Are you looking for a new career? Are you good with numbers? Would you like to work from home? Well, you are in the correct place today!
Bookkeeping. It may not sound glamourous. You can make good money doing it though. You can get up to $70 an hour. Depending on your clientele you can scale it to even more!
How do you get started? Well, let’s dive into the details.
Why Should I Become One?
There are so many types of businesses out there that need Bookkeepers. They may be good at what their craft is, but may be terrible with numbers. They may not have time to do their books as well.
This is where you come into play. You are saving them time and stress. In return, you are going to get paid for your help. Doesn’t sound too bad, does it?
How to Get Started
The first step is making sure you have the proper training and education. You may already have had the experience. If you have experience in retail, restaurant, or grocery store management then you may have the basics.
If you don’t have any experience with any of this then you will need some education. You can take some online college courses for the basics. This will take time and could cost you a lot of money.
There are some free courses out there as well.
I recommend Bookkeepers.com. This is a great program. It is like a college course. You get all the information you will need to get started. This course will cover all the basics of accounting.
Bookkeepers.com will cover subjects on the business side. It will cover how to help business owners achieve their financial goals. How to market yourself to clients. It will also cover how to the systems and processes on how to run and keep your bookkeeping in compliance. It is a good investment of your time.
The best part about all of these courses is you can learn at your own pace. Make sure you take your time. You will need to make sure you know all the in’s and out’s before you start. Remember, the more knowledgeable you are, the more likely you will get hired.
Certification
Honestly, there are no necessary certifications needed. This may vary depending on where you live. That’s the great part about software like Bookkeepers.com.
Most of these paid programs actually have certification programs. Think of it as a Microsoft training course. You take the course and take a test. After, you get a certification. This way you can show you are proficient and backup your knowledge and skills.
A great course to take, to help you out, is Quickbooks. Getting a pro-advisor certification is a great certification to have. It shows you are proficient in using their software. This is a tool you will be using for sure.
Get Clients
Time has passed. You should be full of knowledge and have some certifications under your belt. Now it is time to get some clients. If you are asking how, I have some methods for you.
If you look through local Facebook groups, you can find networking meet-ups in your area. These are where you can go meet up with local business owners and rub some elbows. If you want to look more professional, I suggest you have some business cards on hand.
When you are mingling, you will be asked what you do. Once they know what you do, they may ask for your card because they need help. All you have to do here is be social. They will come to you, if and when they need your services.
You may hook a fish, you may not. Keep going to these events. It’s a great time to get your name out there. They may not need you. They may know someone who may need you. Keep your name out there. Be the person they think of when the subject pops up.
Another way to get clients through match-up services. Para.io is a great service for this. They act as a matchmaking service and will pair you up with a small business that needs your help.
Once you have been accepted you will be given some tests. I read it can take up to 5 hours to complete them all. After you pass these tests, you are in. The sales team will work with you to find the perfect match and introduce you. It’s a sweet deal.
There are other services like Quickbooks Live. These are less involved to get started, but you can find clients as well. It might take a little longer. You can land a client eventually.
Website
You have business cards, you should build a website also. A website is handy to have. Not only does it look good from a professional standpoint, but people can also find you on the internet through a search.
I suggest wordpress.com. You can set up a website easily. You do not have to make an elaborate page. They have plenty of templates you can use,
This is a good place to tell people about you and your services. You can showcase your accolades. This is a good place to have people contact you for services also. Websites are a valuable resource to have. With proper SEO, you can also have your page boosted to the top page of google. The more eyes on it, the better chances you have of getting clients.
How Much You Can Earn
This varies. It depends on the client. Are they going to need a lot of help? Are they going to only need up once a month? How many clients do you have? These are the questions you need to factor in when deciding your price.
You can do $20 an hour. Some clients may be a higher profile. You can charge up to $70 an hour. This depends on what they need or want. You can use your judgment here.
There is also going the route of charging a monthly fee. This may seem like more of a bargain. They save money and can get as much access to you as they need. You can do that to make sure you are at an average of $70 an hour.
So there you have it. That’s how you become a bookkeeper and make $70 an hour. Like anything, it will take some work and some time. It is doable though. If this seems like a good fit for you, get started now. ‘Till next time!
