Tax Strategies & Preparation Articles

Last week we suggested you purchase a last-minute gift for yourself: the Universal Practice Builder program.  For those of you too busy to take advantage of that offer, we extend it through today, reminding tax professionals that anything purchased for the betterment of your business will be tax deductible this year, as long as you enroll by December 31^st.

Marketing on Steroids

We understand that tax professionals are generally not marketing gurus.  Why would you be?  Your job is to stay current in tax code and help clients reduce their liability as much as possible.  But if you don’t market your services, you’re not likely to have a very solid client base, nor will you have the work required to make enough money to sustain your practice year-round.

The Universal Practice Builder (UPB) program will equip you with all the marketing tools necessary to build a thriving tax practice.  In fact, following the completion of this course you can become the premier tax practice in your area.

To share this priceless information we developed the Universal Practice Builder Program, otherwise known as Marketing on Steroids.  Here’s just a sampling of what you will gain from enrolling in this phenomenal program:

• A guarantee of $30,000 in new annualized billings in only 12 months
• The skills to become a Profit Expert for each of your clients
• 12 marketing strategies that you can implement immediately
• A process which can produce 15 to 25 qualified leads per month
• 3 months of coaching via telephone and Internet
• Training on a computerized database tracking program
• A presentation DVD to show potential clients
• Training to use QuickBooks to attract more clients
• Access to a plan proven to help retain clients

And if you enroll by the end of today, your fee will be tax deductible!

Attend a Special UPB Workshop

Not only that, but if you choose, you can also attend our special Universal Practice Builder Workshop in Salt Lake City, January 2009.  There you can listen to the experts and ask questions that will enable them to personalize the training for you and your business.

Here’s what other attendees have said about the workshop:

Very impressed. I thought the seminar was very well done and the people from UAC seem to really care about your future success. I really enjoyed it! Once I got here I realized how worthwhile it was. If you’re not a marketing guru then I highly recommend it. – David A.

Great ideas. Everyone works hard for good results. Great marketing & sales team. I wished I had these people on my team! Although I have an MBA, everything taught is right on target & very well presented. Thank you very much. – C.O. Davis

Words simply cannot express how much I learned and how much I enjoyed the UPB workshop. I left SLC yesterday feeling an amazing empowerment, knowing that the process of building my accounting practice has only just begun and that the sky is the limit. With the excellent guidance, advice, and education I received this past weekend, I now feel ready to take on the task of building the best accounting practice that I possibly can (and as quickly as I can, too!). Meeting the other participants was also an inspiration. Thanks for an amazing experience and event that was definitely, without a doubt, the best use of my weekend. – Jessica R.S.

Truly appreciated attending. It was immensely informative and first-class all the way! Thank you to all of the staff and thank you Allen!!! – Mary P.

Enroll Now!

When you enroll today, not only do you take advantage of another tax deduction for your business, but you also will receive our free gift, QuickBooks Made Profitable.  This simple program will teach you how to develop a QuickBooks expertise that will enable you to increase your service offerings, attract new clients, and grow your business even more!  Doing so will make your practice more valuable to current and prospective clients.  There’s no time like the present, or December 31^st, to take advantage of last-minute tax savings.  Enroll in the Universal Practice Builder program today!

You know the feeling.  You’re sitting at home on Christmas Eve, ready to enjoy the holiday, when you remember that you’ve forgotten a very important present for a very important person.  It’s too late to order over the internet, and you can’t procrastinate any longer, so you brave the winter weather and join the throngs of other shoppers who have also been a tad forgetful.

Our intention here isn’t to guilt you into driving to the mall today.  In fact, we hope you’ll stay right where you are, comfortably reading this article.  We also hope that you’ll think of that one person for which you haven’t yet purchased a present.  That one person who deserves a gift so grand it will make 2009 more enjoyable, more exciting, and more lucrative than ever!  Who are we talking about?  You, of course!

The Gift of Profitability

It would be silly of us to ask if you would like your business to become more profitable.  Of course you would!  What business owners wouldn’t want to grow their practices using proven marketing techniques designed to help them secure high-quality clients?  Crazy ones!  You, on the other hand, are only crazy about your business, intent on seeing it become as successful as possible.  That’s why you need to give yourself the gift of profitability this year.

UAC’s Universal Practice Builder program is targeted for those business owners who want to hone their marketing practices and see genuine profitability as a result.  You realize that you only have so much time, and any time you spend marketing must be effective.  The strategies and techniques you use must bring new clients through your door.  Otherwise you’re wasting valuable time you could instead use to bill clients for performing your valuable services.

The Universal Practice Builder course will train you in 12 promotional techniques that will appeal to your target market!  Not only that, but this training will enable you to produce 15 to 25 qualified leads per month.  In no time at all, you’ll either need to hire employees to help with the work load, or you’ll have to turn potential clients away!  With such an incredible demand for your services, you can charge even more money and maintain a client roster full of high-end clients.

You’ll also learn valuable presentation skills you can use in client-generating seminars that will demonstrate your expertise while creating even more interest in your practice.  Imagine becoming the premier tax preparer in your area!  It can be done if you purchase this one present for yourself today.

Enroll now and you could also attend a live Universal Practice Builder workshop in Salt Lake City this January.  There you can learn from the masters who will provide individual direction in how you can cater this program to your personal situation and personality.

One Astounding Guarantee and Our Free Gift for Enrolling

We guarantee that when you correctly apply the principles learned through the Universal Practice Builder program, you will earn an additional $30,000 in annualized billings in just 12 months!  That’s 17 times the cost for this course.  Talk about a healthy ROI!  This isn’t just a present-it’s a serious increase in your salary.

Also, when you enroll today, we’ll add QuickBooks Made Profitable, a program designed to show you how to use your QuickBooks expertise to bring in even more clients.  Not only will you learn how to better market your skills, but you’ll increase your service offerings in order to attract more clients that can keep you busy year-round and not just during tax season.

Testimonials of Others Who Treated Themselves to a More Profitable Practice

The following individuals are enjoying all the benefits this program offers.  But don’t just take our word for it; read what they have to say:

Excellent company. The people really care about their students. I really feel they want to see their students succeed. It is a pleasure to do business with UAC. This was an excellent workshop. There was a lot of quality material presented by some excellent and sometimes even funny instructors. I walked in with no plans and walked out with a special plan of action to help market and grow my practice to the next level. -  Pete M.

I was very impressed and thankful I decided to attend. Lots of great information to take and implement in my practice. Watching the DVD’s was wonderful but attending the seminar was phenomenal. – Diane H.

Universal Accounting is dedicated to my success and is evident by their dedication to teaching me the tools I must have to develop my business. The staff made sure when I left the seminar that I was prepared and comfortable with moving ahead with business development. – Gary R.F.

UAC is the premier trainer of the accountants of the future. They truly understand how to differentiate their clients from the average accountants. To be honest, I don’t want anyone in my area to know about UAC. I think the information provided will truly separate my services from 95% of my competition. – Magnus E.

2009 is around the corner.  Don’t you want it to be your most profitable year yet?  When you enroll in the Universal Practice Builder program, you are taking all the steps necessary to grow your practice to become the premier tax firm in your area.  Get yourself the gift that will keep on giving you and your family a more profitable future.

Happy Holidays, from Universal!

Cheers to a New Year and another chance for us to get it right. – Oprah Winfrey

With the New Year just a couple weeks away, many are preparing to jump-start their businesses with new approaches and strategies.  Last week we introduced the following five tips to help you prepare for a more productive and profitable New Year:

1.    Revamp workplace

2.    Clean up computer files

3.    Revisit damaged relationships

4.    Create a financial forecast

5.    Implement new techniques and services

This week we’ll complete this series by covering the final five tips on preparing your tax practice for a New Year of business:

6. Consider final tax benefits

You’re a tax professional; this one should be a no-brainer.  In fact, you’ve probably already given your clients this tip.  Take advantage of holiday sales to purchase items your business will need next year. They’re deductible and you should easily be able to stock up on furniture, supplies, and other equipment you use in your business.

7. Contact clients

Some businesses send holiday cards or even give gifts.  Whatever you do, it’s important that you remind clients of your services before the New Year begins.  You may also want to take the opportunity to share with them your valuable, year-round tax planning services which can help them lower their tax liability and ultimately save them money.

8. Go green

More and more professionals are looking for ways to lessen the impact of their businesses on the environment.  Consider incorporating a few environmentally conscious techniques that will ultimately save you money in the long run: recycle, look at alternative energy sources, cut back on energy consumption and waste, and consider purchasing a hybrid vehicle.  Some of these practices are accompanied with valuable tax breaks.  That, and it will just make you feel good.

9. Eliminate clutter

No one likes to start the New Year with a messy office.  Give your office a good cleaning before 2009 so that you’re not dreading the paperwork stacked on your desk.  Along with revamping your office, creating a clean and functional workspace will make you more productive.  Not to mention, you may enjoy your work more.

10. Create your New Year business strategy

Every business should evaluate their standing and, based on scrutiny of past performance, create a strategy that will enable their practices to be more productive in the New Year.  As you assess your business’s performance, consider ways you might improve your marketing strategies, networking approaches, and work processes.  From there you can develop a list of resolutions that will make your business more profitable.

Choose the Programs that Will Best Suit Your New Year Needs

Universal Accounting Center has a host of programs designed to help professionals like you enhance their service offerings and grow their practices.  Learn more about these programs by purchasing our special DVD set which includes the following:

Introduction to the Professional Bookkeeper Program

Learn how becoming a Professional Bookkeeper will enable you to enhance your service offerings and remain busy year-round and not just during tax season.

Yes Sample Marketing CD

Learn how to introduce your services to a potential client. Use this to role playing, watch with a prospective client or pass it out.

Start Today and Have Your Own Bookkeeping Service

Learn how to make over $80,000 per year working from home while getting more clients than you can handle. Know how to charge your client so you can afford to take that next vacation while they get such a great deal they will be telling all their friends about you.

The Art and Science of Getting Clients

Learn how to get more clients by using our proven methods.

After watching these videos you’ll have the information you need to select the programs that will benefit your practice and enable you to experience the profitability and growth you desire.  2009 is your year!  Realize your New Year resolutions this time around.  Order this special video library today!

We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day. – Edith Lovejoy Pierce

The New Year is a perfect time to enjoy a fresh start for your practice.  As 2008 winds down, you should take some time to reflect, and consider ways to improve your business practices in 2009.  In this two-part series we examine 10 ways to prepare for the New Year and enjoy more productivity and profitability as a result.  This week we cover the first five tips:

1. Revamp workplace

No, you don’t have to redecorate your office.  But we do suggest at least rearranging the furniture.  Giving a workplace a fresh new feel will often inspire better performance.  This is the perfect time to consider a new coat of paint, or if necessary, a new office chair or filing cabinet.  Reflect on items you need to best do your job, and then take advantage of holiday sales to purchase those items your office needs most.

2. Clean up computer files

While we often take the time to clean our workspace in order to present a professional image to clients and other visitors, how often do we clean up our computer files?  Although business associates may not be privy to how messy our virtual desktops may be, it does impact our ability to work efficiently and maintain valuable client records.  Schedule a couple hours during which you can reorder your computer files and back up pertinent information.

3. Revisit damaged relationships

No one performs better while holding a grudge.  Whether they be personal or professional, the holidays present a perfect time to repair damaged relationships.  Take the time to apologize for any real or perceived offenses for which you may be responsible.  You’ll find the holidays are much more enjoyable when you’ve taken the time to iron out misunderstandings with friends, family, and business associates.

4. Create a financial forecast

You’ll have a good idea of what to focus on when you create a financial forecast for the upcoming year.  Especially considering the current economic crisis, your business will do better when you can estimate your income and prepare for any contingencies.  Prepare a budget and consider and implement strategies that will increase your income.

5. Implement new techniques and services

In this day and age, industries change and advance quite rapidly.  Now is a good time to research industry trends and determine how you might alter your business practices in order to keep up with the competition, or better yet, gain that competitive advantage.

Return next week for our final installment in this series when we share the final five of 10 New Year preparation tips:

6.    Consider final tax benefits

7.    Contact clients

8.    Go green

9.    Eliminate clutter

10. Create a business strategy for the New Year

QuickBooks Made Profitable

Consider enhancing your service offerings by using your QuickBooks expertise to generate more clients.  In QuickBooks Made Profitable (QBMP), UAC trains you how to build a wider client base by offering QuickBooks setup, help and consultation services.  Not only that, but you can offer free QuickBooks seminars in order to attract clients who might also find your tax services beneficial.  The QBMP will teach you the following:

• Getting Started Basics
• Setting up a Company
• Working with Lists
• Setting up Inventory
• Selling your Product Invoicing for Services
• Processing Payments
• Working with Bank Accounts
• Entering/ Paying Bills
• Using Other QuickBooks Accounts
• Creating Reports, Creating Graphs
• Tracking and Paying Sales Tax
• Payroll interfaces with QuickBooks
• Estimating
• Time Tracking
• Job Costing

For a minimal initial investment, you can grow your business and bottom line in the New Year.  Be ready for 2009.  Order QuickBooks Made Profitable today!

5 Questions to Ask Yourself

Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results. – George S. Patton

There’s nothing more demoralizing than a leader who can’t clearly articulate why we’re doing what we’re doing. – James Kouzes and Barry Posner

Leadership involves finding a parade and getting in front of it. – John Naisbitt

Small business owners are, by default, managers.  And if they have employees, they better be good leaders as well.  Leaders, by definition, are able to steer an organization and its resources to success.  Are you a good leader?  Ask yourself the following five questions to determine whether or not your business has a good leader at its helm:

1. Is your business headed in the right direction?

The best sign that you are a good leader is when your business is headed in the right direction, headed being the operative word.  While your business may not have yet achieved perfection, it’s important that it be improving by the month.  If not, you should reevaluate your current financial situation and see where you must shift your attention in order to see more profitability and growth.

2. Do you regularly research industry trends?

It’s important that you know what’s happening in your industry.  If you become too busy to follow current tax trends and keep up with the every-changing tax law, you’ll not only be ill-informed, but you’re most likely to be out of work very soon.  Small businesses that have a lead on the competition are generally run by individuals who know where their industry is headed and have incorporated those trends that will help them remain on top.

3. Are you enthusiastic, sharing your vision with clients and employees?

Employees are inspired by leaders with a clear vision.  Do you have a vision?  If not, you must create one, and soon.  If so, you must practice sharing it with employees and clients.  Your ability to transmit your enthusiasm to those with whom you associate will do wonders for your business.  Enthusiasm is contagious, and the sooner it starts catching at you business, the better.

4. Do you communicate clearly and succinctly?

Your ability to communicate well will often evidence itself in your employees’ actions.  If they are following your directions and fulfilling your requests without incident, chances are you’re communicating clearly, in a manner that is well understood by those who work for you.  If not, chances are you’re not being as straightforward and clear and you might like.  Good leaders are also good communicators who can articulate their messages without extreme effort.

5. Are your employees proactive and independent?

Good leaders hire and train employees that don’t require much oversight.  Not only that, if you lead by example you’ll find that your staff desires to work independently, fulfilling their job requirements in such a way that your vision will be quickly realized.  If you find yourself continually micromanaging your employees, you need to change your approach.  Perhaps they need more training or encouragement to magnify their responsibilities.

Good Leaders Provide Employees with Valuable Training

If you would like to improve your leadership skills, consider offering group training to your employees.  You can learn from UAC’s example while offering your employees something that will impact your business in a positive and profitable way.  We offer valuable business management training, which helps your employees develop a strong company culture that’s committed to its own financial success.  Or consider accounting, bookkeeping and tax staff training which enables each employee to become a Profit Expert within your organization.  Either would jumpstart your business for the New Year.  To learn more, visit Universal Accounting Center today!