I am thinking of investing in the ProAdvisor Certification. I have some experience with Quickbooks but not much. Does the certification include hands-on training or is it just watching a DVD? Bought the Quickbooks Quick Start DVD and I was truly disappointed with the lack of hands on training.
Also, is the fee of $549 a one time fee or can you pay it in installments?
Lastly, has anybody taken a bookkeeping certification course? If so, which one is the best one to take?
The training you get is all on the computer. There are webinars to watch and pdf's to read. As for the fee, it is an annual expense. For new proadvisors, it is $549. I think I paid something like $850 (included payroll). You can use a charge card and pay it over time, but they do not offer a payment plan with it.
You do get a lot for the $, however. You get all of the software, including the pricey enterprise solutions product, Mac, Premier. This alone is more than the cost of the program. You will also be listed on their search engine. Depending on where you live, this can be a great source of clients. There are a lot of other benefits that I am sure I am not listing. One of the most valuable is the support plan you get. Tech support with someone in Arizona or California. They are the best people to help you with any issues a client has that you cannot fix or need guidance. The support is top notch.
I'm pretty sure if you ask them, they can set up 2 payments for the ProAdvisor Program.
As for bookeeper certificatons, check out the Certified Bookkeeper from www.aipb.org -- well know, established and affordable.
