Most contract accountants encounter a time when they must decide whether or not they are ready and willing to grow their business by hiring a support staff. Some are satisfied with their current workload and income. Others realize that an influx of clients means more demands on their already limited time. These accountants realize that by hiring even one employee they may be able to increase their capacity and their bottom line.
If you are interested in hiring a support staff, it’s important that you first consider the type of team you’re interested in building, because that’s what you want to do: build a team motivated to grow your practice. Use the following three guidelines to help you hire employees who will help you build a solid team.
- Determine your lack. You can’t do it all, and if you’re going to build a stellar team, it’s important that you know what your weaknesses are. Once you determine your lack, you can hire individuals who will fill that gap.
- Look for complementary skills and varied thinking styles. Your team should be balanced. In a recent Entrepreneur.com article entitled “How to Build a Stellar Team at a High-Potential Startup,” author Jennifer Wang explains, “You need risk-takers who can create and move forward with lots of new ideas, as well as practical thinkers who can figure out how to implement those ideas on time and under budget.” And regarding skillset, she quotes Teresa Amabile, author and Harvard Business School professor: “Redundancy is a sure way to kill creativity.”
- Don’t undervalue soft skills. The NACE’s (National Association of Colleges and Employers) 2010 survey determined that employers most valued a strong work ethic as well as communication, analytical, teamwork and technical skills. While accounting experience is paramount, it’s important that your employees complement that expertise with soft skills that enable them to put that experience to good use.
Growing your business by hiring a support staff takes time and considerable forethought in order to ensure you’re taking the necessary precautions as you move forward. If you’ve decided that you do indeed need to hire a support staff, decide now to build a stellar team that will help grow your business.
Universal Accounting Center’s Master Coaching Programs
Universal Accounting Center has two coaching programs designed to give you that extra help you need to succeed. If you are already a Universal student, chances are that you are familiar with the Academic Coaching program. Most likely you received support when you purchased the training program. At that time, you were assigned an academic coach who was qualified to answer all of your accounting, software and tax questions.
For those who want regularly scheduled coaching sessions, Universal offers the Master Coaching Program. For a relatively modest fee (especially when compared to other coaching programs), a student is assigned a Master Coach who will follow-up with the student at pre-arranged times each week to review progress on past objectives, discuss the student’s current position, and recommend action steps to take the student to the next level.
Probably, the greatest advantage in using a Universal Master Coaching Program is that these professionals are focused exclusively on the accounting career. Unlike other coaching programs, the Universal Coaches are masters in helping the accountant reach his or her expectations – they know what works and what doesn’t. This specialization gives them insights that no other Coach will have.
Look into our Master Coaching Program today! And if you want to aim higher, we suggest you consider pairing it with the Professional Bookkeeper Program and the Universal Practice Builder Program, both designed to help you start and/or build your own accounting practice.
We’re certain you’re an amazing financial professional. We’re also certain, that will a little coaching you can become even better. Call Universal at 1-877-833-7909 to learn more now!
Resources
Duncan, Katherine. “How to Build a Brilliant Team.” 15 March 2012 Entrepreneur.com
Koncz, Andrea. “Employers Rank Communication Skills First among Job Candidate Skills and Qualities.” 21 January 2010 NACEWeb.org
Wang, Jennifer. “How to Build a Stellar Team at a High-Potential Startup.” 9 September 2011 Entrepreneur.com
