Defined by wordspy.com as “…entrepreneur(s) who create and manage a home-based business,” homepreneurs are faring much better in this recession than experts originally anticipated. BusinessWeek.com claims that “More than half of all US businesses are based at home. These companies often are dismissed as quaint hobbyist ventures, but new research suggests that’s a mistake…, and by many measures they’re just as competitive as their counterparts in commercial spaces.”
This is significant considering that everything a contract accountant does can easily be accomplished from a home office. In fact, of all the home-business options, a bookkeeping and accounting practice is considered by some to be one of the best. In fact, Paul and Sarah Edwards, authors of The Best Home Businesses for the 21st Century, rate a bookkeeping service as the “Best of the Best” home-based businesses. In addition, the US Department of Labor has long toted accounting as a lucrative career choice, predicting that the, “Employment of accountants and auditors is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through the year 2014.”
The Life of an Accountapreneur
Working from home as a contract accountant has never been more appealing, especially when you can earn, on average, $300 per client per month. Once you secure just 20 clients, you can be making $6000 per month; that’s $72,000 a year! The life of an Accountapreneur may be just what you’re aspiring for.
But that’s not the only perk in working from home. Many contract accountants enjoy the following:
- The opportunity to offer a service in high demand
- A flexible work schedule
- An enhanced standard of living
- A satisfying occupation
- The ability to call the shots
- A low-expense business
If you’re not already in business for yourself, now is the time to launch your practice.
Launching Your Practice during a Recession
The truth is starting a business is tough regardless of what the economy is doing. However small businesses are more agile than big corporations and can quickly change direction or implement new strategies that will enable them to better navigate through a recession. They can also take advantage of a hiring pool saturated with talented applicants, tax benefits and inexpensive supplies. Not to mention, every business is required by law to perform certain accounting functions. Your startup would offer valuable services in high demand! What’s holding you back?
Master Small-Business Accounting
Your natural ability to manage and manipulate numbers creates the perfect environment in which you can master small-business accounting. From payroll to job costing and accounts payable to invoicing, the Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program will train you in the day-to-day accounting tasks required by small businesses. In less than 60 hours you can acquire the confidence and expertise necessary to start your own bookkeeping practice. You can also earn professional certification that will secure your clients’ loyalty and trust.
The PB Program consists of four modules that will teach you everything you need to know to setup and manage a company’s accounts. Not only that, but you’ll also learn how to establish your practice and market your newly-acquired services to qualified prospective clients. Here’s a brief description of what is covered in the Professional Bookkeeper program:
Accounting Made Easy
This module will enable you to master the tools, procedures, and underlying principles that make up the bookkeeping processes of all businesses. Once completed, you will understand the core building blocks of Accounting and Bookkeeping.
Practical Small Business Applications
In module two you will apply your understanding of the core accounting principles to specific industries. You will learn to set up books from scratch, do payroll like a seasoned pro, and much more.
Advancing Your “Account-Ability”
This module exposes you to sure ways to set up complete bookkeeping systems and manage the books for a variety of more sophisticated industries.
Building a Success Accounting Service
In this module you will learn the steps to finding paying clients. You will be fully equipped to start and grow a successful accounting practice.
Successful business owners know that in order to grow a business, they must enhance their offerings to include complementary services. This increases their clientele and their bottom lines. And QuickBooks services will piggy-back nicely on your accounting skills.
Get QuickBooks Training
Over 85% of small business owners use QuickBooks software to manage their accounting needs. This means that countless local businesses will, at some point, need QuickBooks setup, consultation and help services.
The Professional Bookkeeper’s Guide (PBG) to QuickBooks will train you in all the features and shortcuts this software offers. And like the PB Program, you will also have the opportunity to earn a professional designation evidencing your QuickBooks mastery. Here’s a quick synopsis of what’s covered in the PBG:
Module 1
In the first module, you will learn how QuickBooks fits in your world. We’ll introduce you to QuickBooks including how to get around in the program, some accounting fundamentals and how these fundamentals are implemented in QuickBooks.
Module 2
In this module, we cover everything that has to do with the customers and sales—the reason you’re in business. You’ll learn the answers to several questions including, Who do you add to the Customer List? What functionality is in the Customer Center? How do you get more detail on various jobs? When and how can Classes help me? And much, much more.
Module 3
You will learn about another crucial element of running a business—vendors and paying bills. In accounting for business transactions, you have to keep track of what you owe with just as much detail as you keep track of what you are owed; this module will help you do that.
Module 4
In the final module, Mastering Advanced QuickBooks Topics, we begin by training you on payroll, including payroll subscriptions, payroll preferences, and payroll setup interview. You’ll learn how to set up employees in the Employee Center and enter their time for billing customers or entering paychecks. Then of course, you’ll see how to pay employees and the various payroll taxes each of which is calculated and tracked by QuickBooks.
With Universal Accounting’s training package, you can master both small-business accounting and QuickBooks within a matter of weeks. This means you could launch your home-based business by the summer, enjoying great success and profitability by year’s end. Don’t let personal doubt or recession prevent you from achieving your dreams. Enroll in these two valuable programs today!
Resources
Tozzi, John. “The Rise of the ‘Homepreneur’.” 23 October 2009 BusinessWeek.com
