About Erika |
I started training when computers first came out! My first opportunity to get into training was when I got a job working with Melitta Canada on large A/S 36 IBM computer (before PC's became popular) training and setting up Word Processing systems. After I had completed that project and trained all the staff, I got bored and was able to get a job with an IBM agent called Cantoc Business Systems where I learned their Business Modeling financial modeling program. I was the sole trainer on that working with some very large cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies. It was a lot of fun as we worked on year-long projects integrating their accounting system with the reporting system. I was also doing a lot of training and integration with a CRM program called Maximizer.
Then we started a family and I didn't want to do all that travelling and long hours. After I returned to work from my maternity leave, my training job was not available so I decided to subcontract instead of work full-time. This was a great situation for a few years.
Since PC's were just becoming mainstream, I got my own PC and decided that training on them would be a good next career path. I found The Computer Trainers' Network and my new path go started. I was heavily involved for a number of years and still have friends that I work with who I met there. It was the right time to be this industry because everyone needed training. I spent about 5 years doing classroom training on WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Windows. I love doing classroom training!
When the need for computer training started dying down, I got into the financial accounting field. Actually, my husband Larry and I bought a Zippy Print franchise and I had to learn about bookkeeping. I knew nothing and it wasn't computerized so I did the best I could, but it ended up being a mess. We got out of the business after about a year and I had to deal with these books. I got a copy of Bedford Accounting and learned it from the manual. I told my accountant that I was going to put all my books on it and get everything straightened out. He was interested in my progress because he was thinking about computerizing. When I showed him what I had done, he asked me if I could do the same thing for some of his clients. Well, for the next three years, he handed me shoeboxes of receipts, taught me a lot about accounting and bookkeeping and I set up a lot of his clients on computerized accounting.
When QuickBooks became popular, I started working on it and loved it. It has evolved so much over the years. I can "make it sing" since I've worked on setting up and cleaning up so many sets of books in so different industries. Every company has its own individual processes and reporting needs. I have had a lot of fun making QuickBooks a Management tool, not just an Accounting system.
Then we started a family and I didn't want to do all that travelling and long hours. After I returned to work from my maternity leave, my training job was not available so I decided to subcontract instead of work full-time. This was a great situation for a few years.
Since PC's were just becoming mainstream, I got my own PC and decided that training on them would be a good next career path. I found The Computer Trainers' Network and my new path go started. I was heavily involved for a number of years and still have friends that I work with who I met there. It was the right time to be this industry because everyone needed training. I spent about 5 years doing classroom training on WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Windows. I love doing classroom training!
When the need for computer training started dying down, I got into the financial accounting field. Actually, my husband Larry and I bought a Zippy Print franchise and I had to learn about bookkeeping. I knew nothing and it wasn't computerized so I did the best I could, but it ended up being a mess. We got out of the business after about a year and I had to deal with these books. I got a copy of Bedford Accounting and learned it from the manual. I told my accountant that I was going to put all my books on it and get everything straightened out. He was interested in my progress because he was thinking about computerizing. When I showed him what I had done, he asked me if I could do the same thing for some of his clients. Well, for the next three years, he handed me shoeboxes of receipts, taught me a lot about accounting and bookkeeping and I set up a lot of his clients on computerized accounting.
When QuickBooks became popular, I started working on it and loved it. It has evolved so much over the years. I can "make it sing" since I've worked on setting up and cleaning up so many sets of books in so different industries. Every company has its own individual processes and reporting needs. I have had a lot of fun making QuickBooks a Management tool, not just an Accounting system.
