Originally developed by Edi Osborne* at Mentor Plus and taught live to thousands of accountants in North America, the program was designed to give accountants the tools they needed to deliver the kind of repeatable, value-added services their clients crave.
This training, now available online and licensed for use by Geni Whitehouse at The Impactful Advisor, takes accountants from their traditional service offerings at Level 1 to continuous improvement at Level 5, enabling accountants to move their clients from hindsight to foresight.
The online training includes everything you need to sit down and begin working with your clients immediately. Course graduates have changed their practice and seen increased revenues by using just one of the more than 100 tools.
“I look forward to learning more from you in 2024. You’ve made a huge impact on my firm and on my clients this year, so thank you from the bottom of my heart.” - Jonathan Godwin, CPA & Level 5 Graduate
How does the online training work?
The more than 100 tools are divided into levels with introductory conceptual videos in each main section plus tutorials, downloadable documents, spreadsheets, and even presentations which are licensed for use by you. The training can be taken at your own pace with access to the videos available for as long as your subscription is current. These tools are designed to help you gain a new mindset, provide you with a new skillset, and leverage new tools in helping your clients achieve their business goals. At the completion of the training, you are eligible to take the Level 5 Certification Exam to gain certification. (This can be extended to the AIA (Accredited Impactful Advisor) certification for those who are looking to extend the training beyond the course.
Getting Started
Level 1 - Technical Foundation
Level 1 is where every accounting firm lives. It’s the technical foundation that makes up the profession's comfort zone. It’s something accountants are really good at, so naturally, they gravitate towards it.
At the same time, it’s difficult to differentiate services at this level; being good at Level 1 is an assumed competency. Clients expect (and rightly so) that you excel at the preparation and delivery of financial statements, taxes, and audits. However, with proper training in our proven Level 5 methodology, you can add tremendous value even at this level.
Level 2 - Financial Fluency (What if)
Level 2 is about hindsight (understanding what has already happened) AND insight (understanding the implications of those outcomes going forward).
We start with financial fluency: helping clients better understand their businesses from a financial perspective. We then
take that fluency skill and do some “what if” calculations around the most critical ratios in a client's business. With the right mindset, tool set, and skill set, gained from online training in our complete Level 5 Advisor methodology, you can help your clients create the business of their dreams.
Level 3 (3A and 3B) - Discovery
At Level 3 we work with clients from a strategic perspective to understand their vision, and ensure they have a clear plan for executing that vision. Borrowing from Stephen Covey, “beginning with the end in mind” (knowing where your clients want to go in the future), helps you tailor information to support strategically focused decision-making. It’s the difference between managing the business day-to-day and managing toward a desired outcome.
In Level 3, the focus shifts from analyzing the past to planning for the future. This level is divided into two sections: Level 3A is about uncovering opportunities in your client's business while Level 3B is about planning and facilitation.
By investing in Level 5 training (an investment you can recoup with a single client engagement), you will be setting yourself apart from every other accountant in your market.
Case Study
Level 4 - Linking Activities to Outcomes
Level 4 looks at the plans developed at Level 3 and translates the big picture goals into measurable activities called KPIs (key performance indicators). We establish a performance measurement system to monitor the KPIs. Those KPIs are designed to support management decisions.
Equally valuable, from a client perspective we are able to provide the team with strategically relevant feedback about how they are performing. We implement the feedback loop through the use of custom dashboards. At this stage, with the tools and support available from Level 5 training, you will be creating an actionable plan that everyone in your client's company can follow.
Level 5 - Continuous Improvement
Level 5 is about the ongoing review of measures and outcomes to determine if clients are on track to achieve the goals they’ve set for themselves.
As market conditions change or your client's goals and strategies get adjusted, you'll end up helping clients develop new measures or realign the ones they already have in place to provide the decision support needed to run the company more effectively. Thanks to your Level 5 Certified Advisor training, you will at last be able to call yourself a true Trusted Advisor.
Graduation / Certification
* Edi Osborne describes her approach to advisory services (and the basis of the Level 5 Advisory Methodology) in her business fable, “Firm Forward: A Journey From the Land of Compliance to the World of Reliance ” which is available on Amazon.
Take the time to apply these proven principles within your accounting, bookkeeping, and/or tax firm to build the business that is growing and working more efficiently. With your instructor, Roger Knecht - president of Universal Accounting Center, you'll get the insights you need to work ON your business to find and retain new clients, increase your revenue per client, as well as understand the importance of workflow using standard operating procedures to insure profitability.
Learn how the 9 secret principles will help you have the premier accounting firm. This is the secret behind your successful accounting service. It is here you will discover what you need to know about running the premier accounting firm ... allowing you to also get paid what you are worth.
"I came across Universal Accounting Center and the book “In The Black” about 9 years ago when I was starting my own accounting business. I had graduated with an accounting bachelor’s degree the year prior and was excited to get started. I wanted to build a company that offered really good accounting and consulting services so that I could feel good about the quality of work I was providing my clientele as well as to earn a comfortable living doing it. Universal Accounting and In The Black offered me great knowledge and gave me the confidence I needed to succeed on my own. I still refer back to In The Black now 9 years later and use the principles outlined to help clients focus on the things that will really help their business. In The Black is a great foundation for consultations, and I have found it to be a very valuable resource in my practice. I highly recommend Universal Accounting to anyone looking to go out on their own, or to improve what they already have in place.” – Chris Webb, Certus Accounting Solutions, LLC. CEO
Every chapter is filled with principles and concepts that you can use immediately to become more profitable in your business and to enhance your expertise — and wisdom — in business decision-making.
In the Black introduces the concept of the Wisdom Pyramid. It is a way of modeling the assimilation of data into meaningful and predictive business decisions.
You will learn how accounting is the primary source of data and how to use this data to work your way up the Wisdom Pyramid using reports and statistical analysis of your business data.
In the Black introduces a model for increased profitability, the Universal Business Model.
Under the Universal Business Model (UBM), communication between the three basic functions of all business increase profitability.
In the Black explains how each department must communicate with every other department, and how it directly affects profitability.
As you learn to increase communication across the business functions of marketing, production, and accounting, you become more profitable as a natural consequence.
When production knows from the marketing function what products and services that customers want, they know what to produce to make the company more profitable. Likewise, if the accounting function of the company informs marketing that costs have risen for a particular product, marketing now knows to raise the price of the product to maintain profitability.
This is based on the book "Red to BLACK" which is written to help accounting professionals provide value added services to their clients with confidence and competence. The courses helps you lean and apply these principles within your firm to generate more revenue per client as their Profit & Growth Expert.
Within this course you will learn the amazing secret principles to turn around your client's business from Red to BLACK. This is the "how to guide" to the next secret behind your successful accounting firm.
Discover what you need to know about to become more than an accounting to small businesses but a Profit Expert.
This course is taught by Roger Knecht, president of Universal Accounting Center. He will help you work through the three critical turnaround areas, controlling cash flow, reducing expenses and increasing revenue. After completing this course you'll have both the confidence and competence to take this to your clients.
This truly is the accountants guide to quick turnarounds.
Many times, when small business owners need help, they turn their accountant for advice and counsel. "Red to BLACK" is the guidebook for accountants (you) and consultants who work with these business owners. Within the course we'll focus on the the crucial aspects of the turnaround process. Simple steps are outlined from the initial contract through to the stabilization and profitable growth of the client. Three business case studies will be used in the course to help give you experience and confidence in the process.
"Red to BLACK" illustrates an effective way to build your accounting practice, make more money and gain expertise in helping troubled small businesses - making them profitable once and for all. This is the guide to your first turnaround opportunity or to enhance the accounting and management skills even if you are a professional now.
After this course you will:
Do you or any of your clients need help turning a business around - quick?
This economy has devastated many small businesses, and they need help fast— like, yesterday!
Whether you're a struggling business owner or a financial professional, Red to Black in 30 Days will be an invaluable resource for your business, helping you turn failing companies around and achieve true success and profitability. And as a contract accountant, bookkeeper, and/or tax preparer, you'll find this knowledge increases your expertise and appeal exponentially.
Fast Track your Start-up
What you need to do to ensure success:
The four fears that will stop your individual progress and what to do about them
Seven issues every freelancer should consider when starting an accounting service
A step-by-step process of starting right
What equipment you need to make it work
What to put on those business cards
Marketing — It’s More than Advertising
The “Key Three” marketing strategies that everyone should begin with:
Nine additional marketing strategies that will win you clients
Proven marketing letters
Preparing your “30 Second Commercial”
Keep your name in front of your contacts
How to network with the pros
6 — Professional Presentations and Fee Calculations
Make every contact count
The three objectives of every presentation
Getting the client to scream “Yes”
Calculating a fair and honest fee for your services
Getting the money upfront
What to charge for other services
The Ten Tips to Business Success
The intent of this module is to help you start your bookkeeping and accounting business such that you are in business for yourself but not by yourself. In addition to creating your business plan, you’ll work with your assigned business coach to identify and implement effectively proven marketing efforts that we’ve determined to be both effective and inexpensive.
Here’s what you can expect:
You’ll have an assigned Marketing Coach to support & help build a bookkeeping business
Building a Successful Bookkeeping Service: The turnkey process to start & build a successful accounting business. This includes proven marketing strategies, pricing, client interviewing for budgeting & forecasting and much more.
As part of your enrollment and upon completion of the program you’ll have the opportunity to speak with your assigned business coach and have a Marketing Implementation Session. This will be a one-on-one discussion to develop your business plan and a clear marketing strategy to get you the clients you need.
Learn proven strategies to create, launch, and grow your own profitable tax service with expert coaching and real-world insights from Universal Accounting Center.
This training module is designed to give you a head start in creating and running your own tax preparation service. Since 1979, Universal Accounting Center has helped thousands of individuals start and grow successful practices. Each session is crafted with years of industry experience and feedback from seasoned tax professionals, ensuring you're equipped to move faster and further than your competition.
Each session provides practical steps for launching your business and working confidently with clients.
This bonus training is included to help you explore the launch of a tax service in parallel or as a future expansion. Topics include business setup, pricing, and marketing strategies tailored for tax preparers.
Average Completion Time: 10 hours
The Real World from OnFire Reviews & Content on Vimeo.
The Universal Practice Builder™
The ART and SCIENCE of Getting Clients
30 hours
The ART makes it FUN. The SCIENCE makes it CERTAIN. The Comprehensive Universal Practice Builder Course can make you as powerful in MARKETING your accounting, bookkeeping and tax services as you are in PROVIDING them. You will learn how to say the RIGHT thing, in the RIGHT way, at the RIGHT time to the RIGHT person, and how to determine what is RIGHT. gives you the proven marketing strategies, tactics and tools to make your marketing fun, effective, and so much easier. Focusing on low cost and no cost proven marketing strategies, you can multiply and accellerate your marketing success as you learn how to have natural conversations that will attract, convert and retain better paying clients.
Course Contents:
For more information GO HERE!
Here are all the courses that are included in your bundle.
All Courses & Programs, Value Menu, GrowCon
All Courses & Programs, Accounting & Bookkeeping, Tax Planning & Preparation, Free Resources
All Courses & Programs, CFO & Advisory
All Courses & Programs, CFO & Advisory, Value Menu
All Courses & Programs, CFO & Advisory, Value Menu
All Courses & Programs, CFO & Advisory
All Courses & Programs, CFO & Advisory
All Courses & Programs, CFO & Advisory, Value Menu
All Courses & Programs, Business Acceleration (Marketing)
