A Recession-Proof Startup

Gas prices are going up and with them are concerns over the economy and job security. Luckily, the accounting industry makes a showing in two of the five top ranking recession-proof jobs, according to Jobfox.com, an online job service backed by some of the most prestigious US investors.

Rob McGovern, CEO of Jobfox explained, “During this critical period of economic slowdown, these are the professionals who have been least affected by six consecutive months of job losses in the United States. Difficult times, unfortunately, are already here for many low-skilled workers. However, Jobfox continues to see aggressive hiring activity for many critical positions.”

Coming in at number four and five are 1) accounting & finance executive and 2) accounting staff. And it’s no wonder. Small to large businesses are all required by law to perform certain accounting functions. So regardless of how tough the economy gets, businesses still need accountants to manage their financials.

What Businesses Need

Nearly ever business responds to a recession by streamlining their budget which often means scrutinizing current positions to see how they might cut back and save some money. These same businesses would find the option of contracting a freelance accountant to manage their bookkeeping very appealing. Why?

How much more would a business have to pay you if you were on their payroll? Consider a yearly salary along with health and retirement benefits as well as the cost of your cubicle and everything in it. Don’t you think these same businesses would prefer working with a qualified contract accountant who would charge them a monthly fee to do everything an in-house accountant would do? It would save them a considerable amount while affording you the freedom to work for as many clients as you choose.

Small Business Accounting Services

While most large corporations already have accountants on their payroll, and prefer to keep it that way, small businesses are in dire need of a professional who will not only understand their unique needs but cater to them. A contract accountant specializing in small business accounting is just what they need.

The Professional Bookkeeper Program is specifically designed to help you master all those tasks required by the small business owner. Here’s a sampling of what you will accomplish:

• Master Accounting for Retail and Wholesale Businesses
• Establish the Accounting Method that Best Fits the Business
• Set up an Efficient System for a “Ma & Pa” Manufacturing Company
• Track Job Costs Simply and Efficiently for a Construction Company
• Effectively Handle Flooring for an Inventory Financed Business
• Consult on Key Business Issues with Confidence
• Enter Data Quickly and Accurately
• Prepare Payroll like a Seasoned Pro
• Avoid Costly IRS Penalties
• Spot and Avoid Dangerous Trends Before They Become Tragedies
• Save a Company Thousands of Dollars in Auditing Costs
• Start Your Own Bookkeeping and Accounting Business, Using a Step-by-step Approach
• Acquire clients Quickly and Cost-Effectively
• Work with Clients Skillfully
• Prepare a Loan Application Package
• Make Positive Change Happen!

You will learn everything you need to know to start your own accounting practice with confidence and ease.

Market Those Skills

Unfortunately some accounting practices struggle-not because they cannot perform the required tasks-but because they cannot secure the necessary clients to sustain their businesses.

Accountants, while skilled in numbers and calculations, are not necessarily comfortable marketing those services. In order for their practices to thrive, freelance accountants must break through that barrier, learning and using effective marketing strategies to target those small businesses owners most likely to retain their services. But how do you do that?

The Universal Practice Builder Program is designed to help accountants learn the art and science of getting and keeping clients. This DVD-based program will teach you 12-proven marketing techniques that will help you secure 15 to 25 qualified leads per month. Not only that, but you will hone your presentation skills and be trained in organizing valuable seminars through which you can retain even more clients. You’ll also have 3 months of free master coaching where UAC professionals will help you set and achieve your business goals.

This program also comes with a guarantee that you will earn $30,000 in increased annualized billings in just one year! Pair that with the specialized accounting skills you will learn in the Professional Bookkeeper Program and you have a recession-proof startup that will carry you and your family to a much-improved lifestyle.

Don’t wait for the economy to dictate when you can start living your dream. Take advantage of this time to start your recession-proof business and improve your financial standing while others stand around watching. Enroll in these two programs today!

References

“Jobfox Top 20 Most Recession-Proof Jobs.” 14 July 2008 Jobfox.com

In most cities, gas prices have topped four dollars per gallon which means it generally costs at least $50 to fill a tank- unless you’re driving an SUV, in which case you may be losing about $90 every time you refuel.  If you commute more than 15 miles to and from work in a car with a 15 gallon tank, you’re paying roughly $60 every week just to clock in.  And unfortunately it doesn’t look like those prices will go down anytime soon.

Many Americans are considering alternative work solutions that prevent them from spending money on long commutes.  Working from home has never been more appealing, especially when it just might save you upwards of $300 per month.

But that’s not the only perk in working from home.  Many contract accountants enjoy the following:

• The opportunity to offer a service in high demand
• A flexible work schedule
• The ability to earn at least $35/hour
• An enhanced standard of living
• A satisfying occupation
• The ability to call the shots
• A low-expense business

All these plus the ability to save a little gas money every week may be enough to thrust more contract accountants into the market.  How do you gain on the competition?

1. Get Trained in Small Business Accounting

All businesses are required, by law, to perform certain accounting functions.  That makes your potential client base huge.  And the majority of businesses in your area are defined as small which means they have less than 50 employees (and you can bet most of these small businesses do not have an accountant on their payroll).

Small businesses have unique accounting needs.  Those trained at most universities and tech schools have been prepared to work for large, corporate businesses which comprise less than 5% of accounting opportunities.  This means that many formally-trained accountants are not adequately prepared to manage a small business’s finances.

UAC’s Professional Bookkeeper Program was specifically designed to teach students the necessary day-to-day small business accounting functions.  In less than 60 hours you could gain the expertise necessary to cater your accounting firm to this large and lucrative niche market.  You will have the skill and confidence necessary to manage a small business’s books, from setup to year end!

2. Earn a Professional Designation

You increase your appeal when you demonstrate accounting expertise with professional certification.  A Professional Bookkeeper designation evidences your willingness to sacrifice the time and energy required to enhance your skills and better serve your clients.  You can add PB to your business cards and display the certification in your office.

3.    Learn Proven Marketing Techniques

Sometimes the most difficult task a contract accountant faces has nothing to do with accounting.  Your marketing efforts will determine your business’s success.  And unless you can market your valuable skills you will have no clients on your roster.

You can try to Google your way into some marketing know-how, but the truth is, finding marketing techniques that are proven to work with your demographic will be difficult unless you find someone who’s been there before.

UAC has been training students in small business accounting for over 25 years which means we know what does and doesn’t work when marketing those services to small businesses.  Why waste your time trying to find the right approach when you will be given more than 12 proven marketing strategies in our Universal Practice Builder Program.

In addition to that, you will develop a personalized marketing plan that will enable you to secure 15 to 25 qualified leads per month.  You will also be guaranteed to earn more than $30,000 in annualized billings in just one year!  Imagine, after starting your own accounting practice you can expect a $30,000 raise 12 months from now.  That guarantee alone more than pays for the enrollment fee.

Whether you’re motivated by swelling gas prices, greater flexibility, or the opportunity to make more money, register for UAC’s power package today!  For just a fraction of the cost of a university education and a year’s supply of gas, you will be prepared to start your own accounting practice from scratch.  You’ll complete these courses with the confidence and know-how to make your business successful.  Stop procrastinating your future!  Enroll now!

If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade. - Tom Peters

Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises. - Demosthenes

The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. - Winston Churchill

Imagine owning and operating your own accounting practice. Doing so would enable you to be your own boss, enjoy a flexible work schedule, determine how much you will work, determine how much you will make, and enjoy a fulfilling career helping small businesses succeed. Do any of these things appeal to you? If so, it’s time you take advantage of an amazing opportunity to get started-today!

The three main business functions are accounting, marketing and production. In order for a business to operate successfully these three functions must coordinate their efforts. An accounting practice produces accounting services, so production and accounting are closely intertwined. You use accounting information to diagnose a business’s vitality and inform business decisions while you “produce” accounting services for your clients. And unless you market these services effectively the business will fail. The best business opportunity will provide you with the chance to hone these key business functions: accounting and marketing. Once you these two areas are covered you practically have a ready-made business.

Accounting

If you’re reading this article you probably already have some experience with accounting. Perhaps you work in the accounting industry full or part-time. Or perhaps you’ve always wanted to work in the accounting industry. Regardless of what you currently do, you can start your own accounting practice. The key is in finding a niche market in need of your valuable services.

Small businesses are in great need of accountants who understand their specific needs and know how to help them make their businesses more profitable. Traditional accounting training doesn’t prepare graduates to work with this niche market and their unique needs. That’s what makes the Professional Bookkeeper Program matchless.

UAC’s Professional Bookkeeper Program

At Universal Accounting, we understand the needs of the small business like nobody else. We’ve helped people like you advance their careers in small business accounting for over 25 years. The Professional Bookkeeper Program is designed specifically to address the needs of small businesses, and Universal Accounting Center’s small business accounting course is the most complete of anything else offered today. And depending on your schedule and situation, it will only take you 60 hours to complete. Imagine earning a professional designation in less than one month!

Marketing

Unless your target market knows about your unique skills, they will not retain your services. Part of your job as a contract accountant is to promote these unique skills effectively. The Universal Practice Builder Program is designed to help you master your business’s marketing function.

UAC’s Universal Practice Builder Program

This program is a turn-key marketing solution which will enable you to grow your business with our proven system. You could work for years on a marketing plan, hitting and missing, only to find your business growing at a snail’s pace. Imagine learning 12 plus marketing strategies proven to reach your niche market. That includes helping you secure 15-25 qualified leads per month and earn $30,000 more in annualized billings in just one year! The Universal Practice Builder Program is designed to teach you the art and science of getting clients. Top your Professional Bookkeeper designation off with this guaranteed program that will help you coordinate those two key functions: accounting and marketing. With these two programs under your belt, business success is much closer than you can imagine.

Life is too short to wait for success to fall into your lap. You must chase it! This package deal is an opportunity in work clothes. You’ll have to dedicate your time and energy to mastering the concepts contained in these two priceless programs, but we can promise you that it will pay off. Order today and turn this grand opportunity into an even grander enterprise.

Get A Marketing Plan For Yourself

We’ve All Heard of Marketing Goals and Objectives For Business… But One For Me?
Just about everyone who has had any experience in business has been a part of a meeting or meetings that discuss and detail the marketing efforts of a company and how they are going to go about gaining business - feet in the door, accounts in the bank, or whatever colliquialism you want to use for it. As an accounting professional you have an important role in the analytics and the gauging of the efforts effectiveness verses the expense of implementing the marketing plan.

So why not apply this to your own career? Do you have a professional marketing plan? Having a marketing plan for your career can do two main things for you; 1) When you are writing down your Career Marketing Plan you will be able to set your milestones for accomplishments as well as promotions, pay increases, and training. 2) Clarity of your wants and desires for your career will bec a boost in what you do daily and will allow you to better identify once you do or do not attain that goal.

The following is what you could use to develop your own professional marketing plan:

- First you need to determine what you hope to accomplish through your career marketing efforts. It’s important to be as specific as possible because once you state your goals you can use them later as a measure of your success. The focus of your career actions will become more clear, and your everyday activities that you undertake will then have a purpose.

- Once you have created the road map you wish to follow with your career marketing plan, you need to create your “game plan” on how you are going to get from milestone to milestone. When you do this you will often find that there are things that you may have not considered before but are essential to achieving your ultimate goal.

- Clarify each career marketing objective, that’s a key concern in writing your goals and objectives: are they measurable, meaning, can you determine later whether or not you’ve achieved them? For example, saying you want to be more successful is not necessarily something you can measure later on. But saying you want to be managing 5 employees by a certain time is. And be realistic. Setting unrealistic goals will only discourage you as you move forward. This may require you to do more research; what are some realistic expectations for growth in a career such as yours?

Measuring the Competition
This will also require a little research on your competitors. No we aren’t suggesting that you should treat everyone else as “enemy combatants” ready to push the nuke button at any time. Rather when you see the qualifications that it takes to be in the positions you imagine for yourself and what others may have, it will give you a better understanding the education and training you would need to gather for yourself to be able to attain similar feats. This is also a good exercise to see what others in your industry with your same skill sets are receiving as a wage, and how you could be above the curve or under it when it comes to your pay. Additionally, this can help determine how you can set yourself apart from the others that are in your profession. With unique training, or experience, or know-how you will be able to find your career niche that could make all the difference. All this will give you the competitive advantage in your career marketing efforts.

Reverse Engineer Your Career Goals
Again, be specific. Your marketing plan and your game plan to achieve what you develop for your career path are essential to that person you see yourself being, the responsibilities you see yourself having, and the life you see yourself living in the future. All be accomplished with a well-developed career marketing plan. A strategy that has been used quite often is reverse engineering. When you apply it to your career, you can look at the answer you would like to get, the destination you would like to find yourself in and reverse engineer on how to get to that place from where you are now standing. By doing so you can better plan how you can accomplish what you hope to. With this in place you can better project your future actions and career moves and possibly better estimate the road your career needs to travel to attain what you have imagined for yourself.

UAC Can Help You Develop a Career Marketing Plan
Universal Accounting Center understands that the best of careers start with the right type of training. The Start Today DVD is designed to help those of us who are career marketing-challenged. For just $9.95 you can learn how you can take the proverbial bull by the horns and get your career into high gear. You’re less than $10.00 away from learning which strategies are best for those pursuing a career and business in Accounting and Bookkeeping. Order today!

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!

A Personal Mission Statement: Charting Career Success

Fortune 500 companies, and even little mom and pop shops, compose mission statements to express what their organization does. Once completed, it can enable the organization to make decisions that will help them accomplish their vision and be a good measure of company success. For example, Universal Accounting Center’s mission statement is “to equip students with the education, skills and confidence needed to enjoy a successful career in full-charge accounting, bookkeeping and tax.” UAC uses this mission statement to measure their success; when their students succeed (“equip[ing] students…to enjoy a successful career…), so do they.

Like any organization, you would like to enjoy success. A clear mission statement can help you express what you hope to become, enabling you to make choices that will get you there, and measure your success once you do.

What is a personal mission statement?

A personal mission statement is a concise and specific declaration of your career goals. It should be no longer than 2 sentences and no more than 30 words. Begin with “My career mission is…” Here are some examples:

My career mission is to become competent in small business accounting in order to help local businesses succeed.

My career mission is to become an accountant specializing in not-for-profit business accounting so I can ensure the success of volunteer organizations.

My career mission is to start my own business as a full-service financial provider to help small businesses thrive and spend more quality time with my family.

Writing a mission statement

It’s one thing to look at a few examples, but how do you compose your own personal career mission statement? First, ask yourself a few questions (and take notes):

• What natural talents and abilities do I possess?
• What am I passionate about?
• What do I want to do?
• What do I value (integrity, passion, relationships, family, etc.)
• What do I want to contribute?
• Who do I want to influence?

Once you’ve answered these questions, look over your answers and see what connections you can make between your values, your passions, your talents, and who you would like to impact. Then write a few mission statements and see which appeals to you most. When you’ve decided upon your mission statement, put it somewhere you can read often, and consider how you’re measuring up.

Mission statements should continually evolve

Just because you’ve written it down on paper (even if you’ve embossed it with gold ink), doesn’t mean you can’t continually change your mission statement to reflect your growth and maturity as a person. Perhaps as you begin advancing in your career, you’ll realize that your initial mission statement needed to be influenced by job experience; you may choose to alter your career path because of what you experience on the job.

Regardless of how much it changes, a personal mission statement can help you chart your career path and be more successful.

How Universal Accounting Center can help you realize your mission

If any of the sample mission statements above appeal to you, UAC offers an amazing opportunity to help you realize your career goals. Since 1979, Universal Accounting Center has been teaching students the proper method of small business accounting. While a university education may take years and will not give you the practical experience necessary to manager small business finances, UAC has programs that only take weeks of your time and provide you with years of success. If you’re interested in doing small business accounting and would like to receive the designation of Professional Bookkeeper, take a tour of Universal Accounting Center today.

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.

Building a Support Group for Your Career

You know what they say: “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.” While that’s not always true, building your professional connections can come in handy. Whether it gets you a job, helps you earn a promotion, or launches your new business, having a strong network of supporters can sometimes make or break a career. So how do you network effectively? Here are ten easy tips to building a substantial list of contacts.

1. Talk to everyone

Be willing to start a conversation with anyone. At first you may feel awkward. And you may encounter a few dead ends before you find a good contact, but you’ll improve with experience. Feel free to connect with acquaintances and complete strangers. That businesswoman sitting next to you on the plane may be a great addition to your contact list.

2. Hand out business cards

As you begin talking with more people you’ll find the business card is a great way to share contact information. Keep all your contacts’ business cards and place them to a file. In order to better remember your contacts later, it also helps to jot down a few notes about them on their cards (However, not in front of them. You don’t want them to think you view their business card as a piece of scrap paper.).

3. Join accounting and bookkeeping associations

While you can try to pick an accountant from a crowd, it’s not as effective as joining groups and associations that are specific to your field and where you can meet countless accounting peers.

4. Frequent conferences and workshops

This is another way to effectively connect with professionals you have a lot in common with. By attending accounting, bookkeeping, tax, and other conferences specializing in financial services, you’ll be able to meet many individuals who are your peers and superiors (note: it’s good to vary your contact list with a wide range of individuals who are on and above your current job level).

5. Have your elevator speech ready

Now that you’re talking to people, you should prepare an elevator speech so you always have something to say. An elevator speech is a quick infomercial about you that can be delivered in the time it takes an elevator to carry its occupants to their floor. An elevator speech is 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. It shouldn’t be pushy or long. We recommend practicing a 30-second and a 60-second version, so you can pick the best match for any given situation.

6. Listen attentively

When you network, you talk a lot. But you’ll leave a bad impression if you do all the talking. Effective networkers also listen to contacts, learning more about them in order to strengthen the connection. Networking is a mutually beneficial activity. You need to look for ways you can benefit your contacts so that you can build a healthy give-and-take relationship.

7. Stay in touch

You should maintain contact with key individuals on your list. Send emails or call periodically.

8. Develop key relationships

Once you build a list of contacts, you’ll notice that some connections are more profitable, or more comfortable, or even more enjoyable, than others. You should start building stronger relationships with these people. Take a contact to lunch or go play golf.

9. Lend a hand

When a contact is in need, you should offer to help. “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.” That’s how networking works. And once you’ve extended yourself to help a contact, chances are they’ll be more willing to help when you need a hand.

10. Don’t obsess

And last but not least, don’t obsess about networking. If you worry about it too much, you’ll come across as pushy or, worst yet, needy. Take it slow. Be genuine as you make connections and enjoy it.

UAC’s Accounting and Tax Forums Can Help You Connect

What cannot be achieved in one lifetime will happen when one lifetime is joined to another. -Harold Kushner

It can be difficult to find a group of accountants and/or bookkeepers with whom you can ask questions, share insights, offer advice, and network. Universal Accounting Center has developed a forum for accountants and tax preparers to provide just that community environment you may have been searching for. Please join us and make our community stronger. And if you have any suggestions for our newsletters, please post them there.

Introducing an easy way to bridge the gap between knowing what networking is . . . and how to do it.

My oldest son is a College Senior and Communications Major this year. He is looking down the road at a career in Public Relations, and I think he’ll be pretty good at it. He’s a great example of how anyone can effectively network, and I’d like to share with you some of the things he does to make networking easy.

Since he was old enough to introduce himself to people, he has been a natural “networker.” If you ever have the chance to meet him, he’ll unashamedly shake your hand, ask you questions about what you do, catalogue the appropriate information, and depending on the need, you could hear back from him again. I know it sounds kind of calculating, but he does it in such a charming and genuine way, that even though you know you are being “networked,” you don’t mind. And what’s more, part of the relationship means that you will be able to “network” him.

Not only has he been able to obtain the appropriate scholarships to attend school, but he’s been able to do all kinds of fun and exciting things by working with his “network”. In fact, I wouldn’t mind having his “network”.

Each of us is surrounded by potentially helpful contacts.

One of the things I’ve learned from my son is that we all are surrounded by people who are not only able, but willing to help us. Peter Vogt, a MonsterTRAK Career Coach conducted an interesting exercise in just how powerful your “network” is. In a room of 12 average students and a few college counselors at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, there were some pretty interesting potential network contacts.

• One student’s family was friends with Casey FitzRandolf, the 2002 Olympic gold medalist in 500-meter speedskating. This same student had worked for the Chamber of Commerce for several years, where he’d met dozens of people in a variety of diverse fields.
• Another student’s family knew former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson - who is also the former US Secretary of Health and Human Services. In fact, the student pointed out, “[Thompson] told me that if I ever needed any help in my job or internship search, I should let him know.”
• One of the two UWRF career counselors in the room knew someone who reviews the resumes of college students who apply for an internship with the US Department of State.
• Another student had an aunt who works in sales and travels throughout Europe as part of her work.
• Still another student was going to travel to Belize with one of his archaeology professors, who had considerable connections in that field and related fields.
• If you can find these kinds of contacts in a room with only 12 college students and a couple of counselors, what kind of contacts can you find within your “network”? Mr. Vogt goes on to say, “You’ll be amazed at who the people in your everyday life know-and by the additional people those people know. But you’ll never discover any of them until you abandon the “I don’t know anyone good’ mentality and replace it with the “I’ll start with the people around me and go from there’ philosophy . . . “

What’s the first step to creating an effective network?

Use a formal and systematic approach to working your network. You’ll need to be organized and have a plan for keeping track of your network and information. Don’t forget, networking is all about relationships. A good networking relationship will be mutually beneficial to both parties.

Allen Bostrom, President of Universal Accounting and Marketing & Networking Guru to hundreds of our graduates in his book, In the Black, says, “A deal is only good when it is good for both parties.”

I have helped my son, or one of his “network” friends, on a number of occasions with my field of expertise and I have to admit, his “network” has had an occasion or two to help me. In a word, “his network” is sometimes “my network”.

Follow the link to a Microsoft Word document that might help you organize your networking contacts and your communications with them. Remember, you can use any format to help you organize your networking contacts; you don’t have to use mine.

Click Here for a Free Networking Contact Organization Sheet

In the time it’s taken to read this article, you’ve improved your networking ability by 150%

Okay, I admit it, 150% is a purely arbitrary number, but creating an effective network is such a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal, that if used correctly, you may find it’s the only one you’ll need.

Allen Bostrom councils his students, “Your own network is the final outcome of all your networking activities and… forms a vital part of your total marketing effort. With this in mind, it is something that should always be [foremost in our thoughts].”

Universal Accounting offers an excellent curriculum on not only how to improve your career with a Bookkeeping and Tax Preparation Business, but also offers training on how to best market your business to amplify your profits. With just a click or two of your mouse you can find out just how profitable a career in Bookkeeping and Accounting can be for you.

Follow this link to more information on a profitable career in Bookkeeping & Accounting

In this information age, it’s important for the career-minded to discover new and powerful ways of promoting themselves. Numerous advances in technology require you to take advantage of these new methods of communication, especially the Internet. It’s important that you continue to promote yourself, regardless of whether or not you’re currently employed. And you may be surprised at just how powerful a positive electronic presence can be. Here are four ways you can promote yourself, virtually.

Mind your email correspondence

You’d be surprised at how your email correspondence can leave a lasting impression with potential employers and colleagues. Unfortunately, too many people are a bit sloppy with their email correspondence, making it difficult to promote your correspondence, let alone your career. Remember that regardless of the medium, anytime you communicate with professionals, you should use standard grammar and text formatting. All caps leave the impression that you’re shouting at the receiver while avoiding standard punctuation communicates laziness or disrespect. Craft email messages to business associates as you would a memo, with keen attention to the language.

Maintain professionalism when instant messaging or texting

These days you’ll find a lot of professionals communicating with others via instant messaging or texting. Again, sometimes the method of communication may tempt you be more casual in your correspondence. However, you must still maintain your professionalism.

Participate in online networking

There are countless accounting, bookkeeping and tax associations you can join that will help you network electronically. Some require you pay membership fees in order to enjoy certain benefits; others are free. All these associations provide you with opportunities to interact with other accounting professionals like yourself. Here are just a few:

American Accounting Association (AAA) promotes worldwide excellence in accounting education, research and practice. A voluntary, the AAA is an organization of persons interested in accounting education and research.

American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) the National Association of Accountants (NSA) membership and encourages its students and associates to join NSA’s elite association in order to enjoy valuable benefits. This is one organization that we know will contribute to your success.

American Society of Women Accountants (ASWA) enables women in all accounting and related fields to achieve their full personal, professional and economic potential and to contribute to the future development of their profession.

National Association of Accountants (NSA) is an association of over 30,000 accounting professionals who provide accounting, tax, auditing, financial and estate planning, and management services to millions of individuals and businesses.

Consider starting your own career-centered website or blog

While having a hardcopy of your resume is important, you should consider creating a professional website that allows you to list professional accomplishments that future employers would find impressive. In this sense, your professional website becomes an electronic resume, demonstrating your experience and expertise while enabling visitors to contact you, regardless of where they may be located.

Blogs are becoming increasingly popular. Short for “weblog,” a blog is a journal or newsletter intended for public consumption. Many professionals are creating blogs that demonstrate their ability in a very concrete way; the author articulates their thoughts and ideas on very specific topics, and as an accountant you would be expected to discuss issues relating to accounting. Visit Accountants Who Blog for examples of career-minded blogs. Another good example of a professional blog is authored by Allen Bostrom, President and CEO of Universal Accounting Center. His blog offers practical advice to other accountants and tax professionals. Take a look to see what you can learn from Allen’s Blog.

It’s important that you keep up with this information age, because technology will only advance, not retreat. And in order for your career to advance, you must keep current and use technology as just another means of promoting yourself.

References
Accountants Who Blog
American Accounting Association
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
American Society of Women Accountants
National Association of Accountants