Intuit® Inc. (NASDAQ: INTU) today announced that it has launched a certification program for QuickBooks® Professional Advisors. Upon completion of specialized training in QuickBooks, accountants and consultants will able to identify themselves as a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor. QuickBooks small business customers will then be able to locate Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors online and benefit from their expertise.
Launched in January 1997, the ProAdvisor program originated as a way for accounting professionals and computer consultants to sharpen their QuickBooks expertise and have the information, tools and support they need to help their clients who use QuickBooks. More than 80 percent of the 2.5 million QuickBooks users rely on accountants for their professional expertise, helping to make the QuickBooks Professional Advisor Program the largest accountant support program in the software industry, with over 22,000 members.
Now Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors will be given additional increased opportunities for visibility and business growth. To become a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, professionals will need to complete four interactive self-study CD-ROM courses, totaling 16 CPE (Continuing Professional Education) credits, with completion tests taken online. Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors will also be required to complete an annual update course on the latest version of QuickBooks. Further elective courses on specialized QuickBooks topics will be developed.
"This new program benefits both accountants, who are increasingly technology-oriented in their practices, and our small business customers, who rely on the expertise of accountants to guide them in their use of QuickBooks and to increase their profitability," said Rich Walker, director of professional accountant marketing at Intuit.
Additional Benefits for Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors
The QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program aims to help accountants and computer consultants sharpen their competitive edge by providing them with specialized tools to help them grow their client base of QuickBooks users. In addition to the benefits of the basic-level QuickBooks Professional Advisor Program, certified members will receive valuable benefits including a QuickBooks Pro 5-pack, a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor logo, payroll Tax Table Service, and advertisements in small business magazines promoting Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors. Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors also benefit from a special listing in the QuickBooks ProAdvisor referral database, which is available to all QuickBooks customers through www.quickbooks.com and directly from links within the QuickBooks software.
Easy for Professionals to Apply
Existing QuickBooks Professional Advisors can become certified by completing the four CD-ROM courses: Installation and User Set-up (4 CPE), Tools to Optimize Client Support (4 CPE), Payroll (4 CPE), Job Costing, Purchase Orders and Industry-Specific Issues (4 CPE). The annual certification fee is currently *$580 for non-ProAdvisors, which includes their membership in the ProAdvisor program and the certification courses, or *$330 for existing Professional Advisors. *Professionals that sign up for the program prior to December 15th, 1999 will receive $50 off for the four-course set.
Accountants may find out more about the QuickBooks Professional Advisors program by calling the QuickBooks Professional Advisor Hotline at (888) 333-3451or by going to www.quickbooks.com and clicking on the Professional Advisor link in the Partners section. The certification courses are available directly from Intuit (www.intuitmarket.com or 1-888-333-3451).
