Do you want to learn how to become a bookkeeper?
Today, I have an interesting interview with Ben of Bookkeepers.com. In this interview, you will find out how to work from home as a bookkeeper.
This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to start a work-at-home or online career, and the best part is you don’t need any experience to start this hustle.
How to become a bookkeeper
Can you tell us about your background?
I am a Certified Public Accountant and a published author. For sixteen years, I was in public accounting, and my main job was helping businesses to start, grow, and excel at their trades.
I owned my own firm for fourteen of those sixteen years. During that time, my clients demanded that I go out there and find them great bookkeepers. This turned out to be a lot more difficult than you would imagine.
Sure, the regular, ordinary bookkeepers were a dime a dozen, but finding the truly great ones was like finding a needle in a haystack. And even if I did find one, they were usually so loaded up with work that they could not take on any more.
So I decided I was going to start a school, if you will, within my firm, to start training people to become great bookkeepers. I had to develop a corps of bookkeepers.
A few years later, I came to the realization, “If I was able to do this internally, I could help other people start their own bookkeeping business.” I have been doing that ever since.
What does a bookkeeper do? Can you tell us in detail?
Bookkeeping is first a relationship business. And the bookkeeper is the person who nurtures the financial relationship between herself and business owners.
I like to distinguish the great bookkeepers from the average bookkeepers. To me, the difference between ordinary bookkeepers and great bookkeepers is that great bookkeepers are proactive and ordinary bookkeepers are reactive.
Of course, a bookkeeper is the one who gathers and records the financial information for a business. But a great bookkeeper does so much more.
I believe a great bookkeeper has three major roles. They are first a reporter, gathering all of the financial information for the business.
Next, a bookkeeper should be an interpreter. This is where they figure out what a business owner knows and translate the numbers into a language they can easily understand. This is crucial to the relationship.
Finally, a great bookkeeper acts as a guide, keeping clients from making bad financial decisions and steering them toward good things. This is their role as a financial advisor.
A great bookkeeper will always be looking for ways to help a business grow financially. They are interested in being an asset, adding to the success of a business.
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Do you need to be an accountant to be a bookkeeper? Do you need any training for this?
The short answer is no.
Bookkeeping and accounting are both essential business functions required for all businesses. Both bookkeepers and accountants work with financial data.
In order to be a bookkeeper, you must have basic accounting knowledge. The job of a bookkeeper is to assist business owners with the recording and explanations of financial transactions on a regular basis.
Bookkeeping occurs before accounting, but both functions sometimes overlap. It is key for a company’s bookkeeper and accountant to work together to serve it best.
An accountant will take the information provided by the bookkeeper, check for accuracy, and determine the overall financial health of a business.
And no, you do not need training prior to my courses. You will learn everything you need to know in order to become a great bookkeeper.
Where do you get clients for bookkeeping?
Quite often, clients are obtained by referral. However, there is no need for concern if this is not an option for you.
I have a marketing expert who teaches an Advanced Marketing Series. It is all about how you differentiate yourself from your competition. It focuses on what is called your unique selling proposition (USP). This answers the question: “Why should I choose to do business with you versus all other bookkeepers?”
I also cover how to use sites such as LinkedIn and more to engage prospective clients and referral partners.
How much do bookkeepers make?
Well, honestly…this depends on the budget you set for yourself. This is determined by the amount of money you want to make and the number of clients you want to serve.
For example, the average bookkeeping client’s monthly revenue is about $300. (Sometimes more, sometimes less depending on the type of client)
So, you are in control of your own earning potential. You can work on a part-time basis if that meets your financial needs. Or you can work full-time where your earnings are truly dependent upon how many clients you help.
Can you please tell us about your bookkeeping course?
I teach you all of the bookkeeping skills needed to become a great bookkeeper. This covers everything including how to set up your business, how to market your business, and how to grow your business.
So it is a complete package. I assume that you know nothing about bookkeeping. We start from that premise and teach you about the Xs and Os and how to run your bookkeeping business.
The course is set up to be completed in ten weeks. However, some people take less time and some take more…depending on circumstances.
What tips do you have for someone who wants to start a bookkeeping business?
What I like to tell everyone up front is, “A bookkeeping business is not for everyone.” And that’s okay.
You cannot be afraid of hard work and should not be looking for a get-rich-quick scheme. However, if you put in the effort and focus on the big picture, you will reap the benefits.
I emphasize that bookkeeping is a respectable profession. Anyone wanting to be a bookkeeper should understand that and be proud of their choice.
Lastly, don’t let education, experience or anything like that get in your way. Don’t be afraid of math. You do need to be good with numbers, but not a genius.
Some of the testimonials from the students of this course are available through the following links:
I thank Ben for giving us such a great insight into bookkeeping and sharing the details about this awesome course.
This course could be your answer to know how to become a bookkeeper:
A dedicated and comprehensive course from a certified accountant, this course will not steer you wrong if you are interested in bookkeeping.
Bookkeeping is an excellent online work option, and the biggest plus is you don’t need to be an accountant or have any prior experience to start this hustle.
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