Accountant and Bookkeeper Articles

How Good Managers Ensure Successful Communication with Employees

Whether you’re a manager or would like to be one at some point in your career, you must practice effective communication. Without it your company will experience higher turnover rates, less productivity, and decreased customer satisfaction. Not to mention, your employability lessens when you don’t possess key soft skills like effective communication.

Unfortunately, communication doesn’t come naturally to many accountants. Known as introverted “bean counters,” we often have a bad reputation for practicing ineffective communication with customers and coworkers alike. If you find yourself struggling to get your message across, consider the first of 8 tips on developing effective workplace communication skills:

1. Determine your message

First you must determine exactly what your message is. As a manager you must always be aware of office dynamics and employee performance in order to work closely with those you supervise and facilitate improvement. Take note of areas that need attention and then determine what your intended message should be.

After you’ve determined your message, ask yourself what you hope to accomplish by communicating this message? As you define your objectives and the intended audience, consider how to present the message so that it appeals to them. Your approach will greatly influence how the message is received.

2. Select the most appropriate communication method

Different communication methods include written correspondence like email and business letters and verbal correspondence like face-to-face meetings and group presentations. Each and every communication method can be effective if paired with the right message.

For example, if you need to place an employee on probation, email probably isn’t an appropriate communication method for that message. If you need to announce a departmental retreat, it probably wouldn’t be effective to schedule one-on-one meetings with each employee. Scrutinize your message and select the communication method that will most effectively communicate that message.

3. Ask for feedback

In order to truly know how your message has been received and whether or not it has been understood, you must ask for feedback. Provide a forum in which feedback can be safely communicated and received. Some employees may not feel comfortable sharing feedback in a public environment; in that case you might consider requesting feedback via email.

4. Listen with intent

If your only objective in communicating is to get your message across then chances are you are not communicating effectively. The majority of effective communication comes in listening with intent. If you’re not listening, you’re not learning. And if you’re not learning then your work as a manager is probably misguided and ill-informed.

When you listen with intent you focus on the speaker and their message. Consider what motivates them and what they may be thinking and not saying. If you are too busy constructing a response or refuting their message in your mind, you are not paying close enough attention.

Without effective communication skills a manager will not be successful. And if you want to earn a promotion, chances are your boss will be watching to see whether or not you practice effective communication techniques.

Return next week when we will be discussing the final four tips on developing effective communication skills:

5. Speak up!

6. Tackle difficult topics

7. Practice presentation skills

8. Allow everyone the opportunity to voice opinions

If you would like to learn more about how accountants can increase profitability by communicating effectively, visit our website Are You in the Black today!

A Recession-Proof Startup

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

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

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

What Businesses Need

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

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

Small Business Accounting Services

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

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

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

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

Market Those Skills

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

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

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

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

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

References

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Get Trained in Small Business Accounting

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

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

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

2. Earn a Professional Designation

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

3.    Learn Proven Marketing Techniques

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

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

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

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

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

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.