Discussion:Teaching Community Ed as a Business Builder
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Discussion Forum Index --> Business Growth Community --> Teaching Community Ed as a Business Builder
| July 13, 2007 | |
| I am condidering teaching a community ed class this winter (Feb 2008) aimed at high school students and teaching them how to file their (mostly simple) returns. I thought this might be a good way to get into the community, and tap potential future clients. My practice is strictly individual returns with an emphsis on getting new clients that are young families, new professionals, and new home owners. I work out of my home and am still vry much at the beginning stages.
Has anyone tried something like this, and or taught such a course. Pros and cons? Any new business? Suggestions and ideas welcome. Thanks! | |
| 13 July 2007 | |
| I taught a community college accounting class last fall thinking it would get my name & face in front of the students and fellow instructors. The class was fun, but took far more time than I would have guessed. I can't say it did anything for my business except take up time. Of course you never know who might show up down the road. I did end up answering lots of questions & handing out free advice. Looking back I would not do it again. My experience is dirfferent than you described but I would bet the same results would happen. Have you thought about a seminar type setting or maybe a radio show to share common issues or answer questions called in? It would seem to me that getting your face in front of people who can be your clients now would be a better investment than trying to seed the future. Just my random thoughts -good luck! | |
| 13 July 2007 | |
| I don't see recent high school graduates as my ideal client. I'd rather have a client with a job or retired, a house, and a little money working to complicate the return (Sch B, D, E, etc.). Also, I want a client who is going to be in the community for more than the next 2 years so that I will see a return on my advertising & promotion dollar. A client who comes in only one year is not a client, he is a customer. It is very expensive to get customers, relative to the dollars they generate. The same cost to get a client is spread out over several years of repeat business, making it very inexpensive.
If you are doing this as a community service, however, I think it is commendable. Young people today should learn the responsibilities of society, including filing their taxes. | |
Bottom Line (talk|edits) said: | 16 July 2007 |
| Never seen client vs customer described that way but you're absolutely right. | |
| 24 August 2007 | |
| Anyone have an experience from teaching your current business clients on best practices in bookkeeping? I am thinking of putting on a class this fall with the ulterior motive of them having their books in better shape when it comes to me at tax time next January-February, therefore taking me less time. We are thinking of inviting some payroll taxing authorities (SUTA, Dept of Revenue) to present at the class also.
Any thoughts? | |
| 24 August 2007 | |
| What's in it for them? Why would the client want to come to the class? | |
| 24 August 2007 | |
| Your company can offer a free or paid seminar for your client bookkeepers. You can teach them journal entries, workpaper presentation, record keeping, bank recs, 1099 versus W-2 rules or any other things that wil make you life easier at year end. Creating a good bond with client bookkeepers and your staff is very important for excellent client relations. | |
| 24 August 2007 | |
| yes, but how do you get them to WANT to come to the class? | |
| 24 August 2007 | |
| DZCPA, the clients I have been talking to are definitely interested in learning about this type of stuff. Do we charge or not? | |
| 24 August 2007 | |
| Ask a few clients what a minimal fee would be. They will want to come and learn from you....a professional in the field. Also, ask them all what they would like to learn prior to your seminar. You can use your staff to teach. During the seminar, give them some horror stories on why not using the right accountant/tax preparer could cost them lots of money. You will pick up additional tax work and maybe new business clients as these seminar participant quit and start work at other locations. | |
Bottom Line (talk|edits) said: | 25 August 2007 |
| I do quarterly checks of my clients' bookkeeping. Usually only takes around an hour and I charge them for it. I help them with tax planning since neither one of us wants any big surprises come tax time. This makes my tax season much easier since I'm not calling to ask about transactions that happened the prior January. | |
Www.cpa1.biz (talk|edits) said: | 20 September 2007 |
| I had a Quickbooks Seminar 2 weeks ago and it took about 3 1/2 hours. It was just the fundamentals of bookkeeping using Quickbooks Pro. It was a sucess. The nonprofit organization I did it for charged $35.00 a head and the room was full (around 16 heads). It was hands on as the nonprofit had 16 laptops to use. I will probably do this 4 times a year.
DZ made a good point to invite your clients that do bookkeeping so taxes will be a lot smoother come EOY. We had a great time and we had all ages but most people were small business owners or people working in business nonprofits that for sure will get my future clients. | |
| September 24, 2007 | |
| I have taught the first semester of accounting at our local Community College for the past seven years. The course does take a lot of time to prepare for even now after seven years. As you may know, Community College classes include a lot of adults who are trying to improve themselves as well as normal college-age students who are trying for two or four year degrees.
There are certain benefits of doing this beside the personal satisfaction and sense of accomplishment that I get from the effort. First of all by the end of the course I have a good idea which of the students will make a good bookkeeper. This is valuable when a client asks me to recommend a good bookkeeper for them. Now I have an answer that I can provide and if the student and the client hit it off, then I'm a hero to the client and the student. A second benefit is that I have a certain exposure through the class to business people who are taking the class and if they are impressed with my knowledge of the subject they may think of me when they need more help for their business. Finally, telling prospective clients that I teach the accounting course at the Community College adds a certain extra validity to my resume. It tells the client that my opinion and knowledge is respected in the community. I think teaching is worth the extra time and effort. | |
