger Accountant

One of the great things about a career in accounting is that you can begin as a clerk and work your way up to a controller. It’s a great career path, but do you really want to start at the bottom and work up? 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 traditional accounting training years.

Why is our course so different that we can make these claims and back them up with hundreds of testimonials? In short, the Professional Bookkeeper Program gives you practical, hands-on training in how to do the accounting and bookkeeping critical to the day-to-day running of a small business. Universities don’t teach small business accounting, so your training with Universal Accounting will better prepare you for rapid growth within the company that you are in or for a new job opportunity than even a college degree can.

How do we know that it works? 25 years of students have gone on to better careers and increased pay through mastery of the skills that we teach in 60 hours. If you want to supercharge your career advancement in the least amount of time, the Professional Bookkeeper program can get you there fastest.

We also give you a very unfair advantage; follow-up support that is second to none. We give you the confidence to take on even difficult accounting and bookkeeping issues through our hands-on training, but with Universal Accounting, you are never left alone. You can call one of our coaches even after completing training with us. A great benefit? Definitely! Unfair? Maybe, but it is an advantage that will give you the confidence to know that you can do this!

Want more of a taste of what the program is all about? We’re glad to give you all the information you want to be able to make the right decision for your career’s advancement and financial opportunities in the near future. Below you will find a video sample of what a beginner can expect from the course work on the instructional DVD’s and the sessions on each of the Modules I – III. And here’s a sample of the Accounting Manual (in PDF format) you can have as you watch the sample class.

Click On The Play Button To Start

Don’t Just Take Our Word For It

Here are what UAC graduates have to say about their experience with the PB Program:

“This course offers a comprehensive review of the accounting process, as well as providing a system to help you help yourself. The instructors not only teach, but offer an unheard of level of support. I would highly recommend the course to anyone.” -Laura Ogden

“After graduating from this course I now feel competent to run my own bookkeeping/accounting business. I want to thank the staff at Universal Accounting for the outstanding course of instruction.” -Gary Hamblin

“I wish I had taken this class five years ago. I’ve been working in the accounting field for over 10 years and didn’t know half of what I learned in one month in this class. I feel completely qualified now to accept a position of great responsibility with a large organization or to be self employed. I’m excited about the potential for money making that this course has given me.”-Kris K. Trout

What’s Next For Me?

As a professional pursuing the best accounting training possible, you don’t want to leave anything to chance when it comes to your financial future and your career path. We work on the philosophy that you only get one chance to make a good first impression, and when you are going into your employer (potential or current) and start the negotiations for your next step up in your career, you want to have the surety that whatever the situation as a “Certified Professional Bookkeeper” you’ll be able to confidently handle it for the company. Enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper Program today!

Advance Your Account-Ability

Last week we discussed how the Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program benefits individuals with intermediate accounting skills. Now is a great time to take advantage of the talent shortage in the accounting industry. Whether you have no accounting experience whatsoever or an extensive background managing financial records, you can benefit from the PB Program which will train you in small business accounting.

So how can those with advanced accounting skills benefit from the Professional Bookkeeper Program? Module III is where you begin to advance your account-ability.

Setting-up Books from Scratch: An Inside Look at the Process from Beginning to End

Continuing your education is key to keeping your skills vital in the workplace. For those who have been in the accounting field for some time, there are items in the accounting process that become forgotten or were perhaps never well-known in the first place like Percentages of Completion, Progress Billings and Cash and Accrual Systems. You will learn profit-making ideas that will be worth their weight in gold (or salary and billable hours) to employers or clients.

Allen Bostrom, President and CEO of Universal Accounting Center, will teach you the complete processes of accounting and bookkeeping, from starting a company’s books to maintaining them. The program is designed to help you practice these processes for yourself in various training activities that will increase your confidence and account-ability. With more than 27 years experience training professionals like yourself, Universal will teach you how to avoid the standard pitfalls that face all accountants and bookkeepers who start and maintain a company’s books.

Universal has the training you need to reach the levels of success you seek. Only in the Professional Bookkeeper program will you find highly concentrated training and experienced mentors to provide you with quality instruction and feedback. The PB Program provides a “lighted path” you can use to be successful in your accounting career.

For Those with Advanced Accounting Experience

Below you can watch a sample of the quality instruction you will experience in the PB Program. This video clip will introduce you to Module III, featuring Allen Bostrom teaching valuable accounting skills. If you don’t understand everything you hear this first time, don’t worry; the beauty of learning via DVD instruction is that you can review concepts and principles that you didn’t quite understand the first time.

Please allow time for the video to load before viewing.

How Does This Benefit You?

92% of all businesses are classified as small businesses. Unfortunately the majority of accounting programs, including university curriculum, focus on training participants in large business accounting. This doesn’t prepare students for the real life, day-to-day accounting tasks they will likely encounter in their careers.

Chances are you work for a small business. If you want to advance your career and earn the promotions you deserve, enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper Program where we will help you focus on the financial needs of the small business.

Don’t Just Take Our Word for It

The PB Program is designed to give you an experience comparable to thousands of other UAC graduates. Here is what some of them had to say:

“I was very pleased with the training I received at Universal Accounting Center. I had done bookkeeping for six years and was amazed how little I really knew. After graduating from Universal, I have a lot more confidence in my capabilities.” -Diane Murray

“Without your training program I would never have considered this position, I now have the confidence and the skills to be an effective member of the corporate level management group.”-Ralph Coleman

“After taking this course I have gone from “I can do your books” to “This is why your company can’t do without me!” It was exactly what I was looking for. It is money well spent! I now have the marketing confidence to go out and get clients!” -Darlene Bennett

“I was hired in the Director of Finance division at my current job. I was up for VP of finance. With the usefulness and immediate application of this course, I was a “shoe-in” for the position. As the 4 weeks unfolded – I was able to immediately apply the information almost daily. My goal is to build my retirement fund by building my business. I would recommend this class to anyone who wants to enhance their competency in accounting and bookkeeping.”-Jackie M

With the right training, you too can receive the confidence necessary to reach higher levels of success. This training will give you a distinct advantage over other accountants and bookkeepers competing for the same positions and promotions. This training will also eliminate the time and money spent experiencing the standard trial and error experienced by your counterparts.

What’s Next For Me?

Nowhere but at Universal will you be able to find this kind of focus on the correct principles of small business accounting. You will not find this real-world training in any university, college or applied technology setting. Only at the Universal Accounting Center will you gain access to the right information you need to achieve your professional pursuits and career goals.

Invest in your future. Invest in yourself. Enroll today.

The Proactive Accountant/Bookkeeper:

An Employer’s Best Friend

It’s always important to follow an employer’s initiatives, but accountants and bookkeepers are most valuable when they take some initiative themselves. Proactive accountants and bookkeepers have a few things in common, characterizing them as invaluable employees who advance in their professions. Check the following list of proactive-ities to see if there are ways you could increase your currency as an accountant or bookkeeper.

• Don’t obsess about the past. Being informed about a business’s fiscal history is important, but it’s even more important to use that information to improve the business’s future.
• Know your employer’s industry. The more you know about your employer’s industry, the better equipped you are to assess your employer’s standing. The same applies to the level of business. If you are the accountant or bookkeeper for a small business, you need to become familiar with the idiosyncrasies of small business accounting and bookkeeping.
• Be more than a bean counter. Because of your specialized knowledge you can make informed recommendations to your employer that will help improve his/her business. Don’t be afraid to speak up and offer the advice that only a proactive accountant or bookkeeper can give.
• Join the team. Sadly, the stereotypical accountant or bookkeeper is seen as a social recluse who hibernates in a back office and rarely steps out to mingle at the water cooler. Some are even viewed as the wet blanket to a business’s plans for innovation and change. A proactive accountant or bookkeeper collaborates with colleagues to advance the business and ensure its success.
• Stay current in the accounting and/or bookkeeping profession. It’s important to continue your accounting and bookkeeping education in order to offer your employer the best service you possibly can.

When you exhibit these proactive characteristics, you become more valuable to your employer, and most likely you will enjoy your job more. If you’re interested in learning more about small business accounting and bookkeeping, Universal Accounting Center has a Professional Bookkeeping Program that instructs individuals in the day-to-day accounting procedures for small to mid-size businesses. Other educational opportunities include the Professional Tax Preparer Certification and QuickBooks courses.

And “Settle” Small Business Accounts

A pioneer is described as someone who opens a new area, paving the way for others to follow. We’d like to introduce you to a pioneer accountant you just might be interested in following, Alf Bostrom.

Alf Bostrom
Alf Bostrom was a financial manager who saved many small businesses from economic ruin. Born in 1926, just years before the depression, Alf learned the value of hard work from an early age. At 16 his father died, leaving him to help support his family. Two years later, he joined the Navy and was in the Pacific Theater fighting World War II when Japan signed the peace treaty. His early career was spent in different capacities with various small businesses, learning important principles of business profitability. In the 1960’s, Alf decided to start his own management company.

Of course, starting your own company is a courageous venture, somewhat of a pioneer effort. But his approach was very unconventional. For a percentage of future profits, Alf offered to take over the management of failing businesses. He wouldn’t earn a penny unless the business profited from his efforts. And what business wouldn’t take him up on it? Many were suffering huge losses; some were on the brink of bankruptcy. Alf managed 22 businesses in the course of his career, 8 together at one time. He became known as “The Turn-around King” and learned a thing or two about why small businesses fail and what they can do to succeed.

What is a Pioneer Accountant?
Alf recognized an accounting need that wasn’t being filled. 50% of small businesses fail, and that failure is often attributed to poor financial management. Alf was able to step into those failing businesses and use solid accounting practices to turn them around. He was willing to go into, for the most part, uncharted small business territory and settle some messy accounts. While most were looking for accounting opportunities with larger companies, Alf found great opportunity and satisfaction building his own community by helping small businesses thrive. In fact, many of those turn-around companies are still in business today. Alf was a pioneer accountant.

You can go to a university and be trained in accounting. Unfortunately, you’d only learn about corporate accounting which makes up a small share of the accounting opportunities out there. Where do you find the rest? In small business. Alf continued his pioneer efforts by taking his practical experience and turning it into a small business accounting course. In 1979 he formed Universal Accounting Center to teach CPA’s, accountants, and small business owners the proper method of small business accounting.

UAC’s Professional Bookkeeper Program
The Professional Bookkeeper Program is the fruit of Alf’s pioneering accounting efforts. And this business has been kept in the family. In 1992 , Alf’s sons joined his practice and had helped build it to what it is today, a nationally recognized accounting institution. Universal’s hope is that graduates can take what they learn from the program and effect positive change in small businesses and in their own lives.

Expand Your Business and Effect Change in Your Community
As a tax preparer you possess a natural ability to work numbers; that’s the only prerequisite for the Professional Bookkeeper course. And with just 60 hours of your time, years less than what it would take at any college, you can use the Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Designation to expand your services and become a full-service financial provider.

Become a pioneer accountant and use your talents and abilities to help small businesses succeed. Order the 3-module Professional Bookkeeper Program today and save money! You’ll learn small business accounting by “doing” small business accounting; this offer comes with 2 free practice sets! Join a pioneer effort and change your own life in the process!