Does earning $60 an hour sound good to you? How about working in a fulfilling job from the comfort of your own home? Well then, read more to learn how it’s done.
Become a virtual bookkeeper. How, you ask? We are about to tell you everything there is to know.
For moms who can’t spend the day in an office or fresh out of college millennials, this is the perfect way to earn money from home, all while helping and supporting start-up businesses!
Ben Robinson is a certified public accountant and business owner who teaches people to become virtual bookkeepers. Yes, this is something you can do from home, and no, you don’t have to have a CPA to be successful in this business. All you need are decent computer skills and a passion for helping entrepreneurs tackle real-world problems.
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Bookkeepers deficit
Robinson’s 15-year experience as a CPA led him to notice a shortage of good bookkeepers. Also, the few he managed to find have been fully swamped with work. This is primarily so because business owners struggle with maintaining their bookkeeping records accurate and updated on their own.
Soon afterward, Robinson developed a training method for aspiring bookkeepers, designed to create a win-win situation for both work-at-home job seekers and business owners.
One of the greatest advantages of this job is that all businesses are obligated to maintain bookkeeping records. As such, there is always a demand for the job, especially with the rapid pace at which the world is becoming more globalized and web-oriented.
Also, keep in mind that as a virtual bookkeeper, you are actually a business owner. The freedom to choose where, when, and whom you work with is an incredible privilege that makes the work a whole lot more flexible and enjoyable. Imagine working only with people you appreciate, on your own deadlines, making it in time to pick up the kids from school! Doesn’t that sound fantastic?
Besides, the pay is great, and as long as the business owners you work with value the service you provide, they will be happy to pay your a high salary because this will also provide them with skill security—someone to count on—and help their businesses.
A misconception demystified
There is a common misconception that you have to have a CPA to be a bookkeeper. Well, that’s not true! Even though the work a CPA performs does overlap with the bookkeeper’s work at times, Robinson claims that none of the great bookkeepers he has guided have ever even been accountants!
In fact, he would even prefer working with new aspiring bookkeepers as long as they do possess the traits and personal characteristics that make an excellent bookkeeper. Since bookkeepers are very often in contact with clients on a day-to-day basis, they are very involved with the granular details of the business, meaning that other than good analytical understanding and computer skills, a bookkeeper should have some real-world skills. Robinson recalled his own “real-world shock” after graduation:
“For example, when I went to school and got my degree in accounting, I thought “Yes! I can conquer the world.” But my first day working as a CPA was a real shock — I could figure out earnings per share, but I couldn’t do simple tasks that business owners need, like reconciling a bank account. The best bookkeepers can navigate those real-world problems for the business owners they work with.”
Better Earnings
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average full-time bookkeeper earns $40K annually. On the other hand, a freelancer can actually make more per hour while working for fewer hours.
However, to become a freelance virtual bookkeeper, one needs to start their own business. Robinson estimates the costs of starting a business at less than $1,500. That is assuming you have a decent computer and basic office supplies.
He claims that the biggest part of the investment is in the learning and developing personal skills process! This is true to your entire career, though! Any professional, including Robinson, who has been doing it for over 15 years, spends time learning new skills and technologies while striving and improve existing ones!
What do you think? Are you
Interested in becoming a bookkeeper? Learn how at learntobeabookkeeper.com.
