Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes. — Zig Ziglar
Regardless of how big, small, successful or modest your business may be, it’s important that you take the necessary precautions to protect it. SCORE, also known as Counselors to America’s Small Business, is a nonprofit organization providing education to entrepreneurs on the formation and successful growth of small business. On their website, they offer countless tips on effectively managing one’s company, and in this article we refer to their recommendations in averting disaster:
1. Prepare for disaster. While disaster rarely strikes, it’s important that your business be prepared in the event that it does. Often this requires you to assess risks to your business so that you can better manage them if they strike. In a document on the SCORE website, provided by Hewlett Packard, business owners are recommended to identify their assets, vulnerabilities and threats; conduct risk assessments; and manage them through the mitigation, acceptance, avoidance, and/or transference of those risks.
2. Safely store documents. Not only is it important that you keep all crucial business documents, like insurance forms, legal agreements and monthly financials, in a fire-safe box, but you should also consider establishing a system for safe-guarding your electronic documents. This is especially important when you manage data for clients; their financial history is in your hands, or on your hard drive, to be exact.
3. Reevaluate your insurance needs. Without adequate life, liability, and property insurance, your business could be ruined in the event of tragedy or disaster.
4. Establish a line of credit. While you may never need to use this credit line, it’s important to have access to cash in the event of disaster. It could be just the short-term safety net you need to recover.
5. Create a Business Continuity Plan (BCP), also known as a Disaster Recovery Plan. You may never need to use it, but having a BCP can help your business successfully endure most disasters. Things to include on your BCP are personnel who perform daily, necessary functions, employees who could telecommute, critical business documents, and a contingency location should your business become inaccessible.
Avoid Financial Disaster with a Business Assessment
It’s important that you safeguard your business from financial disaster as well as natural disaster. And UAC is in the business of helping you achieve financial profitability. One of the ways to accomplish that is by providing you with all the valuable information of a customized business assessment. How does it work? From several of your company’s key business metrics, we will run a full analysis on the financial health of your organization. This includes a follow-up counseling session with one of our profitability coaches to help get your business on the fast track to increased profitability.
You owe it to your business to get a complete financial picture of how it compares to others in the industry. Add to the detailed analysis provided in your business assessment an hour of business consulting, and you have an amazingly great value. It’s time your business’s health was examined; it will ensure your business enjoys a longer, more vibrant life. Call UAC at 1-(800) 343-4827 and order your business assessment today!
Resource
–. “Planning for Disaster: Assessing Risks to Your Business Data.” Provided by Hewlett Packard at SCORE.org
Banning, Christine. “5 Tips to Avert Disaster.” SCORE.org
Selecting a Business Moniker that Best Represents Your Stellar Services
I hadn’t been working long when someone asked for my business name. Was my given name enough, I thought? Apparently not.
Even though you may be a tax preparer working part-time from the spare room in your basement, you don’t want your business name to conjure that image with prospective clients. A professional business moniker will make your practice more credible, memorable, and marketable.
But where do you start? Here are 6 simple suggestions:
1. Select a functional and descriptive name. While some companies opt to use invented (Oreo), experiential (Infoseek) or evocative (Yahoo) names, a financial professional is probably best off selecting a business name that alludes to the services he or she provides. People appreciate being able to recognize a business type simply by reading the name. It also contributes to a potential client’s ability to remember the name and corresponding services later.
2. Don’t be a copy-cat. You don’t want your name to be so close to another’s that potential clients call the wrong number or show up at the wrong business front. Not only will duplicating another business name make yours less memorable, but it can cause legal problems as well. The US Small Business Administration suggests visiting the United States Patent and Trademark Office to ensure that your business doesn’t make any trademark infringements.
3. Avoid wordplay. While wordplay and unconventional spellings may seem witty and catchy upfront, it may prevent a prospective client from locating your business information later. You want people to easily access your contact information, and if they can’t remember or spell your business name, there’s no chance they’ll be able to look you up online or in the phone book.
4. Don’t abbreviate. While acronyms may be all the business rage, they won’t do your marketing efforts any favors. And if you do use an acronym, you may spend more money educating the public on the meaning of your name than you’ll actually spend highlighting your services.
5. Perform a domain-name search. Just as you want your business name to be memorable, you want your website address to be memorable as well. After you select your business name, perform a domain search to see if you can use your business name in your URL.
6. Research and register. Some states require sole proprietors to register any business name, other than their own given name. Before selecting a name it’s important that you research your state’s requirements. Also consider registering for an Employer Identification Number (EIN), also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, at IRS.gov; it’s easy and free.
Online Forums
When it comes to topics like this one, it can be difficult to find a group of small business owners with whom you can ask questions, share insights, and offer advice. Luckily there are online discussions groups, listservs and forums to help you connect with these individuals. Universal Accounting Center has developed a forum for accountants and tax preparers to provide just that community environment for which you may have been searching. Please join us and make our community stronger by “talking” about issues that matter to you. Members are free to ask questions, provide resources and take advantage of the resources others may offer. Join us today!
Resources
“Employer ID Numbers (EINs).” IRS.gov
“Name Your Business.” SBA.gov
“Trademark FAQ.” United States Patent and Trademark Office
Relax, Reenergize and Recuperate
Tax season is finally over and with it many of the demands on your time and energy. After the hectic three-month stretch of being over-scheduled and over-worked, it’s time you gave your mind and body the break they need.
Unfortunately too many small business owners feel that running at break-neck speeds is the only way to get ahead, and while that may be true for awhile, neglecting your own needs will soon catch up with you and take a toll on your professional and personal lives.
That’s why we suggest taking this opportunity to decompress and energize. We believe you’ll find it will make you a better business owner in the end. Here are 5 tips on rejuvenating yourself and your business.
1. Take a vacation. The most obvious thing you can do to relax is take a vacation. Whether you leave now or in three months, often the planning of your getaway will make a difference in your overall temperament. And you don’t have to spend a lot of money to enjoy yourself. Consider what would best help you relax and then make your plans; a three-day weekend spent camping can be just the thing you need to return to work with a new and improved state of mind.
2. Attend a professional conference. We should note that you don’t have to choose between tips one and two. It would be great if you could take a vacation and attend a professional conference because both serve different, yet important, purposes. When you attend a professional conference you may be able to relax and unwind while learning new things that will enhance your business. Remember, your expenses are tax deductible and should be considered a personal investment that will make you a better financial professional.
3. Exercise. We’re guessing that the busier tax season became, the more you neglected your personal needs, like exercise. The great thing about exercising is it can help you relax and relieve stress. If you’ve gotten out of the habit, or were never in the habit begin with, now is the time to schedule in regular exercise in order to get your blood flowing, your muscles flexing, and the endorphins releasing.
4. Reconnect with friends and family. Tax season can feel like a state of hibernation during which you lose touch with loved ones. Now is a good time to reconnect. This can be accomplished in the simplest of ways: via email, on the phone, or over lunch. If you’re craving more interaction, consider entertaining a large group of people at a barbeque or dinner party. Just ensure that reconnecting doesn’t cause more stress in the process.
5. Meditate. Regular meditation can help you decompress daily. As you take the time to regroup and relax, you’ll find you’re more peaceful and productive. If your schedule is tight, work in 10 to 15 minutes a day. Scheduling a regular time for meditation and reflection in your daily planner will pay large dividends in the long run.
You deserve a pat on the back for all that hard work you did throughout tax season. But more than a pat on the back, you’re in need of some serious relaxation. Only when you first take care of yourself can you be the best business owner you can be. Go ahead—Relax!
Invest in Yourself and Your Business
Now that tax season is over, consider ways to build your business in your down time. The Universal Practice Builder Program (UPB) will help you market your practice effectively, increasing your clientele and your bottom line! Also called Marketing on Steroids, this course was designed by our own growth specialists who know not only how to market your specialized financial services, but how to market them effectively to qualified, prospective clients.
The UPB program provides the following:
- Flexibility. You complete the course on your own time and pace.
- Complete education. This comprehensive training program will give you everything you need to build a thriving practice.
- A qualified professional to answer questions. For six months you will have access to our professional coaches for personal, professional guidance via phone or email.
The Universal Practice Builder Program will equip you with all the tools you need to grow your business. If you find yourself lacking the intuitive salesperson personality, call Universal at 1-877-833-7909 to register for this phenomenal program now!!
Using a Checklist to Standardize Your Processes
Most tax professionals are looking for ways to streamline their services in order to guarantee greater accuracy and efficiency throughout tax season. And nothing will thwart your attempts to save time and energy more than by performing routine tasks differently each time they’re done.
Whether you’re working alone, with partners, or employees, standardizing your processes is not only a great time-management tool, but it also promotes greater efficiency and consistency in your work. A checklist is a great way to ensure that your practice is using standardized processes to complete tax returns and perform other routine functions.
If you want to use checklists to help improve your practice, consider the following three tips:
- Create checklists for routine functions. In a recent CPATrendlines article, author and accountant Ed Mendlowitz explains, “Establish checklists whenever repetitive procedures are to be performed… They are not to be filled out after the work is completed as punishment.” Checklists should guide professionals as they complete projects—they ensure that key steps are not skipped or forgotten. Mendlowitz goes on to explain that the importance of checklists needs to be established and maintained by partners, managers and reviewers as well.
- Use checklists as a training tool. Checklists are a great way to help new employees or partners become familiar with your practices’ processes and procedures. They will enable staff to have an abbreviated tutorial that will walk them through the work.
- Update and revise checklists. Checklists provide a great opportunity to monitor and assess your practice’s processes and procedures. You can do this by routinely evaluating your checklists, and then, after discussion and debate, eliminating unnecessary steps and, perhaps, adding new ones. While this may seem a tedious task, it is the one way to ensure that your practice is even more efficient next tax season.
Also called “working smart,” efficient work strategies can makes any tax practice more profitable as owners determine how to get more done in less time. Using checklists to ensure consistency and standardization of your processes is just one way to improve your services and your reputation as a tax preparer.
Universal Accounting Center’s Solution to Higher Efficiency
The wise financial professional looks for ways to add complementary services to their menu in order to get those higher-yielding clients to do even more business with them. In doing so, you increase your earning-potential and your appeal to prospective and current clients.
By adding small-business accounting services to your menu, you are able to increase your billable hours, which in turn, increases your bottom line. UAC’s Professional Bookkeeper Program will teach you everything you need to know to manage a small business’s books, including how to market those services to prospective clients.
To learn more, order our video Introduction to the Professional Bookkeeper Program. This video will introduce you to the four module included in this course, demonstrating just how valuable it can be to you and your business. Survive the recession by adding accounting services to your offerings. What do you have to lose? Call Universal at 1-877-833-7909 for more information now!
Resource
Mendlowitz, Ed. “Five New Tax Season Tips to Provide Consistency in Service, Processes, and Standards.” 10 March 2013 CPATrendlines.com
Come 2014, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, will require all Americans to obtain health insurance. Small businesses with 50 or more employees will be required to provide full-time workers with affordable health insurance that complies with Obamacare’s standards. Small businesses with less than 50 employees will not have that same requirement, although any health care plan they offer must comply with Obamacare. All companies, big or small, must notify their employers, in writing, of the law and the ability to take advantage of state-based health insurance exchanges.
These requirements, along with the prohibition against barring any individual from health insurance due to preexisting conditions, may cause significant problems for small business owners. Entrepreneur.com writer, Dinah Wisenberg Brin reports that while some argue that Obamacare may save businesses money in the long run, many argue that the converse is true.
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) contends that the law will make it “extremely difficult” for any small business to cross the 50-employee threshold. Also, businesses that go from 49 to 50 employees without extending health care insurance to the same could face a $40,000 penalty. The NFIB argues, “A business can avoid the penalties by firing employees, by not hiring new ones, by replacing full-timers with part-timers, or by outsourcing. Estimating the costs of hiring and expanding will be complex and confusing.”
Unfortunately many small business owners currently find themselves in the same position as their employees—uninsured. A Businessweek article by Karen E. Klein states a Kaiser Family Foundation study of insurance coverage found that “…small business owners are in similar straits as their employees: One-quarter are uninsured and half rely on a family member for coverage or buy private health insurance, if they can afford and qualify for it. Only 19 percent get insurance through their companies.”
Perhaps the insurance exchanges will eliminate some of these problems, as these marketplaces should be available in 2014 and allow individuals and small businesses to “shop” for plans among a variety of competitive options that must comply with Obamacare standards. Brin states that information on these plans should be available later this year.
Regardless, Obamacare has a fair number of small business owners concerned. The House Small Business Committee plans to hold a hearing on health-care reform which will address many of these issues. The committee has enabled small business owners to post their comments on Obamacare and how they think it will impact them and their small businesses:
Marsha Newberry, owner of a Texas small business posted, “The Affordable Care Act is certainly not affordable for us as a small business in America. …This has caused our company to examine our projects and reduce our employee numbers by eliminating the labor intense projects. All this to avoid mandated healthcare by the federal government. So we slow and/or reduce our company growth to avoid complete closure of the company. ”
A Nevada business owner posted, “We eliminated six jobs within the company, and we will continue downsizing. We will outsource the functions previously done in-house in order to stay afloat. We have no budget for this damage. If that doesn’t keep us afloat, we will close our business down by September 30 this year…”
The key here is in staying informed on Obamacare and how the issues will evolve and, eventually, impact your business. The ability to anticipate that impact will enable small business owners to make adjustments to their plans and projections in order to manage what is sure to be a significant learning curve.
Increase Your Business’s Profitability NOW!
Allen Bostrom, President and CEO of Universal Accounting Center, has a lot of experience helping small businesses become more lucrative, and he’s written a book about it called In the Black: Nine Principles to Make Your Business Profitable. Practical and easy-to-apply, you can finish this book in one day and begin implementing those principles the next. To learn more about this book and some of the principles he shares, visit his website today!
Resources
Brin, Dinah Wisenberg. “Obamacare 101: How Business Owners Can Prepare in 2013.” 22 January 2013 Entrepreneur.com
Brin, Dinah Wisenberg. “Small Businesses Continue to Air – and Vent – Obamacare Opinions.” 7 March 2013 Entrepreneur.com
Klein, Karen E. “What Obamacare Means for Small Employers.” 4 October 2012 BusinessWeek.com
Tax season is upon us and for many tax preparers that means a hectic work schedule with long days and countless client consults. Regardless of your practice’s size, tax season can overwhelm even the most time efficient and well prepared.
In order to ensure a smoother tax season, Edward Mendlowitz, Journal of Accountancy contributor and author of Managing Your Tax Season , suggests 12 procedures that will help you rise above the chaos. Here we share 5 of Mendlowitz’s suggestions:
1. Schedule workflow. It’s important that you anticipate the number and complexity of returns you will be getting and schedule your staff and work days accordingly. You should also anticipate return reviews—who will be performing them and how long will they take? Mendlowitze suggests, “For corporate clients, schedule and prepare returns on a first-in, first-out basis. Call clients and work out times for them to submit information. …A two-week return policy can reduce the number of client calls, work in process, and scheduling problems, and can help speed up cash flow.”
2. Resolve bottlenecks and don’t let returns sit unattended. One of the best ways to improve tax-season efficiency is to examine your current procedures and resolve bottlenecks in order to streamline your process. Now is a good time to consider where returns get “stuck” and what you can do to ensure they don’t sit unattended. Often returns get side-tracked when clients must be contacted for information or verification. Don’t put off resolving these issues in order to move forward.
3. Bill client when return is ready. Mendlowitz explains, “Unbilled tax returns are considered inventory in process. The longer you have them, the less they are worth.”
4. Prepare estimated taxes for the current year when preparing an extension for a client. While the amounts are likely to change, completing this step will save you time in the long run, eliminating the need to remind yourself about the client’s position when estimated taxes are due. And as Mendlowitze says, “It also helps the client plan cash flow.”
5. Ensure effective use of technology. Sometimes purchasing new equipment can help you better manage tax data. Do you need scanning software to help reduce paperwork and improve workflow? Also, tax and accounting software can ensure a more efficient use of time, as long as you and your staff have been properly trained.
Sometimes a little foresight is all you need to ensure a smoother tax season. Try implementing these tips to see if that helps you better manage what might otherwise be a chaotic time of year.
Universal Accounting Center’s QuickBooks Training Can Help
In learning to optimize QuickBooks software, you’ll not only be able to ensure accurate tax returns in a more timely manner, but you can add an additional income stream to your tax practice. You’ll find clients in need of QuickBooks training and help services. You can charge $65 to $95 for your QuickBooks set-up and consultation services. And once your help people get started, who do you think they’ll come to for help? That’s right – YOU! That means you’ll develop a QuickBooks client base that will be more likely to also retain your tax services.
UAC’s Guide to QuickBooks Pro will teach you how to do the basic transactions, how to reconcile accounts, what the program does with its data, and a basic understanding of fundamental accounting principles. We have also included about 18 hours of bookkeeping instruction and a complete detailed presentation of QuickBooks fundamentals. Call Universal at 1-877-833-7909 to begin streamlining your work flow this season!
Resource
Mendlowitz, Edward. “Maximizing Tax Season Efficiency.” January 2011 Journal of Accountancy Online
Often the biggest things holding us back have nothing to do with our products or services. If you find yourself drowning in paperwork and a filing system that means nothing to you, it’s time to organize the chaos by creating a method that works. And there’s no better time than the beginning of a new year and before the onslaught of tax season!
In a recent Entrepreneur.com article, author Stephanie Vozza details “How to Solve Your Biggest Organizing Dilemma” with advice from several professional organizers. She quotes Sande Nelson, a New York organizer who specializes in small business, as saying, “A good filing system is a valuable tool to help you get things done and grow your business.”
Of the four tips Vozza suggests in creating a filing system that works, we share three here:
- Set it up yourself. Angela Wallace, president of the National Association of Professional Organizers, says, “The biggest problem I see is letting employees design your system. They will create what works for them, not what works for the business.” There are different filing systems and you should pick the one that will work best for you: alphabetical, numerical, or subject-oriented. If you’re natural tendency is to file information by client, this might indicate a tendency to access information alphabetically. However, others still may choose to file numerically by assigning reference numbers to each client.
- Use easy-to-remember names for files. Nelson says, “One bad habit entrepreneurs make is saying, ‘I can’t remember what I called that file so I’ll just make another with the name I think of now.’ That heralds the death of a filing system.” As a tax preparer you must standardize your files and ensure that all the information on one topic is kept in the same place. So it’s important to keep those file names simple to prevent you from forgetting them later.
- Maintain your system weekly. This may sound obvious, but once you create your filing system you’ve got to use it, and ensure it’s regularly maintained. Too often we let paperwork build up when putting it away as soon as we’ve stopped using it would save time and energy.
The most important thing about your filing system is that it be catered to your needs. If it’s dazzling and impressive but takes more time to navigate than necessary, then you haven’t created the filing system for you. Take the time to do it right the first time, and you’ll have a system that eliminates chaos and makes room for order. Phew. Now you can get some work done!
Universal’s Training Programs are All Online
If you’re looking to launch or expand a business, we suggest you consider obtaining training designed to help you offer accounting, tax preparation and QuickBooks services. And Universal’s online training make that more convenient than ever, enabling you to enroll today and begin changing your career tomorrow. We offer 5 programs designed to make your business more profitable. To sample our online courses for free, visit Universal today!
Resource
Vozza, Stephanie. “How to Solve Your Biggest Organizing Dilemma.” 23 January 2013 Entrepreneur.com
One of the most inexpensive marketing tools available is your business website. With minimal startup and maintenance costs you can develop a good website that 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 work. And if well developed, your business website will be more than an inexpensive marketing tool, but a good point of contact and an effort to further brand your business.
But before building that all-important website you must ask yourself a few searching questions:
1. Who is your intended audience? Unless you clearly understand who your target audience is, you will be unable to build a website that both attracts them and satisfies their needs. Obviously you will want your website to appeal to both current and prospective clients. Once you clearly define who might comprise that intended audience, you can ask yourself more specific questions regarding their expectations.
2. What are your objectives? When you are able to determine what you hope to accomplish through your business website, you have a standard by which you can measure its success. Would you like it to simply share your business information like an electronic business card? While it’s good to have that type of information available, a website can accomplish so much more. Would you like to secure more clients by offering special website promotions? What about explaining your services and their value? Be sure that your list of objectives is specific and exhaustive. Once you have developed that list you can use it as a guide in building your site.
3. What should visitors expect to find on your site? Visitors will obviously expect to find an explanation of your services along with contact information. What else might they expect? You don’t want to disappoint prospective visitors by falling short of their expectations. Consider posing this question to a handful of individuals from your intended audience. Current clients could also provide you with valuable insight on what they would like to find on your site.
4. What will bring visitors back? Attracting first-time visitors is one thing, but how do you bring them back to your site continually? Again you must look at your website from a visitor’s standpoint and determine what would interest them enough to not only like your site, but bookmark it. The one thing that will bring visitors back is offering valuable content that you update continually. Consider offering a tax tips section, a client spotlight, or a regular website promotion.
5. What will they take with them? You’ve determined how you might build a site that interests repeat visitors, but what do you want them to take from your site? Obviously, you want them to value your services more. You also want them to remember you, even if they don’t retain your services initially. When they need tax help, you want them to remember your website and return to get your number so they can schedule an appointment.
Universal Accounting Center Can Help You Create a Custom Website for Your Practice
Imagine how difficult it would be to create your own website that addressed all the above questions. Now imagine that UAC can manage that process for you, enabling you to create a strong web presence without expending much energy. Universal’s Accountweb, a website development tool, is available exclusively for financial 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 perform tax services 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!
It’s a New Year—time to revamp and look for ways to improve your business. Here are four easy things you can do that will make a big difference:
1. Charge what you’re worth. First you need to do your research to see what your competition charges. And based on that knowledge, charge what your products and/or services are worth. Sometimes small business owners feel a little self-conscious about their fees; never compromise your value in order to get business.
- Do: Communicate the value of your services.
- Don’t: Be apologetic and tentative when talking about fees.
2. Be visible. Often small business owners are not as good at PR as they are with their business specialty. But that’s no reason to become a hermit. As awkward as it may feel, you need to get out there and be both seen and heard. Attend community functions, meet your costumers, and spend time socializing; the more you interact with others, the greater your networking opportunities. Remember, everyone is a potential costumer.
- Do: Make appearances and talk about what you do.
- Don’t: Be pushy and overbearing.
3. Be Helpful. Small business owners can live or die on one account or customer. By keeping the business “Golden Rule,” you will be able to capture the big sales with the little sales. There’s just something about knowing you have had a positive effect on those you do business with every day.
- Do: Make each interaction with customers the best one they have had.
- Don’t: Be arrogant and unresponsive.
4. Have a marketing plan. Remember Field of Dreams? If you build it, they will come. When it comes to your business you have more in common with Costner’s character than you might think: If you publicize, they will purchase. You need to get the word out in order to get costumers through your front door, because without costumers, you won’t make any money. Assign yourself a marketing budget and
- Do: Research marketing methods that work for your particular business niche.
- Don’t: Spend lots of money on an unproven marketing technique.
Register for Universal’s FREE Start Today Seminar
From DC to Texas and Canada to California—Universal travels the country providing free 3-hour seminars teaching the secrets to establishing a successful accounting and bookkeeping service. There you’ll learn how to enhance your service offerings while increasing your bottom lime! Look at our schedule and register for one of our seminars in a city near you. As attendee Dennis Shumway explained, “I have been involved in financial service for 20 years and have attended seminars all over the country. The quality of this class has been head and shoulders above any class that I have ever taken.”
Take advantage of this FREE opportunity now! Register today!
Five Tips for Giving Them “Sticking Power” This Year
I’ve made some; you’ve made some. Chances are we’ve made several over the course of our lifetimes. What am I talking about? New Year’s Resolutions. In fact, if you’re like most people, you collected a few already for 2013.
Our ability to keep resolutions can change the course of our lives. Social scientists have been studying this for years, and many more want to know the trick for making the right resolutions and, more importantly, keeping them. Here are a few tips on making those resolutions stick this year:
1. Write Them Down. Writing down your resolutions gives them a voice and helps you envision the actualization of those resolutions. When it comes to your profession, you must write down those professional benchmarks; it becomes the standard by which you can measure your progress and then celebrate your success.
2. Reverse Engineer It. Pretend that you have already achieved your resolution. What does that feel like, sound like, look like? When you visualize the achievement of your resolution, you can often see the steps necessary to get there. As that image becomes ingrained in your mind, it feels more natural to follow the path necessary to achieve that resolution.
3. Search out Examples. This step requires you to find others who have achieved what you hope to accomplish yourself. Some call this “modeling.” Individuals in the business world find Lee Iacocca or Jack Welch to be good examples. But it doesn’t have to be a larger-than-life character; it could be a former employer or a family friend that you admire.
4. Find a Mentor. When you have a mentor who has achieved what you hope to achieve, you have access to someone who can give you direction and help you avoid some of the mistakes they may have made. They can also advice you on how to most effectively move forward and achieve the success of which you dream.
5. Positive Reinforcement. When you reach a milestone you have set, reward yourself. The reward should be something special, something you don’t experience everyday; it should be a true acknowledgement that you have achieved something significant and deserve to celebrate it.
The best resolutions are those with built-in rewards. When you enroll in Universal Accounting Center’s programs, you increase your earning potential, impress current and potential clients, or, if interested, can earn extra money on the side – all on your own time and from the comfort of your own home. Here’s one resolution you should consider:
Master Proven Marketing Techniques
Universal Accounting Center is in the business of helping build stronger, more profitable practices, and we can help you better market your services and secure new clients. Our Universal Practice Builder (UPB) program will enable you attract and retain more clients so that you can build a more lucrative practice. 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 to use QuickBooks to attract more clients
- Access to a plan proven to help retain clients
- 5 business assessments
- A customized business website
- An iron-clad guarantee
Master proven marketing techniques is the best resolution for your business! Allow us to show you how. Call 1-877-833-7909 today to enroll in the Universal Practice Builder Program.
