September brings many things to mind, doesn’t it? Yellow school buses signaling the start of school, cooler weather, trees beginning to show their fall colors, and shorter days.
I was a nerd growing up (okay in some ways, I still am) and always loved the start of a new school year. I couldn’t wait to see what classes I had, which teachers and who I knew in those classes and at lunch break. Some people hated school and all it entailed. I enjoyed it. I didn’t enjoy the drama of the popular group or jock group, etc. I did enjoy learning – and I still do.
Continuing Education
As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Continuing Professional Education (CPE) is required to maintain my certification and provide quality services. The specific requirements vary by state and in Pennsylvania, CPA’s are generally required to have 80 credit hours of CPE every 2 years.
I love getting to choose from the varied topics knowing that I MUST take a minimum of 16 credit hours in accounting courses, 8 hours in tax and 4 hours in ethics. The challenge for me as an adult is choosing the format (online or in person), location if in person, and the excitement of wondering if I will know any fellow CPA’s in the class is still there. Having the CPE requirement ensures that I am keeping up to date with changes in the accounting arena, and tax law and that I’m focused on ethics as well.
Being a Teacher/Trainer Also!
I was also lucky enough to have the opportunity to provide training earlier this month to a non-profit company as part of the community based program at a local university. The training was very detailed about accounting and the participants were not financially inclined. To prepare for the teaching, I used resources such as a non-profit accounting text book and work experience with non-profit clients that I’ve completed. I was able to provide real life examples to the mostly social worker participants.
Even if you don’t have the same type of requirement in your profession, being a lifelong learner is absolutely necessary as a business owner. After all, when we learn, we grow. If you’re not learning something new each and every day – about your market, your competitors, new processes, new technology and the world at large – it’s all too easy to become stagnant, allowing the competition to pass you by.
Make it a point to regularly read industry-specific periodicals and attend conferences that discuss the latest advances and changes in your field. You might also look into programs like Coursera, a university-based online program that offers classes in partnership with prestigious universities such as Stanford, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, Yale, Princeton and Penn State, just to name a few. The topics are amazing, ranging from the arts and humanities to business to computer science to political science to the physical sciences. The cost for the classes is free or a minimal fee and the professors are some of the best in the country. They can help to keep you current in your industry and with the latest technology.
My Latest Adventure
I’m about to embark on another CRAZY adventure!! RAPPELLING down One Logan Square (a 31-story building) in Philadelphia on Friday, October 23rd through Rotary Club.
I’m raising money for the Philadelphia Outward Bound School (POBS) so that deserving students have the opportunity to participate in life-changing Outward Bound Courses. POBS provides outdoor, experiential education programming that develops future leaders with a focus on compassion, service and the environment. Click here to read more. Click here to donate.
