While the country bemoans the current economic crisis, those with accounting experience need not be alarmed.  Inflation may rise, the housing market may flounder, and stocks may continue to fall, but accounting professionals can count on one thing: job security.

According to Robert Half International, the largest specialized financial recruitment service, the hiring of accounting professionals is intended to increase in the last quarter of 2008.  Max Messmer, chairman and CEO, says, “Businesses need a strong financial function to see them through all economic cycles.  This has created ongoing demand for accounting and finance staff with specialized abilities and expertise. In particular, firms seek staff and senior accountants, financial analysts, and internal auditors.”

The article goes on to state that most hiring will occur in the small business sector-those organizations with just 20 to 49 employees.  Thus, candidates with expertise in small-business accounting would fare best in the current job market.

Expertise in Small Business Accounting

Most universities and training programs prepare graduates for work in Fortune 500 companies.  This means that the majority of accountants are unfamiliar with the day-to-day accounting tasks required by small businesses.   This is an unfortunate situation considering that 50% of small businesses fail within the first five years, and much of that failure is attributed to poor financial management.  These businesses need an expert, a specialist trained to cater to their unique needs.

Over 25 years ago, Alf Bostrom recognized the lack of training available for accountants working with the small business sector; as a result, he established Universal Accounting Center.  UAC’s flagship course, the Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program, is designed to prepare accounting professionals for the unique demands of small businesses.  Not only is this course taught by seasoned professionals, but it is based upon years of experience preparing bookkeeping professionals for this valuable niche market.

The course consists of the following four modules:

Module 1-Accounting Made Easy.  You will master the tools, procedures, and underlying principles that make up the bookkeeping processes of all businesses.  You will also understand the core building blocks of accounting and bookkeeping.

Module 2-Practical Small Business Applications.  You will apply your understanding of the core accounting principles to specific industries.  You will learn to set up books from scratch, do payroll like a seasoned pro, and much more.

Module 3-Advancing your “Account-Ability.” You will learn sure ways to set up complete bookkeeping systems and manage the books for a variety of more sophisticated industries.

Module 4-Building a Successful Accounting Service. You will learn the steps to finding paying clients.  Upon completion of this module you will be able to start and grow an accounting practice following a proven program tested and perfected since 1979.

Whether you’re interested in earning a promotion at work or if you would like to start your own bookkeeping service, this course will see that you accomplish your career goals.  And if you pass the final PB exam with a score of 90% or greater, you’ll earn the Professional Bookkeeper designation. Earning professional certification will enable you to best take advantage of these hiring increases.  It will give you both the expertise and confidence necessary to secure your next accounting position.

This is an amazing window of opportunity.  Don’t allow it to close on you!  Take advantage of current market trends and enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper Program today!

References

“More Accounting Jobs Expected in Q4.” 4 Sept. 2008 SmartPros

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

It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3. Or should we say A.P.E.. Entrepreneurial wannabes often imagine a potential startup as a difficult venture, one requiring more know-how, gumption, and drive than they may have.

Does that sound like you? Are you worried that your dream of becoming self-employed and enjoying an improved lifestyle with increased earnings is too good to be true, or maybe not a good fit for you?

If so, it’s time you realized that starting your own bookkeeping practice is achievable, profitable, and easy. Don’t believe us? Read on to find out just how true it is.

Achievable

You don’t need a four-year degree to do someone’s accounting. In fact, many individuals who train at a university don’t learn the practical, day-to-day accounting functions needed by many businesses. That’s why the Professional Bookkeeper (PB) course is such a popular program changing countless lives every year.

In just 60 hours, and with less money than you’ll probably spend on your summer vacation, you can learn all you need to know to launch your own bookkeeping practice: from starting a business’s books from scratch, to helping owners increase their profitability, to marketing your valuable services. YOU can do this!

Testimonial: “This course is definitely NOT just an introductory course, although it is wonderful even for beginners. It is a comprehensive accounting and bookkeeping course that truly taught me everything I would need to know to start my own accounting business, and gain clients with confidence.” -J. Young

Profitable

We have a simple equation that will help you calculate how many clients you need to quit your day job and enjoy an improved lifestyle. Most clients bring in an average of $300 per month. With 20 clients you’ll be earning $6000 per month, and with 25 clients you’ll be earning $7500. Respectively, that’s $72,000 and $90,000 per year.

How much are you earning right now? How many clients would it take to replace that full-time income with contract accounting? Once you start your own bookkeeping service you determine your income by deciding how many clients you wish to serve.

Testimonial: “As an average for each client I am making about $30 - $50 an hour, I’ve been able to quit my full-time job. Thanks again to everyone at Universal Accounting Center! It has created for me a brighter outlook financially, as well as more free time in my personal life. And, I didn’t have to go to college for years and pay thousands of dollars for an education.”-S. Thomas

Easy

Whether you’re new to accounting or a seasoned accountant, the Professional Bookkeeper course is designed to easily lead you through all the concepts necessary to run your own practice. Now only that, but the hands-on approach taken in this program will enable you to become confident in your ability to perform all necessary accounting functions.

Testimonial: This course has literally changed my life. When I started I hardly knew the difference between a debit and a credit. Now I have the confidence to tackle almost any type of business and do their books.-A. Moody

Testimonial: Even with15 years of accounting background, I found myself learning something new nearly every day. -B. Varechok

The Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program

The PB Program is jam-packed with valuable features, including, but not limited to, the following:

• 16 quality DVDs and 4 manuals enable you to learn on your own time and at your own pace
• Specialized training in small business accounting
• Practical, hands-on experience in all the necessary accounting functions
• Access to a proven system of getting and retaining clients
• The opportunity to earn a professional designation
• A customized website for your business
• 6 months of free follow-up support
• An iron-clad guarantee

For more than 25 years Universal Accounting Center has been demonstrating just how easy this can be as long as you have the knowledge and skills necessary. Let us share them with you. They can make a difference in your life and the life of your family.

There’s no time like the present to change your future. Enjoy the freedom of self-employment including the ability to achieve an increased salary, an improved lifestyle and the chance to do what you’ve always dreamed. Enroll today and see just how achievable, profitable, and easy it is to start your own bookkeeping service.

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.

The Backbone of Accounting

The Money Is In The Details - Practical Small Business Applications

Get a taste of the personal one-on-one instruction from Allen Bostrom himself as he explains in “layman’s” terms the basics of Accounting and Bookkeeping

Enjoy the clip of the training and instruction you’ll receive in the Professional Bookkeeper’s program. Hands-on training is key to being able to retain what is being taught. When you can not only see it being done, but do it yourself as well is one of the best ways to effect learning on the accounting professional. In Module II of the Professional Bookkeeper’s course you will get that crucial training you can depend on to do the day-to-day responsibilities that are a part of your accounting related position.

We have a way for you to be able to get comfortable with the different types of business models that are out there. Each with their separate concerns and items to track and look out for, Universal Accounting has developed Module II around the intricacies of each business type in practice sets. Will all business be exactly alike as they are in our examples? Probably not, but in our differing types, we cover the major areas that are included in companies such as yours or the ones you hope to be doing business with. Get the training you deserve so you can earn what you are worth!

For Those Who Have Been In The Accounting Field Previously

Below you will be able to view a sample of what you can expect in your training course and the quality of the instruction you will receive from the leaders in the industry. This brief rundown of what is in Module II, featuring Allen Bostrom, President of the Universal Accounting Center, details for you the real-time accounting knowledge that fills Module II coursework. Don’t worry understanding everything the first time. The beauty of learning this way, is being able to rewind and view the material as much as you need to.

Create for yourself a learning atmosphere and let all of the Professional Bookkeeper’s valuable instruction to seep in. You can do it!

Please allow (according to you’re Internet link - Dial-Up verses DSL) time for the video to load so you will not have any interruption in the playing of the video clip.

Click On The Play Button To Start

How Does This Benefit You?

When you gain the knowledge that Allen gives in the Debit’s and Credits of the Bookkeeping process you can better understand the benchmarks of your company’s or your future customers’ books will contain. When you build from the ground up your Accounting and Bookkeeping knowledge, you gain the surest footing in performing for your employer what he expects from you as his/her accounting professional. Knowing and doing at the same time has been proven to be the best way for individuals to learn intricate details of a process. And in no way is this way of learning is better suited than for Accounting.

“This course far exceeded my expectation and helped fill in gaps in my accounting education. This course has helped me clarify the accounting process and gave me the complete picture whereas the college courses each take a normal area and expand on it.”
—Clark Ceauford

“This class has helped me complete the accounting puzzle so that interpreting what I have been doing for years makes sense.”
—Janet Harris

“I now understand what it is I have been doing for 6 years. I am so excited about being an accountant now and not just a [clerical] bookkeeper. I feel confident and well prepared to have my own accounting business.”
—Nadine Malpas

“I took this course after having earned a bachelor’s degree and then working for a CPA firm for nearly ten years. This was a tremendous course!”
—Bruce Bushman

What’s Next For Me?

We have designed and developed the Professional Bookkeeper’s program around what we in the accounting field are experiencing and coming up against in our daily tasks. We know, from 25+ years of accounting practice experience and interaction with 30,000 + in the accounting field, what issues are faced by you day-in and day-out and what items accountants who have gone before you have had success with. You can benefit from our experience, our detailed training, and hands-on instruction to give you the step up and advantage in your own career pursuits. Get the training you deserve so you can earn what you are worth!

Click Here and find out more about how to get the training that makes the difference through Universal’s Professional Bookkeeper Program.

Advancing Your Account-Ability

Setting Up The Books From Scratch — An inside look from beginning to end

In Module III you can learn what to expect when you get down to doing business as a Professional Bookkeeper. 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 process that we may have forgotten or were not made aware of before. In this Module you will come to learn and know some more of the essential areas of accounting and bookkeeping. Percentages of Completion, Progress Billings and Cash and Accrual Systems. Profit making ideas that will be worth their weight in gold (or compensation) to those you work for and these are found in this series of sessions.

Learn from the extensive experience of Allen how you can best start out and maintain the processes of accounting and bookkeeping and the objectives you are looking to accomplish for your place of business.Taking the steps you need to in these sessions you’ll discover the little things that make a world of difference in your career. Avoid the standard pitfalls that face all of us when we start keeping and when we maintain a company’s books.

Universal Accounting has the training you need to reach the levels of success you seek. Only in the Professional Bookkeeper program can you find the highly concentrated training, the mentors for instruction and feedback, giving you the “lighted path” you can use to be successful in your accounting efforts.

For Those Who Have Been In The Accounting Field Previously

Below you will be able to view a sample of what you can expect in your training course and the quality of the instruction you will receive from the leaders in the industry. This brief rundown of what is in Module III, featuring Allen Bostrom, President of the Universal Accounting Center, details for you the real-time accounting knowledge that fills Module III coursework. Don’t worry understanding everything the first time. The beauty of learning this way, is being able to rewind and view the material as much as you need to.

Create for yourself a learning atmosphere and let all of the Professional Bookkeeper’s valuable instruction to seep in. You can do it!

Please allow (according to you’re Internet link - Dial-Up verses DSL) time for the video to load so you will not have any interruption in the playing of the video clip.

Click On The Play Button To Start

How Does This Benefit You?

Universal Accounting has centered all their training materials to focus on one point, success in the accounting for small businesses. With nearly 92% of all businesses classified that way it is a good chance your company falls into that category. Better yet, we focus more deeply into the needs, and requirements that arise in the small business accounting and bookkeeping field. The Professional Bookkeeper course is completely geared to give you a simliar experience to one of thousands of UAC’s graduates. like Diane Murray, who wrote back to us. “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.”

You can too receive the confidence it takes to reach those higher levels of success when you have the most complete training possible. By learning from the experts’ lifetime accounting experience you can get a foothold on the ladder of accounting wisdom that you otherwise would not have access to. You would also cut out the extreme pain and cost of the obstacles that may arise through your own trial and error. Avoiding obstacles by the right application of knowledge is wisdom, and that is what everyone wants to have. You get that when you take the Professional Bookkeeper’s course from Universal Accounting.

“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

What’s Next For Me?

Nowhere but at Universal will you be able to find such a focus on the correct principles of small business accounting, such a well-spring of valuable information for the accounting and bookkeeping professional and such high mentorship in distance learning. You will not be able to find this real-world training in any university, college or applied technology setting. Only at the Universal Accounting Center will you be able to find the right information you need to utilize and draw from as you achieve your professional pursuits and career goals.

Click here to continue on to the best decision you can make for your accounting and bookkeeping career.

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.

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?