Heather Weiler had been working part-time for seven years as a bookkeeper for a graphic design firm when she decided it was time to take charge of her career. She wanted to run a bookkeeping practice from her home that would enable her to enjoy greater flexibility, spend more time with family and increase her income. But because her experience was in managing books for one industry, she decided more training was in order; she turned to Universal Accounting Center (UAC) for help.
The Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program is specifically designed to help students master small-business accounting, which is not taught in the majority of other training and degree-based programs. Heather hand-picked this course for that reason as well as the fact that the video-based program enabled her to complete the training at her own pace. She explained, “The video training with UAC was great as I could go over a segment a few times if I needed to, and having someone explain how things work seemed to sink in better than reading it in a textbook. Also, I didn’t have to leave my house two nights a week to go out and do a course– I could do the work when it suited me, which worked really well with my work schedule and my family.”
Not only did the PB Program help Heather master small-business accounting, but it also taught her how to effectively market her practice. But being a bit more reserved, she struggled in the implementation of the marketing strategies she had learned; as a result, she decided to purchase Master Coaching as well, a program that pairs students with coaches who help them design a step-by-step plan to meet personal goals, identify potential obstacles and hurdle them.
Heather’s coach was Rick Howard, and the two immediately began to talk strategy regarding the successful launch of her practice. She said, “Rick always called promptly, and it was always pleasant to speak with him. Our sessions felt more like a conversation with an old friend who really wanted to help my business succeed, rather than being run through a checklist of ‘to-do’s’ by some executive who clearly didn’t want to be stuck dealing with such small scale business.”
Every week, for 12 weeks, Rick helped Heather implement the startup strategies she had learned in the PB program. She raved about her experience: “The PB training and the coaching program have changed my life. All the people I have dealt with at UAC are fantastic. They are knowledgeable, kind and helpful. They truly want to help people succeed in their own bookkeeping/accounting business. No matter what question I have asked, I have been treated with respect and have hung up the phone feeling empowered and excited to help small business owners gain control of their finances, which empowers the small business owners. It is a wonderful feeling to take what I know to help someone else and give them peace of mind about their business. I would recommend UAC to anyone who is thinking about starting their own bookkeeping business.”
Heather has since launched her own practice and was able to secure four clients in just six weeks! She credits Universal with providing her with all the necessary tools to launch a successful business.