Warren Buffet once said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.  If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

Developing a solid reputation takes time and energy. Showing good character generates trust and will help you become a premier financial professional.

Here are five tips that will help you make a lasting impression among colleagues, clients and members of the community:

1. Only institute fair business practices. Whether it regards marketing, policies concerning employee treatment, or even the description of your services online, you must institute and observe fair business practices.  Once your reputation as a trustworthy professional is compromised, word will get out, and you’ll find potential clients questioning your integrity, and as a result, the quality of your work.

2. Take responsibility for your mistakes. You’ll waste too much energy trying to defer blame when you’ve made a mistake.  Stand tall and admit responsibility.  Apologize if necessary, and take steps to repair any damage you may have caused. 

3. Honesty IS the best policy. Nothing can ruin your business reputation quicker than dishonesty.  One white lie can cost countless clients and forever brand you as the dishonest business owner.

4. Never gossip. Speaking poorly about colleagues, peers and/or the competition can feel oddly satisfying, but in whatever form, gossiping is never a good thing.  It usually gets back to the person in the end, hurting their feelings.  And gossipers, regardless of how they might justify their behavior, never appear honorable in those sad, water-cooler moments. 

5. Participate in your community.  Become an active member of your community, and you’ll learn how to best contribute to its betterment and growth. And when you give to the community you’ll find that it often gives right back.  It’s also a great way to network, enabling you to know which local businesses can benefit you and which businesses you, in turn, could benefit.

Building a solid reputation is a matter of consciously making the best choices you can for yourself and your business.  When you do that you’ll find that people trust your work and look to you as a leader, not only in your business, but in the community.

Become a QuickBooks Consultant

You can expand your service offerings by becoming a QuickBooks Specialist, adding QuickBooks help, consulting and set-up services to your menu.  It’s a great marketing tool that will bring your part-time business closer to being full-time ready.

In addition to the skills you acquire in completing the PBG, you will also receive the following:

• Thorough and complete training on the latest and greatest version of QuickBooks Pro
• 6 months’ worth of access to our experienced, qualified QuickBooks professional accountants and CPAs to answer your questions
• Accounting 101 Review
• 30 hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits in most states
• A 100% money-back guarantee
• A valuable addition to your reference library

The PBG offers the most competitive QuickBooks training on the market.  Master QuickBooks and add QuickBooks consulting services to your menu. Call Universal at 1-877-833-7908 to enroll in this valuable training program now!

Roger Knecht

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