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

We’d all love to have a formula that would help us decide what to do with our lives. Richard Leider, counselor, author, and speaker, spends much of his time coaching high power executives on the power of purpose. After years of working with countless professionals, Leider believes he’s discovered a simple formula to help individuals make significant career choices.

T + P + E x V

“T” represents the most important element to consider when making a career choice: talent. You may want to become another Picasso but possess no artistic abilities. In this case, painting would make a nice hobby, but not a good profession. Focus on your strengths, the things you’re good at; and generally those are also the things you enjoy doing. Take inventory of your life and note those things you have a knack for; these things are crucial to consider when making career choices.

What are you passionate about? Or maybe a better question is, what is your purpose? Talent plus passion and purpose is a powerful sum. Aristotle once said, “Where the needs of the world and your talents cross, there lies your vocation.” Most people want to do more in their lives than make enough money to pay their bills; most people want to make a difference. Dedicate your talents a purpose, something you can get excited about. If you like accounting, and are passionate about not-for-profit organizations, learn all you can about accounting for non-profit organizations and work with businesses you believe in.

“E” stands for environment. What type of environment promotes your best work? And this doesn’t just refer to a particular climate or region (while most of us would work best in Hawaii , that’s not always realistic). Work environment is obviously an important element to consider when making career choices. You want to choose an environment that will foster both your talents and your passions; and finding a good match can take time.

When I interviewed employees one of my questions was, “Do you enjoy being micro-managed?” I was amazed at how many applicants said they did! I was the type of manager who appreciated proactive employees who didn’t need much supervision. But I quickly realized that work preferences are as diverse as employees are, and while some prefer to be micro-managed, others prefer freedom to work without much supervision. Be willing to find a career that appreciates your talents, passions, and work environment preferences.

And finally, you multiply these three elements by your vision: V. Leider describes vision as the way you see your life. Your life vision goes beyond your career, taking into consideration all the different facets in your life: family, religion, health, finances, etc. Vision is the puzzle, career is a picture in the puzzle, and talent, passion, and work environment are pieces of that picture in the puzzle. Ask yourself where you want to be in life, and vision will help you prioritize everything else.

So What’s the “So What” Factor? How can knowing this help me? When you are aiming for a particular position, and when you are in the interviewing process for that position you always get that question, “Tell me a little about yourself?” By following the simple formula of Talent, Purpose, Environment and Vision you will be able to structure your answer that will not only enlighten them about your experience but will impress those looking to hire you. It is a excellent tactic to use in the hiring and promotion process. Just giving you one more quill in your quiver to use on your way to your professional goals.

While life won’t be managed with a simple formula, it can help to know which elements to consider when making significant career choices as well. Taking a step back to look at your talents, passions, work environment preferences, and life vision can ultimately be a step forward in your career.

If you are searching for more to incorporate yourself better into your company mix, consider the education that can change your whole outlook when you enroll in Universal’s Professional Bookkeeper’s Program. Gain the knowledge of how it all works in the industry so you can better address those challenges that arise in your department. Check us out by clicking here.

(For other Leider tips on making significant life choices, visit an extended interview entitled “Are You Deciding on Purpose?” )

Take Our 10-Question Quiz to Find Out

A good boss makes his men realize they have more ability than they think they have so that they consistently do better work than they thought they could. - Charles Erwin Wilson

As you travel along your career path, at one point or another you’re going to determine whether or not you aspire to lead people and organizations to greatness. But it takes more than desire to become a leader, and you must first demonstrate your management abilities before you’re ever promoted to a management position. So what does it take to lead others? Take our 10-question quiz to determine whether or not you’re boss material. This week we’ll cover the first five questions.

1. Did you think “big picture”?
Leaders must invoke an alchemy of great vision. - Henry Kissinger.

You will never become boss if you lack the ability to see the big picture. Often employees get wrapped up in their own tasks and responsibilities and are unable to envision how those things are part of an organization’s broader mission and goals. Leaders can look beyond the tedium to see the final destination and can determine whether or not the organization as a whole is on track to get there.

2. Can you inspire others?
Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there; they cause change. They motivate and inspire others to go in the right direction and they, along with everyone else, sacrifice to get there. - John Kotter

Before answering this question you should ask yourself whether or not you’re inspired to greater things, because it’s impossible to inspire others if you yourself are uninspired. Great managers incite passion and enthusiasm in their employees. The people they manage are driven to greatness because they have been moved to envision not only the organization’s potential but their own.

3. Can you manage a team?
You have to enable and empower people to make decisions independent of you. As I’ve learned, each person on a team is an extension of your leadership; if they feel empowered by you they will magnify your power to lead. - Tom Ridge

Have you had the opportunity to manage a team? If so, this was a good test-run for your leadership skills. Team management requires amazing people skills and the ability to know what team members are working on and how that work fits into the project as a whole. These leaders inspire people to work together and can move a team, and their project, to successful completion.

4. Are you a leader or a follower?
People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads, the boss drives. - Theodore Roosevelt.

The word “boss” has developed a negative connotation over the years. Truth be told a good “boss” is a leader while a bad “boss” is just plain bossy. Regardless of your career path it’s important to know yourself. Are you a natural leader or follower? Both are valuable to an organization, but only one can aspire to leadership positions.

5. Are you comfortable giving directions?
The art of management is the art of directing others to get the job done right first time. - Anonymous

Bosses must direct employees. This requires that they 1) know what needs to be accomplished, 2) know who can accomplish it and 3) can articulate how that can accomplished. This is where the boss must dissect that bigger picture into employee responsibilities and tasks.

So how did you fair? Sometimes just knowing what it takes to be a leader can inspire you to begin exhibiting those traits. Come back next week when we’ll cover the last five questions:

6. Do you delegate well?
7. Are you interested in helping coworkers develop and grow?
8. Do you communicate well?
9. Are you charismatic and engaging?
10. Do you really want to be a boss?

Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen. - John Steinbeck

You know the type. They’re always thinking, always innovating, always solving problems, always getting the boss’s attention. The idea person is invaluable to a business because he/she discovers how to improve processes, enhance services, and increase profitability. When you become the idea person you secure your position in a company and increase your chances for promotion and advancement. Use the following 8 tips to begin generating your own business-building ideas:

1. Do your research
It’s important to exercise your mind. When you research other ideas your mind is better prepared to do the thinking required to discover fresh, innovative ideas of your own. Get started by looking at trade magazines, scholarly journals, and influential websites. The more you read the more valuable resources you’ll discover.

2. Question everything
But not out loud; you’re trying to become the idea person, not the Doubting Thomas. However, you only discover new ideas when you question old ones. Get in the habit of assessing how ideas work and then questioning their viability. When you ask the right questions you often come up with great new ones.

3. Collect and review ideas regularly
As you research and question, you’ll find that new ideas come to you more often. Collect these ideas in an idea log and review them regularly. Like Steinbeck says, when you recognize how to best manage your ideas, you’ll find they grow and multiply. It’s important that you write these ideas down so you don’t loose track of them.

4. Recognize how your thought process works
Only when you recognize how your thought process works are you able to take advantage of it. Do you think best when things are quiet or do you need background music? Do you come up with more ideas when you’re trying to solve a particular problem or are you a free thinker that generates ideas without focusing on a specific issue or need?

5. Be quick to recognize problems
Generally the best ideas are solutions to current problems. Is your company experiencing a bottleneck in production? Is customer service lacking? Would the business benefit from enhancing or increasing services? If you’re able to recognize and pinpoint problems you can generate ideas that respond to current needs.

6. Set idea quota
Sometimes it helps to require yourself to generate X number of ideas per day or week. Recognize that not all of them will be stellar, but from those numerous ideas you will probably discover a winner or two.

7. Scrutinize before sharing
Just because you have an idea doesn’t mean you should share it. Get in the habit of scrutinizing your own ideas before going public. Jump back to tip #2 and question every angle of your idea. If it helps, imagine how your coworkers and supervisors might respond. When you can recognize weaknesses you can improve on your idea or maybe even watch it evolve into something better.

8. Learn how to best share your ideas
You don’t want to become that annoying pest who thinks they can change the course of the company with their brilliant ideas. Delivery is key. How can you best share your ideas so that their value is recognized and appreciated? Play matchmaker. Which method of delivery works best for this particular idea? Should you email your boss, take some time in staff meeting, or gather your department together for an informal presentation? You’ll find that you’ll learn by doing and become more aware of what works best for you and your employer.

Becoming the idea person can propel your career in a new and exciting direction. Take the time to incorporate these 8 tips and you’ll quickly notice a difference in your thinking. And within no time you’ll notice a difference in your career.

Accounting has been called the second oldest profession in the world. The need to track income and expenses has existed for hundreds of thousands of years, and considering how businesses are growing, the need for accounting will continue to exist for hundreds of thousands of years to come. Do you want a job that offers that much security?

You’ve probably already heard that accounting and bookkeeping jobs are growing at a quick pace. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by 2008 accounting jobs will increase by 20%! That’s just two years from now. “In addition to openings resulting from growth, the need to replace accountants and auditors who retire, or transfer to other occupations, will produce numerous openings in this large occupation,” the bureau said in a recent report. Imagine how many jobs that represents. And imagine how many of them you could choose from.

A Four-Year Degree is Not required
But I don’t want to put my life on hold while I take four years to get a university degree Is that the thought running through your mind? While accounting and bookkeeping positions do require specialized education, accounting instruction does not have to take place on a university campus. Nor does it require a degree.

Small Businesses Are Looking for a Few Good Accountants
Over 85% of the opportunities in the accounting field are within small businesses. Universities prepare their students for corporate accounting which doesn’t address small business needs. More than 50% of small businesses fail, and much of that failure can be attributed to lack of accounting expertise. Imagine contributing to the success of small business, which will build your own community while providing you with job satisfaction and security. But how do you go about it?

UAC’s Professional Bookkeeper Program Has the Answer
At Universal Accounting, we understand the needs of the small business like nobody else. We’ve helped people like you advance their career in small business accounting for over 25 years. With a curriculum designed specifically to address the needs of small businesses, Universal Accounting offers the most complete small business accounting course anywhere. And depending on your schedule and situation, it will only take you 60 hours to complete. Does that career path interest you?

Endless Opportunities
The Professional Bookkeeper Program will enable you to advance in your current job. Even non-accounting positions can be enhanced with accounting knowledge; this designation alone could impress your boss and earn a promotion.Or maybe you’d like to start your own business offering bookkeeping services to clients of your own. This one program can open doors you might not have known existed.

In an informal pole taken by the success coaches here at Universal Accounting, we contacted 100 graduates of our Professional Bookkeeper Program 12 months after their graduation. 74% are now working in the accounting field, have been promoted to a management position or own their own accounting business.

Visit Universal Accounting Center Today!
If this sounds good to you, right down your line of thought and your plan of action don’t procrastinate taking the next step. Learn more about our Professional Bookkeeper Program today.We’re so confident that our program will work for you that we offer a 100% money-back guarantee. If, after completing all of the learning activities, you do not feel that you have received your money’s worth, simply return the materials to Universal Accounting Center, for a complete refund. There aren’t many universities out there that would make that promise to its graduates.

Don’t wait another day to change your career and change your life.

There’s More Than One Way to Peel a Banana

Strike while the iron’s hot. And the iron’s hot right now! Tax season can result in a lull of business for some accountants. For others it is a time to gain more clients as a result of small business owners looking for help managing their finances. Right now most business owners working as sole proprietors; LLC’s or corporations are going through their financials right now with the guy or gal who did their taxes last year.

Right about now these business owners are realizing that their tax professional isn’t an accounting expert, like you. They are realizing their current system which includes a shoe box full of receipts doesn’t pass as a solid financial plan. Yet a great many are realizing that because they were busy running the business doing what they are good at they missed countless opportunities to harness their income power, and now they are facing a situation where they may even owe the IRS money. Still there are many others who are now facing fines, fees and penalties because of the way they did (or didn’t do) their accounting.

You are probably saying, “So how does this help me right now?” The iron is hot, remember? This is an opportune time for you to step in and be the hero! Here are a few suggestions:

First, pick the “low laying fruit.”

We’re guessing you personally know many individuals who own their own businesses-those who are going through the pain we just spoke of. Ask them how things are going with their taxes this year. Be prepared to hear everything they want to tell you about it. Sympathize and empathize and then ask this one question: “Can I help you plan better for next year?”

Be the hero—the one with all the accounting answers. Those you talk to will welcome your input. Now, take note; you can give a tidbit here and a tidbit there, but make sure they understand that what you are offering is not a free service. If they like what they hear, encourage them to enlist your accounting services. Set those boundaries as clearly and early as possible. You’ll avoid lots of confusion later if you take these precautionary steps in the beginning.

Second, enlist those who are currently doing business with you.

We all have what business management guru Stephen R. Covey calls a “Circle of Influence”: a group of individuals that you know and affect on a close level. In business that circle of influence includes those you do business with daily, weekly, or monthly. These individuals don’t necessarily have to be clients; they could be those who you buy your water cooler services from. They could be the delivery service you use. They could be the copy store where your P.O. box is located. They could even be the local donut shop where you buy your daily treat. Whether the individual is a business contact or a client, this individuals you have positively influenced are the ones that could potentially refer you to those in their circle of influence.

Many times students of Universal Accounting have recounted how someone they knew had a friend with a business and because they were in this circle of influence, that friend became a client. This marketing tactic works exceptionally well when the one doing the referring is a client of which you’ve taken good care. See how you can harness the influence of others to do some good business with them.

Third, wear your accounting business “on your sleeve.”

Now this doesn’t mean that everything you say is about accounting or your practice. Life is a balance and you have to find that balance with your professional life and your private pursuits. But how many times have you been out and about to find others engaged in a conversation in which you could have participated? How many times have you ridden silently up an elevator full of people? Could there have been someone there in need of your particular services? Pick and choose those opportunities within your comfort level, but try not to let opportune moments pass when you could be handing out your business card or sharing your services with potential clients. Who knows, the next time you sit down at your child’s ballgame the parent next to you could be your next new account.

Fourth, proactively seek out like-minded businesses.

You have one or two businesses that you are working with, and you are really starting to like working with that type of business. Are there others in that industry you could contact? Local eateries, print shops, car dealerships etc. You already know their “lingo” and their hot buttons from working with previous clients. Why not try to market yourself as a specialist for that industry?

Take the opportunities presented to you as an accounting professional. Building your accounting practice isn’t tough; it just takes consistent effort to meet potential clients. Soon you will have to turn business away or partner with others in order to manage those clients you will be able to attract with these solid marketing tactics.

If you would like to learn more about marketing your services, adding tax services to your menu, becoming a Professional Bookkeeper, or starting your own accounting practice, order our special 4-DVD pack which includes the following:

Introduction to the Professional Bookkeeper Program. Learn how becoming a Professional Bookkeeper will improve your accounting skills and help you in your accounting career.

Yes Sample Marketing CD. Learn how to introduce your services to a potential client. Use this either for role playing, watching it while meeting with your client or passing them out.

Start Today and Have Your Own Bookkeeping Service. Learn how to make over $80,000 per year working from home while getting more clients than you can handle. Know how to charge your client so you can afford to take that next vacation while they get such a great deal they will be telling all their friends about you.

The Art and Science of Getting Clients. Learn how to get more clients by using our proven methods.

You can learn more about the countless opportunities that await you as a financial professional. Don’t delay your grand future. Order now!

Financial Professional DVD 4 pack