I’m often asked by wannabe freelancers: “When is the best time to start a bookkeeping/accounting service?” The answer’s easy: “ANY TIME!”

That’s never good enough though — they always want to pin me down to the day when the business owners are standing in line. Well, there’s not one day. In fact, you can find clients all year round. But there’s no question that January 1 thru April 15 is the time when a lot of businesses finally decide to get caught up with their finances to be ready for the tax preparer.

At Universal Accounting, we get more calls from prospective clients during these three months than we do the remaining nine months put together. So, be ready. We’re there.

Seven Steps to Make This Year Your Most Profitable Year

• Here’s a list of seven promotional tactics you should consider doing in January to spark your marketing program (or get it started) and enjoy this great season:
• Send your past contacts a letter wishing them a great new year and suggesting that this is the best time of the year to get on top of their business financially. Offer them a free consultation.
• Send your friends and relatives a nice card or letter expressing your thanks for their friendship during the past year and reminding them of your terrific referral program: If they refer new business to you, you will send them and a significant other out to dinner.
• Remind your existing clients, if any, that you have a terrific referral program.
• Visit chamber meetings or network luncheons. They always let you come once or twice to evaluate them before joining.
• Place a small ad in the Services section of your newspaper under Accounting. Offer to help businesses set up their accounting system for the new year.
• Contact local tax preparers and offer to help gather financial information from their clients if they get into a bind. Don’t forget to let them know about your referral program.
• If you are a tax preparer, send out your client tax planners now with a letter notifying them of a proposed appointment (date and time) to review their tax inputs. Ask them to call, if they would like to change the appointment. Of course, you should call them a few days ahead of the appointment to remind them and ask if that time will work out. And, it wouldn’t hurt to let them know about the referral program, either.

Make Your Service More Profitable By Offering Tax Services

During the months prior to a business filing their company tax returns is your best opportunity to find additional clients, especially if your services include preparing tax returns. The best part is that once you have the skills to prepare tax returns for the businesses that you already have as Accounting and Bookkeeping clients, it is an easy sell to also do their taxes for them, since you know their books better than anyone.

Similarly, when your service provides tax preparation services, the clients that you find that need their taxes done likely need someone to do their Accounting and Bookkeeping tasks for them as well. When you find a client for one service, you often find a client for the rest of the financial services that you offer. Typically the same businesses that do not feel comfortable enough with their ability to do their own taxes would also rather have someone do their books for them as well. This “cross-selling” makes marketing much easier on you as a business owner, freeing you to spend time servicing paying clients that would otherwise have gone into finding them.

You can now get training in both Accounting and Bookkeeping and Tax Preparation from Universal Accounting to add more billable services to your current client list. If you are just starting your business, demonstrating your ability to provide a larger number of financial services to your clients will help them to build confidence in your service. You will show your clients that you can provide a “single-source” approach to financial services for their business.

You have your website up and running because you were told that every viable business has gotta have one. Now what do you do with it? There are just a few easy and inexpensive things you can do to strengthen your website and woo more clients. Here are seven:

1. Personalize

Many business sites are sterile and impersonal. That often intimidates and overwhelms users. They’re more likely to request your services if they feel a genuine connection with you, and that can happen when you personalize your website.

I once called a plumber blind simply because the owner had a picture of himself and his son in the yellow pages. The picture drew me to his business more than anything else about the ad. In the ‘about us’ section consider adding pictures of you, your family, and your staff. Also write a fun and interesting bio that will allow potential clients to get a taste of your friendly personality.

2. Vocalize

Adding a podcast to your website is a nice way to personalize the site by allowing visitors to hear you speak. Fairly easy and inexpensive to create, a podcast is an audio recording that can communicate the emotion that is often lost in promotional text. It allows the listener to better connect with you and your business. And all you need to create a podcast are a microphone, a digital recorder, and some editing software.

3. Relate

Let visitors know that you understand their concerns and can relate to them on some level. This comes in knowing your target audience and being able to communicate how your services can benefit their lives in some way.

4. Teach

People love free stuff. Provide information that can help your current and potential clients. This can be accomplished in a number of ways: offer a free newsletter that provides helpful tax information; include a tips page that will give visitors free tax advice; provide links that will give them even more valuable information. Your website then becomes educational and not just promotional. This increases its value to visitors and they will come to use your site as a reference; when they actually need the help of a tax preparer, you’ll be the first one they think of.

5. Respond

When someone comes to you through your website (and other means) you must respond as quickly as possible. Waiting too long communicates disregard and may turn potential clients away. Even if they’re asking a simple question that may never lead to even one billable hour, this is a potential client who should be given the same high level of customer service you provide all your contacts.

6. Keep in touch

One of the most valuable things you can get from your website is contact information. Once someone comes to you through your website you should keep in touch with that individual. Be friendly and low pressure. Send email updates, call to see if you can help them with anything else, or give him/her promotional offers.

7. Outshine the competition

Your website should be better than anything else your local target market can find. This means you must find out what the competition’s websites look like. Go through the yellow pages, do a web search, or look for URL’s on business cards. Once you find those websites take inventory of what you need to improve on or add to your own.

These seven easy and inexpensive tips can enhance your website, generate more interest in your services, and ultimately increase your client base. And once you strengthen your website it can act as a tireless marketing machine, working 24/7 to get the word out about your valuable services.

According to William G. Gale of the Tax Policy Center, more and more people every year have a professional prepare their taxes.

Just look at what Char De Coster, of The Home Improvement Web, has to say about it.

“Each year, federal income taxes increase in size and difficulty. Each year tax software packages get better, but even using software programs require time. Plus, the outcome is directly related to information being entered correctly by the taxpayer. To save you from stress, the services of a paid professional may be something to consider this year.”

We’ve heard it said before, “There are only two constants in this life. Death and Taxes.” Fortunately, you can profit from one of them. While many industries come and go, you can know that not only will qualified Tax Professionals be needed today, but as long as people need to pay taxes, and tax laws continue to become even more complicated than they are now, they will not only be needed… but wanted for their skills.

If you’ve ever thought of making a change in your life… now is the time.

I know there are many opportunities out there, but there are lots of advantages to a owning your own Tax Preparation business and I’d like to spend a few moments with you to discuss them. If a recession-proof business and the opportunity to make $100 an hour or more appeals to you, read on.

Millions of Americans pay professionals to prepare and file their taxes. Will you be ready to take advantage of this trend?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, despite plans to streamline the tax system almost every year, taxes always seem to become more and more complicated. People and businesses will continue to need help. They predict that there will be plenty of opportunities for tax preparers nationally for the foreseeable future.

$2,473,298,000,000.00 is an interesting number. It’s a number that most of us aren’t very familiar with. It’s the projected budget for 2006. The graph at left illustrates where the revenue to support that budget comes from. It’s interesting to note that 43.5%, by far the biggest chunk comes from individual income taxes.

This is a great opportunity for you. In fact, the US Department of Labor predicts that as the economy grows, the number of business will increase, requiring more accountants/bookkeepers to prepare taxes, set up books, and provide management advice. As these businesses grow, the volume and complexity of information developed by these professionals regarding costs, expenditures, and taxes will increase as well.

They go on to say that the increased need for qualified tax preparers and accountants will rise from changes in legislation related to taxes, financial reporting standards, business investments, mergers, and other financial matters.

Wanted! Professional Tax Preparers!

There are several advantages to owning your own Tax Preparation Business and not the least of these is the ability to earn an incredible income! Let’s take a look at some of the reasons that you should consider this lucrative business.

• You will earn a better income. If you’re like most people, you’ve spent a good deal of your life working for someone else and putting money into their pocket. Wouldn’t it be nice to earn the same type of income your boss does? Would you like to do better than that? With a career in Professional Tax Preparation, you can. With the right training, you’ll be able to bill $100 per hour or more for your services.

• You will be your own boss. Working for yourself can be one of the most rewarding things you can do. You’re in a position to provide for yourself and your family the type of lifestyle you deserve.

• You will create a stable income. You might be thinking, “Owning my own business can provide a stable income?” “I thought it was just the opposite.”

Let me assure you…it sure can. If you plan and use a proven strategy for success, you will be able to create a very stable income and a very comfortable lifestyle.

In years past, you could work in a big corporation and find all the security of lifelong employment, but those days are over. Because of corporate restructuring, layoffs, downsizing, and countless other reasons, many people have found that the career choice they thought would lead them to a secure future didn’t.

But don’t despair; you can experience that security by being in business for yourself. You just need to make the right choices.

• You can enjoy increased tax benefits. When you own your own business there are a few perks that the average employee doesn’t get to enjoy. There are many things that you can either partially or completely write off as tax deductions. Your car, your home office, your computer and your office supplies to name just a few.

I don’t have any experience in taxes… can I really start a Tax Preparation business?

Absolutely. There is no question in my mind. Thousands of people just like you are finding the interesting and rewarding business of Professional Tax Preparation is the perfect business for them.

Many of these folks are people just like you and me, people without a background in Tax Preparation, but with the right education, they are finding their Tax Preparation Business to be one of the most rewarding things they have ever done.

“That’s all fine and good, but how can I know for sure?”

The first step is to evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses. If you follow the link below, I’ve included a short questionnaire that might help you determine for yourself if a Tax Preparation business is right for you.

I’d Like to See if a Tax Preparation Business is Right for Me.

If you’d like to learn more about starting a Professional Tax Preparation Business, just click on the link below and you’ll find all the information you’ll need to create a profitable and beneficial Tax Preparation business.

Okay… Show Me How to Start a Tax Preparation Business.

The Second Date is Always Easier…

It’s Always Easier to Offer More Services to Existing Clients than to Find New Clients

First dates always made me nervous. It’s not that way for everybody, but it was for me. In fact, the beautiful young lady that would eventually become my wife wasn’t too impressed with me on our first date. She said I was “OK enough for a second date.” Ouch.

It didn’t help that it was a blind date either. I was nervous, a little uncomfortable and yes, I probably did talk more to the friend that set us up than I did to her. All I remember is how beautiful her green eyes were. Of course, I wanted a second date. Even though I didn’t do too good the first time, she agreed. We had our second date.

On the second date, I totally won her over and the rest is history.

In Business, Second Dates Rock!

By second dates I mean, upselling existing customers. Any professional marketer will tell you there are three, and only three, ways to increase your tax practice’s income. This may be a little simplistic, but here they are:

1. Find More Clients: Yep, it’s as simple as it sounds. The more clients you are able to service, the more income you’ll be able to generate for your tax practice. Finding new clients should be on the top of every small business owners list of necessities. If your client list isn’t always growing, you need to get to work.
   
   
2. Convince Your Current Clients to Purchase More: Offering your current clients additional tax services is a great way to generate more income for your tax practice. A periodic review of their tax status during the year, rather than just at tax time, will not only generate income for your practice during the year, but should also make the rush during filing season easier too. Always look for additional services to offer your current tax clients, and they’ll gladly pay you more for your help and advice.
3. Convince Your Current Clients to Come Back More Often: This provides all the benefits of convincing your clients to purchase more, but with an extra kick. Adding services to your tax practice just makes sense, but add the right services and you’ll generate a stable and recession-free income from your clients each and every month of the year. We’re not just talking a great second date here, we’re talking a long term client relationship. The right services will get your tax clients to come back every month, and that’s powerful.

What is this Additional Service that Will Bring My Clients Back Every Month?

Before I tell you, you need to know that this service will not only make your tax practice more profitable, it will make your job at tax time easier. More profitable and easier? How can it do both?

Until recently, most the small business bookkeeper provided all the financial services to the business he worked with. He did the payroll, the accounts payable and receivable, the general ledger and prepared and filed the taxes. Over the last server al years, these services have been taken over by a lot of specialized companies that only do payroll or only do payables. Although this makes sense for big corporations, it doesn’t make sense for small business owners.

Small Business Owners Need a Small Business Profit Expert

More and more small business owners are finding that they need someone who has a handle on their complete financial picture. Not just bits and pieces. Despite what the specialists might say, general ledger, payroll and accounts payable are all interrelated. For a business to be as profitable as it can be, the business owners either needs to have a complete understanding of what’s going on financially in his or her business, or he needs to have a trusted and skillful profit expert who can give him the information and advice needed to keep his or her business growing and profitable.

A Monthly Picture of the Financial Situation of Any Small Business Makes Tax Time Easier for You

Adding small business bookkeeping and accounting to your tax practice gives you a monthly picture of the financial situation of your clients and enables you to offer tax planning advice to your clients on a regular basis. What’s more, as the small business bookkeeper, you’re in the position to implement those tax saving strategies during the year to maximize the effect. A small business bookkeeper who is also the skilled and qualified tax accountant is a valuable asset to any small business.

The Same People Who Offer the Most Complete Professional Tax Preparation Education in the Industry Also Teach Small Business Bookkeeping and Accounting

Small business bookkeeping and tax education is what we do. Since 1979, we’ve taught thousands of people just like you the ins-and-outs of small business bookkeeping and tax preparation. With successful graduates all over the country, you can have confidence that your tax and bookkeeping education will not only teach you how to work with small businesses anywhere, it will also provide you with the tools to make sure your business is a success.

At Universal, experience has taught us, that if your education doesn’t have the power to help you start and operate a profitable small business tax and bookkeeping practice, it just isn’t the right education. That’s why,

An Education With a Guarantee? How Does that Work?

Universal Accounting’s Ironclad 100% Money Back Guarantee

Purchase and complete the course, and if you don’t feel that you’ve received more than your money’s worth, you can return the materials and get a complete refund. All of us here at Universal Accounting are so confident that you will find this training to be of value that we all stand behind it, 100%

I’ve never taken a university or college course that offered any kind of guarantee… have you?

Like a Hand in a Glove…

Nothing fits with a professional tax preparation business like a professional bookkeeping service. Whether or not you begin your tax practice combined with bookkeeping business, it should be part of your big-picture plans for success.

Make Your Second Dates Really Rock!

Add Up the Value! Save $$$ Today!

Get Your Checklist Taken Care Of: Training and QuickBooks Pro

This week its coming down to crunch time. There is only two more months until the Tax Season ‘07 officially kicks off. Are you ready? I’m sure all of us have one or two things they still need to do, but for us who are wondering do we have the training that will allow us to get through the season with flying colors.. it’s getting down to the wire.

For what you may ask? The Universal Professional Tax Preparer’s Program is the most comprehensive tax preparation program available on the market. In the program, as you may know, you will be able to get the rundown on the standard deductions and exemptions as well as the complicated employee business expense and miscellaneous itemized deductions among many, many other skills taught. And the time is quickly passing to get the program and to master all the material before the season starts!

It is estimated that if you only spend one hour a day on the course materials, (which is a comfortable pace for most) that you will be done with the course and ready for the certification process in 60 days. If you carry that out, it takes you into the last week of December. Don’t procrastinate getting enrolled into the program. You will be able to have the confidence and the know-how to properly give the best Tax Prep Service to those that come to you and those you are doing business with. Give yourself that added edge in your tax preparation career!

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What else will give you that edge for the ‘ Tax Season? Have you dreamed of having your own accounting clerk who manages your accounts payable and receivable? A personal tax practice requires you to manage lots of fiscal information, and that probably requires more of your time than you might like to spend, especially when that time could go towards more billable hours. Most business owners’ dream system would include the ability to do the following:

• Track clients and vendors so that you can easily find their information from one location

• Quickly create invoices so that you can receive payment sooner.

• Write checks with one click.

• Remind you when bills are due.

• Process easy-to-read financial reports.

• Manage accounts payable and receivable.

Thankfully there is a system that can do all those things for you, making the business end of your tax practice more manageable and less time-consuming. QuickBooks Pro is that system, servicing more than 80% of small businesses like you. And as a tax preparer you know how valuable it is to use the same system many of your clients are using.

Get the Information You Need from Your Clients
As a tax preparer you know how valuable it is to get the information you need from your clients, and in the right format. In fact, the biggest complaint many tax preparers, accountants and bookkeepers have is that the information they receive from their clients is difficult to sort out and sometimes unusable. This is true whether the client is doing the books by hand or through QuickBooks. Potentially, many of them are already using QuickBooks, so you can simply teach them how to use it so that you can get the information you need, making your job much easier.

Make Extra Money
Once you master Quickbooks, you can offer help services to other Quickbooks users, and that’s not just limited to your current client base; you can attract new clients by offering Quickbooks set-up and consultation services for $65-$95 per hour. You’ll find companies who want to do their accounting tasks themselves, but need help in configuring Quickbooks to meet their needs. And once you’ve helped a company set up its initial QuickBooks system, who do you think they’ll turn to for help? You, of course! After all, you’ll have the training and expertise they’ll need whenever they run into a problem. Because even if businesses are doing the books themselves, they will need help in certain areas or have problems that only you can solve. Taxes and depreciation come to mind immediately, along with installation support, accruals, job costing, estate planning, and a myriad of additional services that only you can offer. And once your Quickbooks clients recognize the value and competence of your expertise, they’ll come to you for their tax needs.

Learn QuickBooks Now!
Universal Accounting Center (UAC) has a training program that will teach you QuickBooks quickly, and painlessly. UAC’s Guide to Quickbooks Pro is a self-paced program that enables you to complete the parts that interest you and skip over the parts that don’t. Even if you have used the program for years, the program teaches you shortcuts and methods you may not have known. You will be impressed by the simple flow and completeness of this program. So why wait? In just a number of hours you could be ready to better manage your own finances, and add new services to your own practice, increasing your bottom line.

Imagine what you would pay for that accounts payable and receivable clerk we talked about earlier. Let’s say that clerk charged $25 an hour and you used her services 10 hours a month. That would cost you $250 dollars a month. Not bad, you think, especially if you can make that amount in less than 3 hours time preparing taxes. But in one year, that would cost you $3000. The retail cost of UAC training coupled with the QuickBooks Pro software is $485, but for a limited time you can get that for just $385; less than what you would pay that clerk in two month’s time. And if you already have the software, or are just interested in a trail version, it’ll just cost you $285. And in addition to having a system that can help you better manage your own business, you’ll also have the training to offer Quickbooks help services to current and potential clients. This could be just one way to expand your practice beyond tax season. Don’t wait; order 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!

When Clients Get Cranky:
5 Tips on Dealing with Unhappy Customers

Everyone can relate. We’ve all been the cranky customer: unsatisfied with service and wanting to talk to that one person who could respond to our problem. Maybe we’ve been belligerent, pounding on the counter and demanding a resolution. Or perhaps we’ve been calm yet resolute in getting a desired response. Whatever type of dissatisfied customer you may have been, one thing is certain, you wanted a timely and positive outcome.

As a small business owner you are almost certain to encounter, at some time in your career, a dissatisfied client who wants you to respond to what they perceive as a problem. You could point to the door and tell the cranky customer to be on their unmerry way, but that isn’t always the best approach, and it won’t generate new business for you (imagine how you might have felt if that was the response you had received). While there may not be a happily-ever-after to your cranky customer story, there are ways you can mitigate the problem and relieve some of the tension. And who knows, just the right response could lead to customer loyalty. Try the following actions the next time you encounter a difficult client:

1. Think like a client

You took a moment in the first paragraph of this article to remember your experiences as a dissatisfied customer. That’s an invaluable exercise, allowing you to feel the aggravation your client might feel as they approach you with a problem. It’s important to sympathize with their frustrations and initiate, as much as you can, what they would perceive as a positive resolution to their issue. Taking a stroll, even a short one, in your clients’ shoes might help you to piece together a more satisfying resolution.

2. Act like a friend

In the business world we sometimes get wrapped up in our professional image and forget that our clients want to be treated like people and not business transactions. While it’s important that we retain a professional image and not get too personal, a friendly and personable approach to your client/accountant relationship is highly recommended.

3. Perform like a professional

Regardless of how upset your client becomes, it’s important for you to remain calm and not become emotional yourself. Respond like a professional and you’ll have no regrets. It will also prevent the situation from escalating out of control.

4. Save the day now and then

Sometimes you’ll have a client who will need you to go above and beyond the call of duty. If you’ve applied tips one through three you should be able to look at the situation objectively and determine whether or not it’s in your and your client’s best interests to help out. This may require you to reorder tasks and priorities or work late. While you don’t want to make it a habit to continually “rescue” your clients, you should be able to save the day now and then. It may generate customer loyalty and be just what it takes to satisfy that cranky client.

5. And comp when you have to

Nobody’s perfect; perhaps your client’s dissatisfaction is justified in some way. Refusing to admit your mistake will not do you or your client any good. If you find yourself at fault, even if it’s minimal, you should compensate your client by providing a discount or an additional service for free. It’s amazing how acknowledging your fallibility can earn a client’s loyalty and respect.

Not every unhappy client can be magically transformed into a satisfied customer, but if you attempt to respond to their concerns in a reasonable and courteous manner, you’ll find the situation becomes much more manageable. And in the end, you and your client will feel a little better about the situation.

A Phenomenal Equation: Your Business 2x²

Have you ever wanted to clone yourself so you could accomplish more with your business? The idea of getting more work done without hiring a large support staff is appealing. And we know you don’t want to work twice as hard (and long) as you currently do in attempts to become more profitable. Working smart is the best option for your business.

While we may not be able to clone you, we can help multiply your efforts in such a way that you’d be amazed at how profitable your business can become. Many of you are probably working part-time as tax preparers, hoping that some day you’ll be able to take advantage of the flexibility and freedom of full-time self-employment. And if you’ve been waiting for a mind-boggling opportunity to do so, this would be it.

Let’s do some math.

Wouldn’t it be nice to increase your productivity, your business appeal, and your clientele? Of course it would! But the math we’re suggesting here isn’t mere addition. We’re encouraging a more powerful mathematical action: multiplication.

Multiplication has the power to increase your profitability exponentially. So ask yourself, wouldn’t you like to see your business in the middle of the following equation?

2x²

The Profession Bookkeeper Program - 2x

Let’s say your business is x. Universal Accounting Center enables you to multiply your business efforts by two. When you enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper Program we unite efforts in order to double the value of your business. How do we do that? By adding small business accounting services to your menu.

It’s amazing how small businesses continue to populate the nation. Every year more individuals take that leap and start their own business. We know you’ve thought about it! Unfortunately a large number of start-ups fail within the first five years due to poor financial management. These small business owners need accountants who understand their needs and can help them put their numbers to good use.

At Universal Accounting Center, 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. Unlike many university programs and other training curriculum, 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 could take you less than 60 hours complete. Imagine earning a professional designation in less than one month!

If you’re working part-time preparing taxes, you can take your business venture full-time by becoming a full-service financial provider. Not only will clients come to you for their tax needs, but you’ll find yourself doing business year-round for all those clients who value your accounting services as well.

The Universal Practice Builder Workshop — x

Now comes the exciting part of this equation. Square your business’s profitability!

In order for any business to thrive, it needs customers-the more the better. Unfortunately, most accountants and tax preparers don’t feel comfortable marketing their services. In fact, many are unsure where to start.

Again, in partnering with Universal Accounting Center you increase your business’s profitability, only in this instance you take the value gained from the Professional Bookkeeper Program and combine it with the Universal Practice Builder Workshop, squaring this new sum.

UAC has developed 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 which marketing strategies work in just 48 hours! The Universal Practice Builder is a 2-day workshop designed to teach you the art and science of getting clients. At the end of the workshop you will have gained the following (and much, much more):

• A guarantee of $30,000 in new annualized billings in only 12 months
• 12 marketing strategies that you can implement immediately
• A process which can produce 15 to 25 qualified leads a month
• 3 months of coaching via telephone and Internet
• Training on a computerized database tracking program
• A presentation DVD to show potential clients

By enrolling in both the Professional Bookkeeper Program and the Universal Practice Builder Workshop, you double the value of your business (2x) and then square that new sum (2x²). You of all people can appreciate a good mathematical equation, especially one that works in your favor. Order Universal’s value package and drop your business into that profitable equation today!

It’s as Easy as One, Two: Two Steps to a Bigger and Better Business

You will either step forward into growth or you will step back into safety. - Abraham Maslow Money is only used for two things. One, it’s to make you comfortable, and the more comfortable you are the more creative you will become. And the other purpose is it enables you to extend the service you provide far beyond your own presence. - Bob Proctor

Inside of you is a business tycoon waiting to break free. We hope you don’t find that hard to believe because success stems largely from your own beliefs. If your beliefs are limiting and leave you trapped in a dull-drum existence barely eking out a living, chances are you won’t see any change to that come two, five, or twenty years. However, if you believe that your business is a raving success in work clothes, then you’re on the right track. With that in mind, literally, we can partner with you to achieve all that you believe.

You can grow your business with two simple steps. First, expand your offerings by adding complementary services and, two, find a new niche to market these services.

Offer Complementary Services

If you intend to continue your business only offering tax services, then in order to grow that business you must draw more clients who need those services. That’s doable, but there are other, more effective ways to build your business. Consider this; if you were to add complementary services, like accounting, your current clients may enlist these services in addition to your tax preparation services. Without sending out fliers, postcards, or doing one radio commercial, you could increase your billable hours simply by informing current clients of your expanded services.

The Professional Bookkeeper Program

Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Accordingly a genius is often merely a talented person who has done all of his or her homework. - Thomas Edison

As a tax preparer, we already know that numbers come naturally to you. Now all you need to do is find your inner accountant. And it won’t take much formal training, although you will have your fair share of homework. In fact, Universal Accounting Center’s Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program is not only reputable, but it’s self-paced, enabling a busy professional like yourself to take your time or to complete the program quickly and in possibly less than 60 hours.

Find a New Niche

The second way you can expand your business is by finding another niche market. And if you haven’t yet targeted the small business owner, now’s the time. The PB program will teach you small business accounting. And in order for your niche market to appreciate the value of your tax and accounting services, you need to market them effectively.

The Universal Practice Builder

Understand that you need to sell you and your ideas in order to advance your career, gain more respect, and increase your success, influence and income. - Jay Abraham

Whatever your specialty, you’d be hard-pressed to run a successful business without good marketing. Because we understand that many accountants and tax preparers don’t feel comfortable with their marketing skills, we’ve developed a two-day workshop designed to teach you all you need to know. It’s called the Universal Practice Builder and it will provide you with the following:

• A guarantee of $30,000 in new annualized billings in only 12 months
• 12 marketing strategies that you can implement immediately
• A process which can produce 15 to 25 qualified leads a month
• 3 months of coaching via telephone and Internet
• Training on a computerized database tracking program
• A presentation DVD to show potential clients

We call it your turn-key marketing solution.

So there you have it. With some accounting training and less than 48 hours of focused marketing instruction you can have a ready-made business, just add your shingle. And Universal has put together this special offer; enroll in these programs today and you can have them both for one low price. So have you found the tycoon within? It’s time you did because he/she is waiting to enjoy business success. Order Now!

Every small business could use some free publicity. And tip sheets are the perfect way to get that free publicity. Sandra Beckwith, author of Streetwise Complete Publicity Plans, says, “It’s one of the hardest working and most useful tactics available for generating publicity.” And in an article published by StartupNation.com she adds, “They are probably one of the most valuable publicity tools a small business can use.”

Media outlets love tip sheets because they are complete, ready-to-use publishing and reporting fodder. And once your tip sheet runs in a newspaper or is picked up by the local news channel you’ve demonstrated your tax preparation expertise and shared your contact information all at the same time. And for free!

But how do you write a tip sheet? It’s actually easy! Here are 10 guidelines to help you write a winning tip sheet:

1. Write a catchy title. Look to trendy women’s magazines for guidelines. Good titles include a number: “5 Ways to Drop Ten Pounds Before Swimsuit Season,” “12 Christmas Gifts under Ten Dollars,” “10 Guidelines on Writing a Winning Tip Sheet.”
2. State a problem. You must convince your readers that there’s a need for your tip sheet. How will it benefit their lives?
3. Include an expert quote. To bolster the validity of your tip sheet it’s good to include a supporting quote from an expert (see the first paragraph of this article for an example).
4. Use a numbered list. Numbered lists are easy to read. They also present information in manageable chunks. The best tip sheets include 6 to 12 tips.
5. Use active verbs. Each tip should include a verb that moves readers to action.
6. Focus. Don’t get distracted by tangents or lengthy explanations. Remember, less can be more, especially with a tip sheet.
7. End with a call-to-action. Invite your readers to call you for more information or to schedule an appointment to discuss tax benefits they could be enjoying.
8. Include your contact information. This is one of the most important elements of a tip sheet; you want readers to know who they can contact when they need tax help.
9. Keep it to one page. That’s why it’s called a tip sheet rather than tip sheets. Any longer and your readers will lose interest.
10. Get your tip sheet into the right hands. Once you’ve finished the tip sheet you need to give it to your local paper, news channel, or radio station to see if they’d be interested in running your story. Also remember to take it with you when you go to conferences, workshops, and presentations.

If you’d like more information about marketing your business, visit Universal Accounting Center today and request our video “The Art and Science of Getting Clients.” This free video will show you how to start and grow your own accounting practice. Don’t wait another minute to start attracting bigger and better clients. Start Today!