8 Tips on Becoming the Idea Person

Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen. – John SteinbeckYou 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 researchIt’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 everythingBut 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 regularlyAs 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 worksOnly 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 problemsGenerally 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 quotaSometimes 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 sharingJust 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 ideasYou 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.

Wanted: Small Business Accountants

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 requiredBut 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 AccountantsOver 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 AnswerAt 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 OpportunitiesThe 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.

Brainstorm Prospecting: Gaining Business

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