One great way to work from home is to start a virtual bookkeeping business. You can do this by learning all the right skills to become a virtual bookkeeper. If you’re good with numbers, organized, and willing to help small businesses then bookkeeping is for you.
This article will walk you through everything you need to know about virtual bookkeeping and how you can make up to $80/hr without any prior experience.
One of the reasons why I put this job at the top of my list is that I found there is a real high demand for virtual bookkeeping. Every business, online or not, need someone to do the books.
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Being good with numbers, organized, and methodical are all great skills to have when wanting to become a virtual bookkeeper and you can easily learn how by taking an online course. Here are more in-depth details on how you can finally start your virtual bookkeeping business even if you are already working a 9-5 job.
Bookkeeping is one of the easiest work-at-home jobs. You just need to like working with numbers (you don’t have to be a number’s nerd, though) to succeed as a virtual bookkeeper. And here’s the best part: you can earn up to $60 an hour as virtual bookkeeping, according to Ben Robinson, an accountant who teaches others how to start a bookkeeping business from home.
What Is Bookkeeping?
Bookkeeping simply means keeping financial records for a business or an individual.
Your job as a bookkeeper is to keep a good record of daily financial transactions (money going in and money going out), and then prepare monthly or quarterly financial reports.
You don’t need an accounting degree or have a CPA to be a successful bookkeeper. In fact, you just need to be organized, pay attention to details, and decent computer skills.
You might already some skills to be a bookkeeper without realizing it. I might stretch it and call myself a “bookkeeper” since I keep a record of money going in and out for my blog.
Here are some of the main tasks that a bookkeeper will provide:
Monitoring income and expense
Conducting follow-ups
Creating and maintaining a budget
Recording Invoice and payment receipts
Maintaining petty cash
Admin tasks
How Much Does A Bookkeeper Make?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports, a bookkeeper’s average annual salary is $40,000 per year. However, Ben Robinson over at Bookkeeper Business Launch pointed out that as a freelancer or contractor, you can actually earn a higher hourly rate while working fewer hours. Ben has trained over 4,000 students and some of them earn up to $125/hour! But on average, they earn $60 – $80 an hour.
Why Have To Learn How To Become A Bookkeeper
Bookkeeping is a fantastic job, and it doesn’t even require a specific degree or training. Great bookkeepers are meticulous and detail-oriented and are passionate about their clients’ businesses. Yes, you will work with numbers, data, and processing them in a system a lot. Still, you can learn how to become a bookkeeper with no experience and be good at it. And the best part about scoring online bookkeeping jobs? Calling yourself your own boss and running your business as you see fit.
How To Become A Successful Bookkeeper?
So, you don’t have any previous bookkeeping experience, you did not graduate with a degree in accounting, but you have the extreme desire to learn how to become a bookkeeper. Where do you start? Fortunately, there are comprehensive training and free bookkeeping courses that you can take to help you become a bookkeeper and, later on, establish your own bookkeeping business. One of the best places to obtain bookkeeping training online is from the Bookkeeper Business Launch, created by Ben Robinson. Ben is an accountant himself, but he’s been training thousands of people to become bookkeepers over the last 17 years. Ben later on crafted a training course that would help people become high-quality bookkeepers, commanding as much as $60 an hour from their clients.
So, the Bookkeeper Business Launch is all about harnessing your potentials, skills, and qualities to become an excellent, high-quality bookkeeper in the 21st century. It covers a step-by-step guide on how to bootstrap your own bookkeeping business. The training is divided into four sections, starting with the definition of the roles of a bookkeeper in the 21st century, the right to obtaining clients by giving them tons of value in their lives and businesses. The trainees also get full access to Ben’s Resource Library, which includes workbooks, templates, quizzes and tests, study hacks, and more. Once you’re done with the entire training, you’ll also be awarded an online bookkeeping certification, which is a great credential to show to your clients. The training course is so comprehensive that it even offers email support as well as weekly live Q&A sessions to students who hit a wall. Students are also encouraged to join their Facebook community to gain more support, wisdom, and motivation.
While the cost of this entire bookkeeping training online is the best and the only, it pays itself over time as you gain more clients and earn more from your bookkeeping business.
If you have experience in money related jobs then that puts you at an advantage to becoming a successful bookkeeper. However, if you do not have any experience, you can always learn bookkeeping from your local college or if you need more flexibility you can learn bookkeeping online.
Through an online bookkeeping course, you can acquire the necessary skills on a user-friendly platform with the added benefit of working at your own pace. One of the best online bookkeeping programs out there is from Bookkeepers.com. You can have a sneak peek at the syllabus and try out the FREE TASTER course right here.
Taking the bookkeeping course is a huge financial commitment and although you will make your money back once you sign on some great clients it takes dedication why the FREE taster course is offered.
Where To Find Bookkeeping Jobs?
Online bookkeeping jobs can be a savvy way to earn money from home. If you feel ready to work as a virtual bookkeeper and gain more experience, you can consider looking at the following sites for job opportunities: ACCOUNTINGDEPARTMENT.COM Established in 2007, AccountingDepartment.com was previously called Balance Your Books, and it’s one of the top sites that have a constant need for home-based bookkeepers. You will work with a schedule, and you’ll have access to paid holidays, insurances, and even a 401k retirement plan. BELAY SOLUTIONS Belay is not a bookkeeping agency or company, but a VA company that has regular demand for efficient bookkeepers. As a bookkeeper with Belay, your primary roles involve managing payroll, balance sheets, reconciling bank accounts, and more. You need to have an excellent work station at home and the latest version of Quickbooks.
TwoRoads hire remote bookkeepers all the time. However, you need to maintain a 9-5 working schedule without fail. The company places a heavy emphasis on bookkeepers that they don’t need to micromanage, so if you’re a self-starter and an eager learner, then TwoRoads is an excellent option for you.
CLICK ACCOUNTS As a business process outsourcer (BPO), Click Accounts specializes in providing bookkeeping and accounting services to their clients. Their bookkeeping tasks revolve around reconciling bank accounts and processing bills.
BATEMAN & CO. The company is headquartered in Texas, so if you live there, you’ll have an advantage. If not, you can still apply for their bookkeeping online job opportunities. Bateman & Co’s bookkeepers have the option to work either full-time or part-time. CLICK N WORK Click N Work is a site that connects your freelancer profile to clients. But unlike most online bookkeeping jobs discussed in the list, Click N Work often deals with statistics, market reviews, and economics papers. The payment system is also different from other bookkeeping service providers, so make sure to discuss this with the client first before starting work.
FLEXJOBS Flexjobs regularly lists bookkeeping gigs from reliable companies. You need to pay a monthly subscription of $15 to gain access to the listings, but they also offer a money-back guarantee if you’re not very happy with the leads. Flexjobs sort out the best bookkeeping opportunities from the most reputable companies, so they’re less likely to be flooded with scams. UPWORK Upwork is a popular online job board for all sorts of professionals and freelancers, and they regularly have bookkeeping opportunities. You can place your bid on any suitable online bookkeeping jobs you see. If the client likes it, he will invite you for an interview and ultimately draw up a contract between you two. You’ll also have the opportunity to work with individuals and companies from around the world via Upwork. LINKEDIN LinkedIn is social media for professionals, and it is an excellent venue to attract clients needing bookkeeping services. You can directly reach out to your network to inquire about bookkeeping job vacancies. If you craft your profile right, clients may even come to you with job offers at hand. Make sure to highlight your online bookkeeping services in your profile and network with the right people to further expand your market.
STARTING YOUR OWN BOOKKEEPING BUSINESS
How To Become A Bookkeeper
If working for a company does not appeal to you, and you want to create unlimited income potential, you should consider putting up your own online bookkeeping business. You can be your own company. With your menu of online bookkeeping services, you get to choose whom you want to work with when you want to work, and even where you work. A 9-5 schedule does not bind you, and you can take as many clients as you can possibly manage. If this seems like the best route for you, here’s a step-by-step guide of running your own virtual bookkeeping business and how to get bookkeeping clients online.
1. REGISTER YOUR BUSINESS
Got a name for your business? Great. Now, you have to make sure it operates legally to avoid any problems down the road. Registering your business is the first step you need to take to ensure that you protect yourself and your practice, especially because you’ll be dealing with your clients’ finances.
2. ROUNDUP YOUR TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
As an online bookkeeper, you need to have a computer and a reliable internet connection, at the very least. You also need to have a bookkeeping software, such as Xero and Quickbooks. Some clients may require you to use specific software, so familiarizing yourself will definitely be more helpful in casting a wider net into the market.
3. CREATE A BUSINESS WEBSITE
Your website will represent your online bookkeeping business to the world, so make sure you have a nice and professional-looking one. If you don’t have the financial resources just yet for a custom-built website, consider getting one from WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace.
You must design your website in such a way that it attracts the attention of clients right away. Optimizing it for search engines is a fantastic idea too. As for the contents, make sure to have a page for your bookkeeping services, some background of who you are, and your credentials, as well as your contact information.
4. NAIL DOWN YOUR TARGET MARKET
As Ben Robinson often says, be selective with your clients. You can focus on one or two niches to start with, but make sure that these are the industries that you love working with. Since you’re in the business of virtual bookkeeping, also make it clear to your clients that your work from home (or from anywhere), and it defeats the purpose if you need to go to their office and do your work there. At the very least, consider a market or the type of clients that you’ll enjoy working with, so that work doesn’t feel like work, and you’ll bring more value to your clients.
5. DETERMINE YOUR RATES
Perhaps the most challenging part of putting up your own virtual bookkeeping business deciding on your rates. You don’t want to overcharge potential clients and drive them away. You also don’t want to be underpaid and work yourself out when you could be earning more. To get a feel of how much you should charge, look at the average rates of both salaried and virtual bookkeepers, and keep your rates close to that number. You want to be as competitive, but you also don’t want to sell yourself short. Over time, you’ll have gained more experience and networks, and you may then increase your rate incrementally.
6. PROACTIVELY MARKET YOUR ONLINE BOOKKEEPING SERVICES
To increase your number of clients (and earn more in the process), you need to be creative with your marketing strategy. Sometimes it’s not enough to mention that you’re offering bookkeeping services online to your friends and neighbors. Fortunately, it isn’t so hard to start marketing your online bookkeeping services. You can start with social media, joining Facebook groups, and blogging. You can take it further by calling up companies and offer your services, or guest blog on others’ sites to increase your brand’s exposure. Also, consider email marketing, public speaking, and participating in forums. The more visible you are, the more it is likely for clients to find you.
7. NEVER STOP LEARNING
No matter how great you already are at the work that you do, the learning never stops. Grab every chance you get to grow your business by staying competitive. You can attend conferences and networking events to find more potential clients. Stay up to date with the trends by reading, joining webinars, and getting advanced training. All of these are investments for your business, and they’ll also help your professional development as well.
Are You Ready To Learn How To Become A Bookkeeper
You’re fortunate to have so many resources and support, from in-depth bookkeeping training to free online bookkeeping courses, to jumpstart your career as a virtual bookkeeper. If you feel like offering online bookkeeping services is something that you’re good at, then there’s no reason why you should ever doubt yourself. The first investment you need to make to be successful is faith in yourself, and everything else will follow, even if you have zero bookkeeping experience. It does not require too much capital investment if you already have the required skills to become a bookkeeper. What you do need is patience and the right amount of dedication to giving yourself time to learn how to start a virtual bookkeeping business from home.
Ready to start a career by becoming a bookkeeper? Check out the free bookkeeping course here
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