Balancing Work and Family

7 Tips in Juggling Professional and Personal Responsibilities

Whether you are a full-time working mom, a part-time single dad, or anything in between, it’s likely that you’ve encountered difficulties balancing work and family.  Being pulled in so many important, yet different directions can be stressful, and unless handled properly, can limit your ability to work effectively in either realm.  Here are 7 tips that will help you divide and conquer:

1. Review your values.

Everyone needs to reassess their values now and again.  As life changes and different situations unfold, values may shift, evolve or change altogether.  It’s important that you determine what your values are because they should drive your actions.  Once you articulate your values you can ask yourself whether or not your priorities, goals, and schedule reflect these values.

2. Set your priorities.

This is much easier to do once you have reviewed your values.  You should prioritize your life based on those values that matter most to you.  If you value family, then you should make family time a priority.  If you value debt-free living, then you should focus on earning enough money to pay off your debt.  And because most individuals have multiple values, you’ll probably have to determine which of these values get top billing.

3. Schedule well.

Now that you’ve prioritized those things of most importance in your life, you can fill your schedule accordingly.  When will you work?  When will you spend time with your family?  And as you schedule, use the same calendar for both family and work activities.  Otherwise, you may miss something important because you were looking at the wrong calendar.

4. Have a one-track mind.

Once you begin a family or work-oriented project, focus on the task at hand.  If you are spending time at work but preoccupied with thoughts of your children at home, you will not be as productive, and as a result, you will probably have to steal time away from your family to fulfill all your work responsibilities.

5. Work together.

Finding that perfect work and family balance is not your responsibility alone.  Depending on the age of your children, you can enlist them in the effort by requiring them to perform certain chores that will enable you to better manage your time.  And if you have a spouse, divide up the workload so you’re not so overwhelmed.  Once you divvy out responsibilities, learn to let others perform their assignments.  You’re doing yourself no favors by micromanaging your home life.

6. Embrace chaos.

The truth is, regardless of how organized and well-scheduled you may be, balancing work and family will result in some chaos.  While you may do the best you can to stay on top of things, the house will still get messy, the car will still need maintenance, and your children will still get sick.  In order to handle these little obstacles you need to to roll with the punches and come to expect the unexpected.

7.    Let go.

You can only do so much.  At some point you need to relax and let some things go.  While this may feel uncomfortable, sometimes it’s the only way to maintain your sanity.

Financing a Small BusinessSome people find that they best balance work and family life when they’re running their own businesses.  Only then can they enjoy the flexibility of self-employment.  Not only could you work from your home, but starting your own accounting practice will enable you to make more money, set your own schedule, and call the shots.  If this idea is appealing, you may consider applying for a small-business loan to get started.A small-business loan can finance your start-up, enabling you to go full-time and concentrate your efforts on promoting your practice and growing your clientele.  Universal Accounting Center has designed a manual to help you create a loan package that is complete and effective.  Financing a Small Business is packed with clear-cut instructions and terrific resource materials that will make creating a loan application package easy. It even includes a sample loan package that you can use as a model. This manual is not only reasonably-priced, but it is a must-read for people like you interested in financing options.  Don’t hesitate.  Your family will thank you.  Order now!

Fall Forward!

Advance Your Career This Season

The holidays are still two months away. That’s plenty of time to change the course of your future. Are you interested?

Perhaps you dream of earning a promotion or securing a more desirable position with another employer. Maybe you’d just like to make extra money on the side. Or perhaps you’d like to eventually start your own accounting practice. Whichever most interests you, we have the course that will help you accomplish your ambitions, and it’s called the Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program.

One Course, Several Possibilities

The PB Program is designed to train students in small-business accounting. While others spend years in various training programs, this distance-learning course enables you to earn professional certification in 60 hours or less. Not only that, but those other training programs prepare students to work with big businesses which comprise less than 20% of accounting opportunities. It is the small business that needs your attention and will provide you with a roster full of clients. That or your new-found skills will enable you to earn a promotion or secure that job managing a small business’s books.

Whether you’ve spent years in the accounting industry or have yet to learn the difference between a debit and a credit, the Professional Bookkeeper Program will help catapult your professional life in a new and prosperous direction. Here are just a few things this program enables you to do:

• Master accounting for retail and wholesale businesses
• Determine and establish the accounting method that best fits any given 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
• Confidently consult with business owners on key business issues
• 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

Imagine enhancing your resume with all the above-listed skills. Or perhaps, consider how they might it look in a brochure for your new accounting practice. We’re confident that you recognize the value in acquiring this valuable expertise.

With over 25 year experience training professionals in small-business accounting, Universal Accounting Center understands your needs and your prospective clients and/or employer’s needs. That’s what makes this training program so valuable. And in addition to learning small-business accounting, you will also learn how to market your new-found skills, securing the clients necessary to sustain your new business venture!

Additional Services and Skills

The more complementary services you can master, the better, for your professional future or the longevity of your new business venture. More than 80% of small business use QuickBooks software to manage their books. Mastering QuickBooks will make you a QuickBooks authority, enabling you to offer QuickBooks seminars and attract more potential clients by demonstrating how they can use this product effectively. The Professional Bookkeeper’s Guide (PBG) to QuickBooks is designed to help you accomplish that.

Not only will the PBG enable you to manage your own books more efficiently, but it can increase your bottom line as you add QuickBooks consultation, help and setup services to your menu. With hands-on training you can earn a second professional designation as a QuickBooks Specialist that will give you the creditability you need to either advance your career or convince prospective clients that you are an outstanding bookkeeper!

After successfully completing this program you will be able to do the following:

• Enter, set up, and analyze books
• Choose or create a chart of accounts designed specifically for your business
• Write checks, collect payments, and make deposits
• Track progress invoicing, bank draws and retainage to control your cash flow
• Maintain, calculate and report payroll, including W2′s, 941′s and 940′s. Also create and track 1099′s for subcontractors
• Track, collect, and pay city, county and state taxes
• Track how much you or your clients are making or losing on each customer and/or job by assigning and tracking costs on specific jobs
• Create budgets for jobs, customers, departments, or for your whole company and/or your clients’ companies
• Create graphs that give you and your clients a whole new perspective on a company’s finances
• Produce statements and use data to help clients make informed business decisions

With two simple courses you could be well on your way to a more lucrative career and/or a profitable accounting practice. And in less time than your peers might spend in a training program you could be enjoying the profitability of your newfound skills and expertise.

Don’t wait to change the course of your future. Fall forward into a bright and lucrative future as an accounting professional. Enroll in the PB and PBG programs today!

Conflict Resolution 101 (Part Two of a Two-Part Series)

Negotiating an Equitable Solution

Chances are you will encounter more conflict in the workplace than you would like. But working through conflict can be a positive experience if handled properly. In this two-part series we’re sharing 12 steps on negotiating an equitable solution. Last week we examined the following six steps:

1. Don’t ignore the conflict.
2. Gather all parties for a discussion.
3. Determine exactly what the conflict is.
4. Recognize that the conflict should not pit employees against one another; it should pit employees against the problem.
5. Identify shared concerns.
6. Distinguish facts from opinions.

This week we’ll cover the final six:

7. Step away, if necessary.

Regardless of how well negotiations seem to be going, there may come a time when participants need a break. Those involved in conflict resolution should be allowed the chance to step away from discussions when they become too heated or even lose their focus.

8. Listen actively.

This is probably one of the most important steps in conflict resolution. Everyone has their opinions, but in order for conflict resolution to be successful, coworkers must stop arguing and taking side; everyone needs to listen actively. This requires participants to set their differences aside and listen to what others say with intent. Rather than using the time to plan their next argument, they should focus on what others are saying, weighing these perspectives carefully.

9. Be willing to compromise.

There’s a reason this step follows the last. You cannot compromise unless you have listened to all sides and considered countless options. To reach this point you must be willing to release your desire to achieve your outcome and your outcome alone.

10. Brainstorm solutions.

There may be solutions that no one has considered. In order to achieve a resolution that all parties feel comfortable with, everyone involved must brainstorms possible solutions. You may be surprised at the satisfactory resolutions you encounter when coworkers work together to create them.

11. Identify equitable solutions.

From the solutions you’ve brainstormed, determine which are equitable and meet the needs of all parties.

12. Consider the one the best suits everyone’s needs.

Select the one that best resolves this conflict for all involved. Before reaching this step you may need to return to others, like listening actively, stepping away, or distinguishing fact from fiction.

The better prepared you are to deal with conflict, the more likely you’ll be to facilitate a satisfactory resolution. Also, the more experience you have with conflict resolution, the more comfortable you will become achieving equitable solutions.

Create Your Ideal Work Environment

Often when working for another employer, it can be difficult to struggle against a system that you have no influence over. When you start your own accounting practice, you are able to determine policy, hire your own employees, and have final say in what does and doesn’t happen in the workplace. This is one of the most appealing aspects of self-employment.

The Professional Bookkeeper Program

Not only will this course train you in small business accounting, but it will enable you to use the accounting information you generate to act as a Profit Expert for your clients. You will become confident watching key indicators that diagnose a business’s health. You will understand how accounting, marketing, and production should all work together in order to create a thriving business. And you will become well versed in key marketing strategies designed to attract the clients who would most benefit from your valuable services. And you can find all this in one accounting course, you ask? YES! The Professional Bookkeeper Program has it all.

The Professional Bookkeeper’s Guide

The Professional Bookkeeper’s Guide to QuickBooks is another valuable program. When you learn how to use QuickBooks to better manage your clients’ accounts, you are learning how to work more efficiently, making more money in less time. Not only that, but more than 80% of small business owners already use QuickBooks! That’s the majority of your prospective client base!

When you master QuickBooks, you are gaining expertise in the software program used by your clients; doing so will prepare you to do much more than just help clients with their books, but you also make yourself available as a QuickBooks consultant, offering help and setup services. This will increase your potential bottom line and make you even more valuable to clients.

If you find yourself frustrated with a system over which you have no influence and would like to take charge of your own business and manage your own affairs, order this valuable package today! In just a number of months you could be on your way to a more independent and lucrative lifestyle. Enroll now!

Conflict Resolution 101 (Part One of a Two-Part Series)

12 Steps in Negotiating an Equitable Solution

Conflict isn’t always a bad thing. It’s a red flag that alerts you to a situation that needs to be addressed in order for employees and supervisors to enjoy a healthier work environment. In fact, when you approach conflict with the intention to negotiate an equitable solution, you can achieve greater understanding and perhaps find a resolution that greatly improves things altogether.But in order to find that equitable solution you need to know how to resolve conflict. In this series we will present key steps that will help you do that. And this particular article will examine the first 6 of 12 steps in practicing conflict resolution in the workplace:

1. Don’t ignore the conflict.

There are some problems that should be allowed to sort themselves out. But when a conflict begins affecting multiple parties and the work climate, a manager may need to step in and apply the following steps in workplace conflict resolution. Otherwise, when involved in a conflict with another employee, you may consider taking the following steps yourself.

2. Gather all parties for a discussion.

It helps to have everyone present to voice their perspective. When you isolate parties and have them present their views, you add an extra, unnecessary step into the process that does little more than allow employees to vent in attempts to bias your opinion of the conflict.

3. Recognize that the conflict should not pit employees against one another; it should pit employees against the problem.

The biggest problem in workplace conflict is that people begin to see themselves in conflict with coworkers rather than problems. When employees realize that they can join forces to resolve their common problems, it becomes easier for them to talk through their conflicts. In order for conflict resolution to be successful they must stop seeing their coworkers as opponents.

4. Determine exactly what the conflict is.

What, exactly, is the problem? Often employees are stewing over different issues without even realizing it. When you’re able to pinpoint all the issues and articulate why they’re problematic, you have a starting point from which to find equitable solutions.

5. Identify shared concerns.

Your discussion will have a friendlier tone when you attempt to find shared ground-what do you agree on? While parties may not see eye-to-eye on some issues, they should be able to find common concerns. If all else fails, you should attempt to agree on the importance of resolving the conflict. Most conflicted parties should at least be able to agree on that.

6. Distinguish facts from opinions.

Once employees have shared their opinions it’s time to note the facts. It’s important to realize that fact and opinion are often two separate things. In fact, this step alone might clarify the problem for both parties and enable them to gain necessary perspective as they realize that perhaps the problem wasn’t what they had initially imagined.

Almost everyone encounters conflict in the workplace at least once in their careers. And if you plan to manage others, your chances of encountering conflict are even more likely. It’s important that you learn how to resolve conflict not only between you and other employees, but also among coworkers you might eventually supervise.Return next week when we will discuss the following:

7. Step away, if necessary.

8. Listen actively.

9. Be willing to compromise.

10. Brainstorm solutions.

11. Identify equitable solutions.

12. Consider the one the best suits everyone’s needs.

Have You Ever Considered Starting Your Own Practice?

Resolving conflicts among coworkers can be frustrating when you don’t agree with company policy and approach. If you’ve ever considered starting your own practice, with your own policies and business practices, now’s the time to learn more about just how easy it can be. Universal Accounting Center has been helping professionals start their own bookkeeping services for over 25 years! If you’d like to learn more about our course, the Professional Bookkeeper Program, order our video “Start Today” and watch actual course content while learning just how profitable your practice can be. Order the DVD today or watch it online for free! What have you got to lose but a long future as someone else’s employee? Change your future today!

Your Bookkeeping Service

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

Gas Prices Too High? Work from Home!

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!

Visualize Your Way to Career Success

Visualization is a technique used by athletes, politicians, CEO’s, and bank tellers alike to achieve greater success in their lives. In fact, you currently practice visualization yourself, although you may not be aware that you’re actually doing it.When you imagine yourself sitting in that corner office with your name on the door, you’re visualizing greater success. And when you imagine yourself getting fired for a series of mistakes, you’re visualizing failure. So as long as you’re visualizing, you might as well do it right.The brain can’t tell the difference between reality and your imagination. If you imagine yourself earning a promotion or getting a stellar job, you’ve tricked the brain into believing you’ve done that already, paving the way for reality. And the more you visualize it, the more the subconscious begins thinking and doing those things that will prepare you to actually accomplish what you’re visualizing.The truth is we’ve spent years convincing our brains of one thing or another. If you’re a highly optimistic, successful person, chances are you think many positive thoughts. On the other hand, if you’re a pessimistic, downtrodden person, chances are you think negative ones. The great thing about visualization, however, is that by changing your thoughts you can begin to change your experiences, immediately.

Visualization

Visualization can be a fabulous tool for enhancing your career. But it first requires you to determine what, specifically, you want. Is it a promotion? A bigger and better job? Your own accounting practice? Once you decide what you desire you can begin visualizing your way to success.The important thing about visualization is that you produce a clear picture in your mind of you achieving your goals. What does it look like? What does it feel like? What are you saying and thinking throughout? The more clarity you bring to your “visions” the more real they appear to your brain which can begin helping you manifest that vision into a reality.And while visualizing what you desire one time is a good start, it’s not enough to bring that vision to life. Remember, you’ve probably been processing negative, self-defeating thoughts for a long time. It will take daily and focused visualization in order to combat those thoughts and develop new and improved habits of the mind.Schedule 20 to 30 minutes a day when you can relax and visualize your desires. Select a quiet and undisturbed location so you won’t be interrupted or distracted. And while it may feel silly at first, concentrate and imagine your desires becoming part of your life, filling in all the details to make your vision as specific as possible. Each day add to these details and try to conjure those feelings you would have realizing your dreams.

Affirmations

In addition to visualizations, practice positive affirmations. Affirmations also help bring more positive things into your life as you convince your brain that you are indeed a competent and successful person. These affirmations should be in present tense and only accentuate the positive. For example, if you want to lose weight, rather than say, “I am losing weight,” you should say, “I am healthy and slender.” The first statement focuses on the weight that you’re trying so hard to lose while the second only focuses on the end result you’re trying to achieve.Make a list of affirmations you could repeat throughout your day. It’s not a bad idea to carry them around with you until you have memorized them and they become part of the audio track that entertains your brain. You’ll find that after a few days of repeating these affirmations you’re feeling more positive and confident.

Change Your Path Today!

Every day you can take steps that will bring you closer to the realization of your dream. Take one step today!If you wish to enhance your skills or prepare yourself for self-employment as a contract accountant, you should consider UAC’s Professional Bookkeeper Program. Designed to train individuals in small business accounting, this course will enable you to boost your employability, your chances for promotion, all while preparing you to start your own bookkeeping service, if that’s what you desire.Begin visualizing today. Order our DVD “Introduction to the Professional Bookkeeper Program” now and see just how much this course can enhance your career. Or watch it online and begin changing the course of your professional future.

Job Search Toolkit

When searching for a job it’s important to have everything you need to succeed, like a toolkit with all those items prepared that will enable you to secure the perfect position. That way, you’re never taken off-guard and required to throw something together for a potential employee. And everything from your resume to your email address communicates a level of professionalism and dedication. So you can’t wait until the opportunity presents itself to get your toolkit together. Now is the time to gather your job search gear.

1. Resume

It’s important that you update your resume periodically. If you wait too long, you will forget significant achievements and responsibilities that will appeal to potential employers. And while you should revise your resume to cater to the position for which you are applying, it helps to have current information to work with.

2. Application-at-the-ready

While filling out a job application isn’t rocket science, it does take a certain amount of time, energy, and recall ability to complete successfully. Depending on the application, this may require you to sort through old documents listing previous addresses, employers and their corresponding contact information, as well as starting and ending salaries. Save yourself some time by making copies of old applications to keep on file. That way completing an application becomes a matter of copying information from one form to another.

3. Cover letter template

Most jobs require you to submit an application package which requires a thoughtful cover letter stating your intentions. While each cover letter you write should be unique to the job for which you are applying, having a standard template will help you compose the letter more quickly.

4. Elevator speech

An elevator speech is like a quick infomercial about you and your abilities 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.

5. Portfolio

Most professionals can demonstrate their expertise with samples of their work or specialized certification. All these things should be collected in one place for easy access. Then you have a portfolio prepared should a potential employer ask to see it.

6. Professional email address

While you may think smartdude28@email.com is a great email address, it doesn’t say much for your professionalism. When selecting an email address for the purpose of a job search it’s important the you choose one that will project a positive, professional image.

7. Power suit

When interacting with significant contacts and potential employers it’s important that you dress the part. You should have at least one power outfit to wear for interviews and networking occasions.

Add Universal’s DVD 4-Pack to Your ToolkitIncluded in your toolkit should be strategies to increase your skills and expertise. Universal’s DVD 4-Pack is designed to introduce you to all the valuable programs we offer, each and every one of them intended to enhance your accounting career. This power pack includes:

Introduction to the Professional Bookkeeper Program

Learn how becoming a Professional Bookkeeper will improve your accounting skills, enabling you to expand your business and become a full-service financial provider.

Introduction to the Professional Tax Preparer Program

Learn how becoming a Professional Tax Preparer will improve your tax skills and help you earn a professional designation that will evidence your expertise.

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.

Not only will these programs enable you to bolster your resume and enhance your career, but if you’ve ever considered starting your own accounting and tax practice, these DVD’s will help you get started. Order now and complete your job search toolkit!

Starting Your Own Bookkeeping Service is Achievable, Profitable, and Easy (A.P.E.)

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. MoodyTestimonial: 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.

A Ready-Made Business Opportunity

If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade. – Tom PetersSmall opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises. – DemosthenesThe 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.