Small-business owners must track the daily tasks that eat up their workday, because while there are core-functions to any business, entrepreneurs often become distracted, and sometimes consumed by, necessary tasks that could be done just as easily, and probably more economically, through outsourcing. The question is, how does one determine which functions should remain in-house and which should be outsourced?
In a recent Small Business Trends article entitled “How I Outsourced My Non-Core Sales Tasks,” author Chris Hamilton details the process in determining whether or not a core task should be handed off to someone who can perform the task for you, freeing up your time for revenue-generating projects. Here are the five steps Hamilton describes:
1. Keep Track of What You Do During the Day. List the tasks that you spend time on.
2. Determine if it Helps You Generate Revenue or Not. Of each task, ask yourself, “If someone else did this, would it allow me to focus on those activities that will make me money?” If the answer is “yes,” you should outsource the task.
3. Map Out the Process. After you determine which tasks need to be outsourced, document the steps necessary in properly completing the task—that way, if you hire someone else to do it for you, they can duplicate your process. Before handing that task off to someone else, however, Hamilton suggests having a friend run through your steps to see if they understand your instructors.
4. Find Someone to Take on This Chore. Depending on the task, you may need to ask colleagues for references, put an ad in the classifieds or search the yellow pages for contract workers who specialize in the task.
5. Monitor the Work Being Done. Outsourcing does you no good if the task isn’t being completed properly. You should monitor the person you’ve outsourced the task to until you feel comfortable enough with their performance to allow them to work more independently.
Hamilton was driven to reevaluate his core-tasks when he realized that,”…in a typical day, I was spending about 50% to 60% of my time on sales tasks that didn’t generate revenue. Once I figured this out, I realized that I could be way more efficient and generate more sales.”
To ensure that your work day is comprised of revenue-generating tasks, it’s important that you test Hamilton’s process. You may find that outsourcing more than pays for itself.
Become the Professional to which Small Businesses Outsource Their Accounting
Certain functions are necessary in order for a business to be successful, and accounting is one of them. Unfortunately over 50% of small businesses fail, and much of that failure can be attributed to poor financial management. If you were to become a small-business accountant, you would be the person to which these small businesses outsource their accounting tasks.
Most of your competitors don’t offer specialized small-business accounting services. But after completing the Professional Bookkeeper (PB) program, you can! Consider a training program that is catered to your needs and busy schedule—one that will enable you to earn a professional designation after just 60 hours of your valuable time.
When you enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper Program you receive to the following:
- Flexible training you complete on your own schedule
- Rich and engaging training DVDs you can view again and again
- Hands-on instruction and practice sets through which you gain much-needed experience
- Training in building and marketing your new practice
- 6 months of valuable follow-up support
- The opportunity to earn professional certification
- Our iron-clad risk-free guarantee
Expand your service offerings by enrolling in UAC’s valuable training programs. Call 1-877-833-7909 to enroll today!
Resource
Hamilton, Chris. “How I Outsourced My Non-Core Sales Tasks.” 16 May 2013 SmallBizTrends.com
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
Most professionals find to-do lists helpful. They enable you to remember important tasks, prioritize your time and ensure productivity. Could they also increase revenue?
In a recent Entrepreneur.com article, Victor Cheng suggests “How Your To-Do List Can Boost Your Bottom Line.” While taking an innovative approach to ordering tasks, Cheng helps business owners focus their efforts in order to 1. make more money while 2. working less. He suggests the following approach:
1. Monetize your to-do list. One you’ve completed your list, determine the monetary value of each item, writing dollar amounts next to each task. Cheng offers this example: “…if the task is to prepare a proposal to land a $150,000 contract, write ‘Finish Proposal ($150,000).’ If the task is to return a phone call from your number-one customer, who generates $1 million in annual sales, write: ‘Return Mary’s phone call ($1 million).’”
2. Sort in descending order. List the items from those tasks earning the most to those earning the least.
3. Draw a line through the middle. You can now divide your list to determine the most pressing tasks.
4. Spend four days a week on the top 50%. It only makes sense that you focus the majority of your time on those tasks that will earn your business the most money.
5. Spend one day a week on the bottom 50%. Even those tasks in the bottom 50% deserve your attention, just not as much as the top 50%.
6. Reevaluate the bottom 50% weekly. If you can continually procrastinate tasks with no significant consequences, chances are those tasks may be obsolete. That’s why it’s important to revisit that bottom half of your to-do list to see which items could be permanently removed.
As Cheng explains, “You want to dedicate the majority of your time and energy at work to your most important, highest impact activities. When you follow these steps repeatedly for a long enough period of time, your sales and income will increase substantially.” Only then may you be able to grow your business to include employees who could work on the bottom 50%. Not to mention, you may finally secure a more flexible work schedule for yourself.
FREE Universal Resources
If you found this article helpful, consider taking advantage of our other free resources; join our free accounting and tax forums, follow us on Twitter and like us on FaceBook. You’ll be surprised at how Universal’s virtual community will enable you to stay in-the-know.
Resource
Cheng, Victor. “How Your To-Do List Can Boost Your Bottom Line.” 23 April 2013 Entrepreneur.com
Small business owners are continually getting advice on how to select financial professionals who will help them succeed. In a recent Entrepreneur.com article, readers are told “How to Choose an Accountant Who Is Also an Advisor.” As a tax professional who may have considered expanding your practice to include accounting services, these tips could prove invaluable in ensuring that your business satisfies all your clients’ needs.
The article explains the important association that can be fostered between business owner and accountant: “…no other business relationship has such potential to pay off. Nowadays, accountants are more than just bean counters. A good accountant can be your company’s financial partner for life…”
In searching for a good match the article asks readers to consider the following three things:
- Services. The article claims a good accounting service includes four areas of expertise: business advisory services, accounting and record-keeping, tax advice, and auditing. Business owners must evaluate their current financial standing and consider which services they need most. They are advised to ask prospective accountants how they would handle specific situations. A good accountant should be ready to speak for their business and articulate their worth.
- Personality. Prospective clients will be looking for an individual they feel comfortable with—someone they can easily approach with all their questions and concerns. They may be worried that their account will be passed to some low level worker they haven’t yet met. Ensure they can talk with the person with whom they will work directly.
- Fees. Anyone looking to secure a service will want to know how much they can expect to pay for it. The article suggests, “Ask about fees upfront. Most accounting firms charge by the hour; fees can range from $100 to $275 per hour. However, they are some accountants who work on a monthly retainer.” A seasoned professional can readily respond to such requests, and if they’re really good, they can explain how the nature of their services will ensure that clients see a greater financial return that more than covers those fees.
As you consider expanding your practice, ensure that you’re aware of prospective clients’ needs and are able to articulate your value in a way that appeals to them.
UAC’s Training Programs Will Help You Gain That Competitive Edge
Universal Accounting Center offers the best accounting, bookkeeping and tax training available. Consider growing your tax preparation business by offering additional services to potential clients, like accounting.
Most of your competitors don’t offer specialized small-business accounting services. But after completing the Professional Bookkeeper (PB) program, you can! Consider a training program that is catered to your needs and busy schedule—one that will enable you to earn a professional designation after just 60 hours of your valuable time.
When you enroll in the Professional Bookkeeper Program you receive to the following:
- Flexible training you complete on your own schedule
- Rich and engaging training DVDs you can view again and again
- Hands-on instruction and practice sets through which you gain much-needed experience
- Training in building and marketing your new practice
- 6 months of valuable follow-up support
- The opportunity to earn professional certification
- Our iron-clad risk-free guarantee
Expand your service offerings by enrolling in UAC’s valuable training programs. Call 1-877-833-7909 to enroll today!
Resource
–. “How to Choose an Accountant Who Is Also an Advisor.” 19 March 2013 Entrepreneur.com
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
Recently we posted an article updating you on the RTRP Court Ruling as of February 1st, 2013. The IRS continues to battle the ruling, attempting to advance its case as follows:
The IRS took advantage of its right to file an appeal within 60 days from the ruling, and on February 21st, 2013, the Department of Justice filed an appeal on their behalf, safeguarding the IRS’s right to fight the recent ruling on Living v. IRS, which could prevent the IRS from testing and regulating paid tax preparers.
Deputy Director of the Return Preparer Office, Preston Benoit, said that as a result of the injunction the IRS is currently unable to recognize nor endorse the RTRP credential. However, he also said there is nothing preventing tax professionals from displaying certification, although the IRS is not commenting on RTRP credential usage or the ongoing litigation. Speaking for the IRS, Benoit said they are trying to quickly resolve the matter and are considering instituting voluntary testing for those interested.
On February 26th, 2013, the Department of Justice, acting in behalf of the IRS yet again, filed a Government’s Motion for a Stay Pending Appeal. This motion is intended to reinstate the IRS’s testing and registration program for tax preparers during the appeals process. According to the NATP website, “The motion argues that the stay is in the best interest of the IRS, tax preparers and most importantly, taxpayers.” The motion states that “the greatest harm from the injunction will come in 2014, when the regulations meant to guard taxpayers from incompetent and unethical tax-return preparers are scheduled to become fully operational. The IRS estimates that fraud, abuse, and errors cost the taxpaying public billions of dollars annually.”
For more information, please visit the official website of the National Association of Tax Professionals.
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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.”
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The truth is, you can’t afford frequent meetings with clients—especially during tax season. You can resolve most client issues over the phone or via email, and should when possible, but every now and then you need to meet face-to-face in order to talk about key issues and ensure that both you and your client are on the same page. And when you do meet, you want to make the most of your time with a client. Here are six tips on planning effective meetings.
1. Don’t schedule meetings unless they’re absolutely necessary. Remember that your client hired you so they don’t have to worry about tax issues. If you over-schedule meetings with a client, they will quickly tire of you and wonder why they don’t manage their taxes themselves. If there are problems or issues that can’t be resolved through other means, you schedule a meeting in order to generate a two-way conversation.
2. Live by this meeting equation. In a recent Inc.com article entitled “6 Things You Need to Know About Leading a Meeting,” author Steve Tobak explains, “No leader + no documentation + no follow up = waste of time.” If any of these elements is missing, the meeting will be perceived as ineffective and probably seen by your clients as a waste of their valuable time.
3. Write up your agenda and sent it to attendees before the meeting. Let your client know the issues you plan to cover before you meet, even if it’s in a brief email.
4. Hold them in the afternoon. For whatever reason, individuals seem more relaxed after lunch. Also, Tobak once read in a Scott Adams Dilbert book (really!) that people work best in the mornings, so meetings should be held in the afternoons. He asked his staff what they thought, and they agreed; it’s worked great for his business.
5. Make it brief. Turning a one-hour meeting into a two-hour meeting, even if you feel it necessary, is literally risky business. Remember that your client’s time is valuable. Don’t let your meeting run long, and don’t become long-winded.
6. End with an action plan. Remember what we said earlier about following up? You should summarize what you’ve covered in the meeting and end with a plan of action. Tell your client what you intend to do with the information gleaned from this meeting and when the client can expect to see the results.
When scheduling meetings with clients remember that everything you do, including the manner in which you run meetings, generates client loyalty and trust. Treat their time with utmost respect and ensure that all your communications demonstrate a desire to make their lives more profitable.
Universal Accounting Helps Tax Preparers Succeed
At Universal, we believe it’s important to prepare for the future, and we’re interested in seeing your future success as a tax preparer. Our online tax training, the Professional Tax Preparer Program, is designed to help professionals like you enhance tax preparation skills by becoming efficient in the completion of individual and business returns while establishing a thriving home-based tax businesses. To learn more, or enroll now, call Universal at 1-877-833-7909 today!
Resource
Tobak, Steve. “6 Things You Need to Know About Leading a Meeting.” 21 February 2013 Inc.com
For over a year now the IRS has focused their efforts on locating and punishing criminals of identity theft and refund fraud. On February 7th, they announced the results of a national search for identity thieves in 32 states and Puerto Rico, the results of which they took action against 389 suspects.
The IRS Criminal Investigation will increase its efforts in 2013, expanding its team to include 1,460 more investigators. IRS Acting Commissioner Steven T. Miller explains, “As tax season begins this year, we want to be clear that there is a heavy price to pay for perpetrators of refund fraud and identity theft. We have aggressively stepped up our efforts to pursue and prevent refund fraud and identity theft, and we will continue to intensely focus on this area. This is part of a much wider effort underway for the 2013 tax season to stop fraud.”
This new effort includes increased enforcement actions against those found guilty of identity theft and refund fraud: recently there have been 109 arrests, 189 indictments and the issuing of 47 search warrants.
In addition to increased investigative and enforcement efforts, the IRS is also conducting a special compliance effort intended to prevent businesses from assisting identify thieves and refund frauds when cashing checks. This compliance check included IRS visits to high-risk areas in New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Tampa, Miami, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Diego, El Paso, Tucson, Birmingham, Detroit, San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose.
The IRS has also increased the number and quality of screening filters designed to flag fraudulent returns before refunds are sent. “We are strengthening our processing systems to watch for identity theft and detect refund fraud before it occurs,” Miller said. “And we continue to put more resources on helping people who are victims of identity theft and resolve these complex cases as quickly as possible.”
Taxpayers receiving identity theft notices should follow the instructions included. Taxpayers concerned about identity theft threats should contact the IRS immediately so they can take the necessary action to secure their accounts.
For more information, visit the official IRS site and read their recent press release on the identity theft crackdown.
Fine-Tune Your Tax Preparation Skills
Regardless of how extensive your past training, every financial professional needs to fine-tune their skills in order to maintain a competitive advantage and currency in an ever-changing field. Universal Accounting Center has made that easy.
Our Professional Tax Preparer program includes the following:
- Informative video instruction
- Full 1040 training
- Full business return (1065, 1120, 1120S) training
- One Year Follow-up Support from expert tax preparers
Most tax preparation courses include books and some worksheets. Our training uses engaging and entertaining tax preparers who give practical advice on tax issues; they also provide real-world solutions that will give you the edge in productivity and profitability.
Because the IRS has imposed stricter regulations on paid tax preparers, they have opened the door to a narrower margin of individuals willing to fulfill requirements which include additional training and required testing. Universal is an IRS-approved Continuing Education Provider, and the Professional Tax Preparer program will enable you to become proficient in tax preparation while helping you comply with IRS regulations. Call Universal at 1-877-833-7909 to enroll today!
Small-business owners must track the daily tasks that eat up their workday, because while there are core-functions to any business, entrepreneurs often become distracted, and sometimes consumed by, necessary tasks that could be done just as easily, and probably more economically, through outsourcing. The question is, how does one determine which functions should remain in-house and which should be outsourced?
