10 Tips on Working More Efficiently (Part One of a Two-Part Series)

Also called “working smart,” efficient work strategies can makes any small business more profitable as owners determine how to get more done in less time. And as we are in the middle of what some would call a recession, getting more out of your work day could help you and your business fair better during difficult economic times.

In this two-week series we will discuss 10 tips on working more efficiently so that you can eliminate the unnecessary and find more time for billable hours. Here are the first five of 10 tips designed to help you work smart:

1. Clean and organize your workspace

You can waste hours looking for important documents if your office is not clean and organized. While this tip may seem like one designed to lengthen your workday rather than shorten it, you’ll find that setting aside just a few hours to tidy up your office will save you a lot of time in the long run.

And this tip is not for looks alone. You want to ensure that all your files are quick and easy to locate. So don’t just hide them in a box in the closet. Take the time to truly organize your workspace. And once you do, dedicate a few minutes at the end of each day to clean up your office so it doesn’t become unruly once again.

2. Schedule workday around your most productive times

One perk in being self-employed is that you’re not required to comply with a traditional work schedule. This can be incredibly helpful for those who may work better early in the morning or late at night. Determine the times of day you are most productive and schedule your workday around those times.

There’s no use working 9 to 5 if you find you’re most sluggish in the last afternoon. Maybe you could work from 6 to 11am and then again from 8 to 10pm. Ensure your schedule is realistic and works for you and your family. And if your schedule is highly unconventional, make sure you devise a method for contacting clients and colleagues, as their schedules are likely to be more traditional.

3. Establish a routine

Once you determine a work schedule you should develop a routine. Routines can help you work more efficiently. Determine when you will read and respond to email; abide by that routine. Determine when you will call and meet with clients; abide by that routine. While there will definitely be times you must break from this schedule, generally it can help you stay on task and reserve the bulk of your time for billable hours.

4. Hire help

Sometimes it does take money to make money. Some of your more tedious tasks could be accomplished by a part-time employee. While you may need to pay this individual minimum wage or more, think of all the time it affords you to make more money and possibly take on additional clients.

You may find your best employee lives in your home, just a hop, skip and a jump away from your office. When you hire a teenage child to work for your business, you not only equip them with valuable experience and key employability skills, but you also enjoy important tax breaks. As long as the child is under 18 he/she is not only tax deductible, but in a proprietorship they’re exempt from FICA, Unemployment, Workmen’s Compensation, and tax withholding.

5. Consider replacing some paper files with electronic files

Sometimes all that paperwork can bog you down. You may want to consider which files would be easier to manage electronically, eliminating the paper trail as well as making information much more accessible.

By following just a few tips, you could make your business function more efficiently, which will make you and your business more productive, and in turn, more profitable.

Join us next week when we will discuss the following 5 tips for working smart.

6. Perform similar tasks at same time

7. Dedicate more attention to higher-yielding clients

8. Avoid unnecessary meetings

9. Reduce the number of emails you send and receive

10. Be productive and not just busy

UAC Can Help You Work Smarter

Let Universal Accounting Center help you maximize work efficiency. In learning new skills you can enhance your service offerings and become more profitable. Our DVD 4-pack is designed to let people like you discover those skills that can enhance your practice. It includes the following DVD’s:

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 proven marketing strategies designed to help accountants market their skills in order to get more clients.

Each of these DVD’s can help you work smarter. Order now and save nearly $25.00 on this valuable set. For less than $20 you can be on your way to a more efficient tax preparation business-or better yet, a more efficient full-service financial practice!

3 Questions That Will Help You Get On-Track

In order for your services to appeal to clients, they must focus on fulfilling their needs. This requires you to be dedicated to running a client-centered practice.

You’re familiar with the importance of good customer service because you yourself patron other businesses. You know what you like, and often the offer of a one-size-fits-all solution for your unique needs isn’t appealing. The same applies to your own clients. They want to feel as if your services are customized to suit their specific needs.

How do you do that? You must regularly step away from your practice and look at it from a client’s perspective. When you do so ask yourself the following three questions:

1. How will these services enhance my business?

Your clients aren’t interested in what you do as much as they’re interested in how it will benefit their business. While you may submit a mean tax return, they would find your ability to save them money in taxes much more appealing. So as you consider your demographic, ask yourself what they really want from you. Once you are able to answer that question, you’ll be better prepared to cater your services to meet their specific needs.

2. How much will it cost me?

While we’d like to think that clients are first interested in your services and second interested in your fees, that’s not always the case. Especially when you’re working with small business owners, they want to save as much money as possible, even when it comes to their taxes. When faced with this issue it’s often most effective to present them a per-project estimate rather than an hourly fee. They imagine those hourly fees adding up much more quickly than they actually do. When they can see how much the entire project might cost them (for example, tax planning by the month or tax preparation by the form), they’re generally more subdued and can see just how valuable your services are.

3. Do you offer any complementary services?

When you’re low on time or too tired to drive around, you can probably appreciate the convenience of a super store that has everything from groceries to pharmaceuticals to clothes to hardware. Your clients are just as interested in convenience as you are, and if you asked them they would probably admit they would prefer to have all their financials managed by the same individual.

Accounting services are the perfect complement to tax services. Not only would your current clients find your new services appealing, but you would be more likely to attract more prospective clients with the convenience of a one-stop financial shop.

The Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program

When you enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper Program you can master small-business accounting skills in less than 60 hours. With a DVD program designed to help you review key concepts until they become second-nature, this self-paced approach enables you to complete the course on your own time. Not only that, but in addition to learning small business accounting you will also be trained in marketing those skills. After 25 years training professionals in small business accounting we know which marketing strategies are most successful in actually attracting and retaining clients.

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned accountant, this course will teach you everything you need to know to service your small business clients. Here is what some of our graduates are saying:

I can’t believe the accounting knowledge covered in four short weeks. I spent years in school and did not get the same education I did this past month… - L.C. Westergard

I knew nothing of accounting before I took this class and now I feel I have a good working knowledge of bookkeeping and starting a business.- S. David

My current clients have recognized the changes and appreciate them greatly. - S. Christensen

You gave a stay-at-home-mom the knowledge and understanding of accounting needed to go out and get work that can be done from home.- I. Snow

In order to best serve your clients you must consider all their financial needs. Once you master small business accounting you can manage their books as well as their taxes. This is incredibly appealing to clients who are looking for a one-stop financial shop. Expand your business before tax season hits again. Enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper Program today.

If It’s Accounting, It’s Universal:

Get to Know More About the Company That Will Change Your Career!

Universal Accounting is a company that is making a difference in the lives of their students! For those who are pursuing or looking into the possibilities of pursuing a career path into the Accounting, Bookkeeping and Tax Preparation services, you need to get to know more about what all Universal offers in their comprehensive training programs.

If you prefer onsite classroom study or looking for the benefits received on independent study, we have developed the programs that you will be able to get the one-on-one experience in your own home. The skills we have used over the course of the last 28 years, with the trial and error, the fine-tuning of accounting methods and strategies, and what we and thousands more have experienced running their own practices - we have provided to you the advantage to stay on top of your profession. Our coursework is designed to be exactly what you will be doing when you are servicing the biggest customer base available, the small business owner.

If you are looking for the knowledge, the skills, and the know-how to start or build your accounting or tax practice, or just looking to gain the essential skills to further your career in your place of business, Universal’s Programs are what you are going to need.

Click here to take the Video Tour of Universal and all that we offer to you, the accounting and tax professional to be the best in your field and to have the success in business and in your professional life that you are seeking.Our exclusive short term courses do just that!

Imagine staying on top of the latest in the industry and having access to the experts who can assist you through training? Imagine what you are learning can be applied the very next day at work? Imagine being able to keep the materials, and the reading for continued referencing as you take that path in Accounting, Bookkeeping and Tax Preparation? You don’t have to imagine too hard, because that is one of the many things you receive when you enroll in these specialized programs! Click here to get to know Universal Accounting.

Are You Ready For The Next Step?
Be in business for yourself, but not by yourself getting paid what you’re worth! Are you tired of thinking, “Why not me?” You have gotten this far in your search to do what you want to in your chosen career, take the next step. The time is now to be able to get the training and the change you desire in your professional life. Click here to find out if Professional Tax Preparation Certification is a fit for you.

Be the Profit Expert Professional for Small Business! Don’t hesitate another day in getting the Accounting and Marketing Training that makes the difference. Click here to get more information on what you need to know about becoming the Profit Center Expert for small business accounting and tax!

It’s mid-summer and you’re probably experiencing a lull in business; not too many are interested in taxes this time of year. What are some things you can do? We have a suggestion. Why not use this time to enhance your skills and become a full service financial provider? You’ll be able to increase your service offerings and turn your business into a full-time, year-round venture. It’s finally time to quit your day job and give yourself a raise.

How Easy Is It?

You may think that adding accounting services to your offerings would require a lot of time, energy, and money. That’s simply not true. In 60 hours you could not only have the skills, but the confidence to perform small business accounting for a growing niche market. Universal Accounting Center’s Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program provides hands-on training in the day-to-day accounting tasks required by small businesses. From payroll to bank reconciliations, you’ll learn how to manage more than your clients’ books; you’ll also become their Profit Expert, informing them how they can increase their business’s profitability and success. Imagine how valuable that service would be to small business owners who often struggle to last longer than 5 years.

Testimonial: This course has really helped open options I never thought I had before. The training was easy to understand, and the hands-on work emphasizes that understanding and know-how.-Barbara W.

How Much Could You Make?

We’ll do more than give you an average income range; we’ll share an equation that will help you calculate how many clients you will need to earn the income you desire. You can charge the average client $300/month. If you have 20 clients you’re earning $6000 per month. That’s $72,000 in one year, and that number doesn’t even take into account how much you earn during tax season. Depending on your needs, you can increase or decrease the number of clients in order to hit your target income.

Testimonial: As of July 1st, I am leaving my job of 15 years and working my business full time. I already have enough clients, on contract, to give me a larger annual income than I had working for my employer.-Robbie Ursu

How Many Clients Could You Have?

We challenge you to take a drive down your main street or thumb through the yellow pages of your local phone book. How many small, local businesses can you find? And that doesn’t even include the countless entrepreneurs working from their homes. Your potential client base is huge and continues to grow every year.

Testimonial: After completing UAC’s training I opened my business. I now have 15 clients, and have only had one meeting that did not result in a new client.-Victoria Richardson

How Long Would It Take To Get Started?

The Professional Bookkeeper Program is designed to teach you everything you need to know to get started. And because operating an accounting and bookkeeping practice from your home requires little to no startup costs, you could have your practice up and running as soon as you’re ready. This program is practically a ready-made business; you add confidence and stir.

Testimonial: I did not imagine that I could face this world out there and talk confidently about accounting and bookkeeping, let alone start my own business in it. But having this class, I have developed the confidence that I need to go out there and be on my own and the confidence to make a go at it. I’m ready to face the world!!!-Julie M.

Now is the perfect time to take advantage of a lull in business to grow your clientele and become a full-service financial provider. It’s not only easy, but profitable and can take just a couple months to get started. You’ve already got a strong base with your tax preparation business. Why not take advantage of your standing by growing your business this summer?

Our Business-Warming Gift

If you order the Professional Bookkeeper Program now, we’ll throw in QuickBooks Made Profitable as a business-warming gift! Most financial professionals know that QuickBooks is the most popular accounting software used by small business owners. You can use your QuickBooks skills to attract even more clients. When you order the PB Program, you’ll learn how to do just that! With these two programs you will be able to increase your service offerings and learn how to use your QuickBooks skills to attract even more clients.

Not only is now the perfect time for you to grow your business, but this is the perfect opportunity to help you do that.

• Click here to pay in full.
• Click here to finance.

7 Tips that to Help You Meet the Challenge of Starting Your Own Accounting and Tax Practice

Often what will successfully see you through startup is not a small business loan but a little self-coaching. Many small business owners spend more time worrying about their efforts than they do running their businesses. When you’re able to focus on what’s important, you’re better equipped to survive the highs and lows of launching your practice. Last week we discussed the first three of 7 tips designed to help you meet the challenge of starting your own accounting and tax practice:

1. Self Assess
2. Self Affirm
3. Question Yourself

This week we’ll discuss the final four tips:

4. Grow Your Passion

Most people start their own practices because they’re passionate about what they do: accounting and tax preparation. If you’re passionate about your trade it’s important that you hone your expertise to become the premier financial provider in your area. This may require you to invest in additional training, earn professional certification, or build your professional network. Whatever it is, it should ignite that passion and feed your desire to better serve your clientele.

5. Place Yourself in Positive, Rewarding Environments

Have you ever noticed how being with positive, upbeat people leaves you feeling positive and upbeat? On the down side, placing yourself in negative and draining environments will leave you feeling negative and drained. As you build your startup it’s important to place yourself in the most affirming environments possible, enabling you to approach your practice with joy and enthusiasm.

6. Reduce Energy Drains

Related to number five is this tip: reduce energy drains. The truth is starting your own practice is a big enough drain on its own. If you find there are too many demands on your energy, watch for those which are unnecessary or unnecessarily taxing. Do you have a client that’s more trouble than they’re worth? A colleague whose competitive and flashy nature distracts you? Or perhaps a vendor that’s nagging you for too much attention? Once you pinpoint those energy drains it’s time to plug them up! Eliminate the source and you’ll find it’s not long before you’re feeling empowered and rejuvenated.

7. Build a Solid Support Network

It helps to start your journey by building a support network filled with like-minded professionals. Included in your support network should be seasoned accountants and tax preparers, veteran small business owners, and other professionals who could coach and advise you on your journey to startup success.

Partner with UAC to Launch a Successful Accounting and Tax Practice

The Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program, a self-paced training course in small business accounting, is the perfect way to build your confidence and provide you with informed self-coaching techniques designed to help you succeed as a contract accountant or bookkeeper. Your time is valuable, and you don’t have an unlimited amount of time in which to see your business succeed. That is why this course is self-paced, enabling you to complete it on your own time and in as little as 60 hours, if you so choose. Not to mention, this course comes complete with proven marketing strategies that will enable you to attract the clients that will sustain your practice and make you the premier accountant and tax preparer in the area.

QuickBooks Made Profitable Will Make Your Business Even More Profitable

If you order the Professional Bookkeeper Program now, we’ll throw in another valuable program: QuickBooks Made Profitable. Most financial professionals know that QuickBooks is the most popular accounting software used by small business owners. You can use your QuickBooks skills to attract even more clients. Want to know how? When you order the PB Program, you’ll get QuickBooks Made Profitable for free! With these two programs you’ll learn how to not only enhance your service offerings, but market them effectively to the right individuals! You’ve waited for the perfect opportunity. Here it is.

Click here to pay in full.

Click here to finance these two programs.

Serving You with Our Free Newsletters

We enjoy sending you information that we hope improves your work as a tax preparer. 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 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 financial services. 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.

8 Tips in Turning Your Site into a Marketing Force

If you don’t already have a website, you should get one. Progressive businesses have an internet presence; it speaks volumes of their professionalism and ability to keep up with current trends. A good website will represent you well and increase your clientele. It will also work 24/7 as a virtual receptionist, getting the word out about your business while you spend your time doing what you do best: tax preparation. And if well developed, your business website can act as an inexpensive marketing tool and a good point of contact. It can also help to further brand your business.

As you consider building a new website or enhancing a current one, refer to the following 8 tips in turning your site into a marketing force:

1. Clearly state who you are and what you do.

While most visitors will probably land on your website because you gave them your URL or they performed an internet search on tax preparers, there will be some who will immediately want to know who you are and what you do. This information should be easy to access from your homepage. Also be sure to include easy-to-find contact information. Your website’s ultimate objective is to enable people to retain your services. They can’t do that unless they know who you are and how to contact you.

2. Ensure your website is easily accessible.

You want your target market to be able to access your website with ease. This means you must design it in such a way that your typical visitor would be able to download your site without expending too much time or energy. And no matter what you do, test your site to ensure others can access it without any problems. This will require you to test the site on different computers using different browsers, but it will be well worth your time.

3. Use a clean, professional design.

How do you respond to Power Point Presentations with neon text, flashing graphics, and nifty rollover effects? It may be hypnotic at first, but can quickly become distracting. While you want your site to be visually appealing, you need to remember that your content is on display, not the clever programming.

Your navigation should also be clear. The internet is all about quick and easy access to data. If your navigation slows users down, chances are they won’t hang around to find the information they’re looking for; they’ll go to a website that’s more transparent.

4. Include valuable content.

Visitors will continually return if they find valuable content on your website. If you provide valuable tax tips for the small business owner, you’ll find they use your site as a reference and perhaps even bookmark it. And when they need professional tax help who do you think they’ll go to? You, of course!

5. Update regularly.

Nothing is more frustrating to users than an out-of-date website that lists old promotions and dated information. While this may take some time, it will totally pay off in internet traffic.

6. Ensure all the links, etc. work properly.

This tip is closely related to number five. Broken links, missing graphics, and malfunctioning navigation communicate a sloppy regard for your internet visitors. And even though it’s unintended, it will reflect poorly on your tax preparation skills as well.

7. Include exclusive website promotions.

Reward your internet visitors by offering special promotions. Consider providing them with a free tax consultation that will afford you the opportunity to further promote your value as a tax professional.

8. Distribute your URL.

A website will do you no good unless you promote it. There are inexpensive ways to get your website out there. Here are just a few:

• Put the URL on your business cards
• Include the URL with your email signature
• Issue a press release in your local paper
• Whenever possible, get other websites to link to your site
• Submit your site to directory listings
• Include the URL in your Yellow-page listing
• Include the URL on your stationary

Universal Accounting Center Can Help You Create a Custom Website for Your Practice

Imagine how difficult it would be to create your own website with all the above features without spending much of your own time managing the process. Now imagine that UAC can manage that process for you, enabling you to create a strong web presence without expending much energy. Universal Accounting Center (UAC) has recently released an expanded and improved Accountweb website development tool, available exclusively for accounting, tax, and bookkeeping professionals. Within a number of business days you can create a personalized website for your practice, enabling potential clients to access your business even after your office closes.

To see a sample of a website developed from the Universal Accountweb platform, go to www.universalaccountingservices.com.

Whether you run a full-time practice or do taxes on the side, you need a website that tells potential clients about your business even when you are unable to. If you haven’t yet developed a website for your business, today is the day! Order your subscription now-your website will be up and running by the following business week. And if you are a Universal Accounting student you will receive a free six-month trial!

Take Advantage of this Prime Time to Grow Your Business

We’re going to cut to the chase. There’s no better time than the present to increase your offerings by adding accounting services to your menu. The 2007 Salary Guide from Robert Half International indicated that an increased demand for financial professionals, especially skilled accountants, would result in increased wages. And according to a report released in December of 2007 that demand will continue to increase in 2008. Max Messmer chairman and CEO of Robert Half International explains, “Demand remains strong for highly skilled accounting and finance professionals, particularly those whose functional expertise is complemented by excellent communication and technology skills.”

If you’ve ever thought it wouldn’t be worth your while to acquire accounting skills, think again. While this means an increased opportunity for accountants seeking full-time employment, it also means more work for the contract accountant as well. Amy Langer, president of Minneapolis staffing service SALO says, “We are still seeing demand for accountants being incredibly high. We don’t see it changing for the next eight to 10 years.” She goes on to explain, “The demand for contract accountants is largely due to companies being hesitant to add part- and flex-time positions. Also, they have recently embraced the notion of hiring contractors during busy times.”

Whether you live in Minneapolis or Salt Lake City, the demand remains the same. And you could take advantage of this amazing opportunity now, by increasing your skills.

The Professional Bookkeeper Program

Becoming a skilled accountant is easier than you think. The Professional Bookkeeper Program enables you to increase your expertise while continuing to run your business or work full-time. There are countless reasons why this program exceeds all others, and we’ll simplify things by listing them here:

• A self-paced program you can complete in as little as 60 hours
• A modestly-priced course compared to other training programs, including university programs
• Practical, hands-on training that will prepare you for typical day-to-day small business accounting functions
• The ability to earn the Professional Bookkeeper (PB) designation
• 6 months of follow-up support with our trained professionals
• Training in proven marketing techniques that will enable you to find and retain clients
• 12 valuable instructional DVD’s and manuals designed to help you continually review and master concepts
• The confidence to become the premier full-service financial provider in your area
• An iron-clad guarantee that makes the PB Program a risk-free professional investment

The Professional Bookkeeper’s Guide to QuickBooks

Add QuickBooks services to your menu as well and you will become your clients’ one-stop shop for financial services. QuickBooks expertise is just the kind of technology skills potential clients are interested in.

Our new and improved program provides the following:

• Training targeted for all user types
• The ability to work more efficiently
• The ability to offer QuickBooks consulting services
• 6 months of follow-up support
• The ability to earn a QuickBooks Specialist (QS) designation
• 16 CDs with 15 hours of training
• 4 books with over 800 pages of instruction

The demand for skilled accountants will enable you to easily grow your practice and perhaps take a part-time venture full-time, affording yourself the freedom to determine your own schedule and give yourself a whoopin’ raise! If there was ever a time to take advantage of this increased demand for skilled accountants, now is that time! And by ordering these two programs together, you’ll gain the necessary training and confidence to make your business successful. Either finance the programs or pay in full today!

References

Elsenpeter, Robert. “Is Temporary Accounting for You?” 17 September 2007 StarTribune.com

“Jobs: What’s Hot in ‘08?” 20 December 2007 MSN Money

Taking from the Expert in Your Field

All of us have wished or wondered what it would be like to have an expert around that we could “pick their brain” and get our questions answered, and see what they do to be successful. Often this thought comes along when we are faced with a challenge or a problem that we have not come across before. In the field of accounting, you have direct access to one of the best!

You’ve seen him on the instructional DVD’s and possibly read his book (click here to see In The Black). You have maybe been able to see him and learn from him in person at our amazing Universal Practice Builder Program. Now you can get your does of his knowledge on an ongoing basis with his blog.

Allen’s brand new blog has covered topics from Accounting Profitability to Teamwork. You can now see what’s on the top of the mind from the force that pushes Universal Accounting Center forward. Here’s an excerpt from his blog.

“There’s no question in my mind: employees are the most important asset a company has. A company can have the finest offices, equipment, and products available on the market, and they will be outsold every time, if the employees aren’t the focus.

For that reason, I’ve always disliked the reference often made of management as “superiors”. I feel every person in the Company fills a critical role to the business regardless of their pay and position. That means that management is no better or superior, just different roles.

In working with the staff at Universal Accounting Center, I subscribe to the STAR System that we developed. All of our employees are STARs. It’s anacronym for:

Set standards for performance

Trust them to make good decisions for their jobs

Acknowledge their accomplishments and contributions

Reward them for excellent performance

I find that people rise to the needs of their position if given enough direction, and encouragement. They must first understand the value they bring to the business, and how their contribution impacts everyone. They must furthermore be aware of what is expected of them, and how they can know whether or not they are meeting that expectation. We call this setting the standard for performance.”

This is only an example on what Allen has posted on www.allenbostrom.com. Bookmark the site and come back often to see what new innovations, what issues he’s thinking about, and what’s on the horizon with Universal’s resident expert.

Keep in Mind How UAC Can Help You
Universal Accounting Center understands that marketing may not be one of your strengths and has designed a DVD intended to help those of us who are marketing-challenged. For just $9.95 you can learn effective marketing strategies for your tax practice. You’re less than $10.00 away from learning which marketing strategies to include in your marketing plan. Order today!

Your Office is Born

You can make the perfect office. The first question you’ll want to ask yourself is, “Do I want to rent office space or work from my home?” If you’re the kind of person who likes to get up, go to the office and come home at the end of the day, then renting office space might be right for you. Of course, office space isn’t cheap. And you really don’t need that kind of expense to operate a very successful tax preparation business.

If it sounds like I’m in favor of the “Home Office,” you’re right. I am. Let me give you an example of why.

Victoria Richardson is a very successful accountant and graduate of Universal Accounting Center’s Professional Bookkeeper Course. In an interview with Allen Bostrom, President of Universal, she talked about her experience with both rented office space and a home office.

Victoria said, “I felt like it boosted my credibility to have a really nice, fancy, classy office. And so I had gone out and rented office space in a beautiful office setting, and what I found after being there a year was the only people that found me there were the people trying to sell me things.”

“I never, ever, ever had a client come in.” So she decided to get rid of the fancy, classy office and move her business into her house. She goes on to say, “I still have a gorgeous office. And it’s a place that I enjoy working. But with that, I work on Mondays, and I work on Tuesdays, and I work part of the day on Wednesdays, and I’m off Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and spend time with my kids…”

Click Here to Listen to the Audio of Victoria’s Complete Interview With Allen

Do I Like the Home Office? Yes I Do

There are a couple of things you need to consider as you set up your office. Rosalind Resnick, on Entrepreneur.com offers four things you need to make certain that you have in your home office to provide some basic functionality:

1. A clean, well-lighted place for the owner to run the business free from noise and distractions.
2. A place to sit down and work. (Desk, Chair, Lamp)
3. A place to store information about your customers. (Computer, Filing Cabinet, Electronic Organizer or Database)
4. A way to communicate with your customers quickly and efficiently. (Phone, Fax Machine/Software, Internet Connection)

She goes on to say, “Since most homebased businesses are service businesses, …it’s rarely necessary for a home office to be large enough to store inventory or component parts. And since most homebased business owners travel to their clients offices for meetings, you probably won’t need a conference room, white board or a projector.”

In an article published by Business Hotline Publications LTD in London, they ask some questions that will help you decide if a home office is right for you.

Will it provide the right working environment?

• Take yourself seriously. Even if you only work a few hours a week, remember you are running a business.
• Establish a workspace. It will be easier to concentrate on work once you enter the workspace and switch off when you leave.
• Separate “at work” from “home”. Discourage social phone calls and domestic interruptions during your working day.
• Arrange work patterns to fit in with the family and set working hours during which you will not be disturbed. Outside working hours, give family and friends your full attention.

Will working from home provide the right image?

• Do you expect visitors to come to your office? What will they think?
• Could you arrange to visit their premises or hire a meeting room instead?
• Will your address be suitable? Should you use a mailing address?
• Business centers often offer a “virtual office” facility, receiving post [mail], telephone calls and faxes on your behalf and then forwarding them to you.

What are the financial implications?

• An appropriate proportion of the bills (eg electricity) can be treated as business expenses and offset against tax. [These are tax issues that you will be addressing as you determine what type of business entity you create.]
• [You will more than likely need] to tell your insurers that you work from your home. (And change the insurance on your car, if you use it for business.) Otherwise, your insurance may become invalid. [These are tax issues that you will want to investigate as you determine they type of business entity you will become.]

This list is not all inclusive, but only meant as a guideline to help you determine if a home office is right for you. That said… I still like the home office.

I Know What I Want My Office to Be, What Else Do I Need?

Much of what you’re going to need you might already have, in fact, Chris Pentilla of Entrepreneur magazine, cautions us against spending too much in setting up an office. “It’s easy to spend too much. To cut costs, look for office surplus stores and be aware of local business closings. Another tip: Did you know that state government sell surplus office equipment at bargain prices? You just have to know where to shop. To get started, check out the National Association of State Agencies for Surplus Property (NASASP) online at www.nasap.com, which sells federal government surplus items, including office equipment and supplies.”

For a list of some of the foundation office furniture and supplies you’ll need, click on the link below and download a Microsoft Word document of what you’ll need to create your workspace.

The Foundation of Any Office: The Furniture and Supplies You’ll Need

How Do I Communicate With My Clients?

You’ll need to establish a connection to the outside world. Chris Pentilla adds, “Do you want to rely on a cell phone instead of a land line, or use both? When it comes to the Net, there’s DSL, cable modems, dial-ups and T1’s. Rates vary, so you’ll have to shop around with providers’ sites, such as Covad.com. The key is not to buy too much, too soon. “Don’t sign a three-year contract. Only sign for a year at most,” says Tom Heslin, president of Sunsar Communications, a telecommunications agency in Trumbull, Connecticut. Besides cruising the sites of your local Baby Bell and long-distance providers, try sites like GetConnected.com, where you can find links to a bill calculator, a long-distance glossary and tips for setting up a calling plan.”

With cell phones as an inexpensive and commonplace as they are today, many businesses rely on cellular technology to handle all of their business needs. Even if when you’re not “in your home office” you can appear to be with your cell phone.

In fact, even though I work in an office, the only phone I have on my desk is my cell phone. I don’t take enough calls to need a phone. In fact, I do 100% of my business communication via either instant messaging or e-mail. I realize that my situation is different from most, but don’t be too quick to buy a lot of expensive communication equipment that you might not need.

“Pleasure In the Job Puts Perfection In The Work”
-Aristotle

Believe it or not, your work environment will not only affect your ability to work, but the quality of your life. If you can make your working environment a pleasurable place to be, you will be able to create the kind of lifestyle that you and your family deserve.

You can learn more about the profitable and rewarding professional tax preparation business and discover if it’s right for you. Simply click on the following link. There’s never been a better time than right now.

Click Here and Find Out How a Professional Tax Preparation Business Will Create a Better Lifestyle for Me and My Family