Kickstart Your Journey with CEA Level 1: Foundations

Master the essentials of entrepreneurship, business planning, and more to elevate your business acumen.

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

Our classes have started.

Kickstart Your Journey with CEA Level 1: Foundations

Master the essentials of entrepreneurship, business planning, and more to elevate your business acumen.

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

Our classes have started.

About Level 1: Foundations

Dive deep into the fundamentals of small business management with our comprehensive CEA Level 1 certification. This course is designed to lay a strong foundation in entrepreneurship, business planning, basic accounting, and essential marketing and sales techniques. Equip yourself with the skills needed to start and grow your business effectively.

What You'll Learn

Entrepreneurship:

Unlock your potential as an entrepreneur. Learn what makes an entrepreneur tick, debunk myths, and explore different views of entrepreneurship.

Business Planning:

From drafting your first business plan to understanding funding sources, set the stage for business success.

Accounting Basics:

Get to grips with financial statements and accounting principles. Understand the importance of debits, credits, and financial reporting.

Marketing & Sales Fundamentals:

Discover the marketing mix and how to approach both inbound and outbound marketing strategies effectively.

CEA Certification Program - Level 1

Meet Your Instructors

Learn from seasoned business leaders and educators who bring real-world experience and teaching excellence to the classroom. Our instructors are dedicated to helping you succeed and are easily accessible for guidance and support.

Karl Heintz

Carl Heintz

CPA and CEA

Carl Heintz is CPA in Leawood. Kansas. In addition to his CPA practice, Carl is also a Certified Entrepreneurial Advisor. Since 2002 he's been a nationally recognized speaker and author for Thomson Reuter's Gear Up seminars. He has also been an instructor in taxation, accounting, and data processing at UCLA, USC, and several community colleges.


He is the author of dozens of published articles and three books, as well as serving on the editorial board for numerous tax, accounting, and technology publications. He was the producer and presenter for National Public Radio's “Tax Tips” series. As a Quora contributor, he is the most viewed in Taxes in the United States of America.


He began his career at Ernst & Young where he served on the firm's regional management advisory services committee and co-authored the firm's first internal operational auditing manual. Later, he served as a partner in several local CPA firms and has started and grown multiple CPA firms.



Carl earned his undergraduate degree in business Magna Cum Laude from the University of Southern California and obtained his MBA degree from the USC's Marshall School of Business. 

Our Instructors Appear On

A logo for thomson reuters is shown on a white background
A logo for Udemy
A logo for cpaacademy.org

Our Instructors Appear On

Thomson Reuters logo
Udemy logo
Sequoia CPE logo
CPA Academy logo
Illumeo logo
Becker logo
CEA Certification Program - Level 1

Enrollment Information

Enroll today to secure your spot in our upcoming session. Take the first step towards mastering the business fundamentals with CEA Level 1.

Start Date: 7/6/2024

Duration: 4 months - finish in as little as 30 days during our free trial
Format: Online, self-paced
Fee: $39/month for unlimited access to this and all other courses

ENROLL NOW

Hear From Our Alumni

Don’t just take our word for it—hear from our successful alumni who have transformed their careers with our Level 1 certification.

A row of yellow stars on a white background.
Lisa

Lisa

Enrolled Agent

"I have learned so much in the past week from taking your courses and am working towards a better career in a field that I love!"

A row of yellow stars on a white background.
Brian Lint

Brian Lint

CPA

"If you're looking for an MBA-level resource of practical knowledge to all aspects of business, you've found the right place."

A row of yellow stars on a white background.
Keith Singleton

Keith Singleton

CPA, JD

"Their expertise in commercial banking, specifically in originating and underwriting middle market credit transactions, along with the skill in managing client relationships, greatly impressed me. Their background speaks volumes, and I highly recommend!"

Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions? Find answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about our CEA Level 1 certification.

  • What is the CEA Program?

    The CEA Program is a project designed to address the needs of advisors to small businesses. It aims to equip professionals with a comprehensive understanding of twelve areas of management expertise, relevant to small businesses. The program involves web-based continuing education, toolsets, resources, and a forum for advisors. It leads to a new certification, the Certified Entrepreneurial Advisor (CEA), designed to help members grow their advisory services, (CPA, CFP, and EA) while being essential partners to their entrepreneurial clients. With their new CEA designation, members will have a powerful marketing tool and resources to attract and better assist a growing entrepreneurial client base.

  • How many CE credits do I get? (coming soon)

    The program consists of 96 courses, which means a substantial number of CE credits can be earned (coming soon). Each course offers a different number of CE credits based on the number of chapters and hours. See the course description you’re taking for the exact number of CE credits (coming soon).

  • How do I report my CE credits? (coming soon)

    Typically, you as a professional CPA, EA, or CFP would report your CE credits (coming soon) to your respective licensing or certification bodies according to the rules and procedures of those organizations.

  • Can I showcase my Progress on my LinkedIn?

    Yes, upon completion of courses within the CEA program, participants receive micro-accreditation badges that are shareable on LinkedIn. We’ll provide a link to automatically add your course certificate to your course completion email upon completing each individual course within the program!

  • Are there any other fees?

    The business plan mentions a subscription model for the CEA program. The cost is $479 per year after a 30-day free trial for unlimited access to the program. There is also a premium, team, and enterprise addition coming soon. After becoming a CEA, there is an ongoing $10 per month licensing fee which will increase to $49 per month and include marketing tools, an online community, and access to the latest updated courses.

  • What's included in my CA membership?

    The CEA membership includes access to the full range of courses leading to CEA certification, administrative support for the program, continued access to educational resources, and participation in a community of advisors with forums and masterclasses. The membership also ensures that professionals meet their ongoing CE requirements.

  • Why should I be interested in the CEA program?

    If you’re an advisor to small businesses, you can benefit from the CEA program. We’re ideal for accountants, business lawyers, insurance agents, financial planners, business consultants, IT consultants and more.

  • What kind of knowledge background do I need to have to be in the CEA Program?

    If you’re an advisor to small businesses, you can benefit from the CEA program. We’re ideal for accountants, business lawyers, insurance agents, financial planners, business consultants, IT consultants and more.

  • What’s the real value of the CEA certification?

    Having a comprehensive knowledge of virtually every aspect of managing a small business gives you a tremendous competitive advantage in your specialty. Whether you are an accountant, lawyer, financial planner, or consultant, you’ll get knowledge and tools that will help you be a hero to your clients in unexpected ways. Know more = added value = make more money.

  • Does the program qualify for Continuing Education in my profession?

    Simple answer: yes.

  • Am I tied to a contract?

    Absolutely not. You can cancel your account at any time.

  • How often do you release new content?

    We’re constantly adding and updating our comprehensive video library. Nowhere else you can find the equivalent of a specialized small business management MBA in such an easily digestible format.

***