FREELANCE BOOKKEEPING JOBS TORONTO HOW TO

“You must know how to provide true value to clients - that real-world problem-solving we talked about - to command this kind of income.” What you need to start a virtual bookkeeping businessĪ good computer and high-speed internet connection should be your first investment. “I teach my bookkeepers that they should target at least $60 per hour as their goal,” Robinson said. But Robinson pointed out that as a freelancer or contractor, you can actually earn a higher hourly rate while working fewer hours. The median full-time bookkeeper earns nearly $45,000 per year ($22 per hour), according to government reports.

“If I were given the choice of training a CPA or someone with no experience to become a great bookkeeper, I’d choose the inexperienced candidate any day.” Benefits of a virtual bookkeeping jobīesides the high demand, Robinson said one of the great benefits of being a virtual bookkeeper is the freedom to choose where you work, when you work and with whom you work.Īnd then there’s that $60-per-hour pay rate.

“None of the great bookkeepers I have trained have even been accountants, much less Certified Public Accountants,” Robinson said. The short answer, according to Robinson: No. “The best bookkeepers can navigate those real-world problems for the business owners they work with,” said Robinson, who noted that computer and communication skills are also essential. “I could figure out earnings per share, but I couldn’t do simple tasks that business owners need, like reconciling a bank account. “When I went to school and got my degree in accounting, I thought, ‘Yes! I can conquer the world,’” Robinson said. What skills do you need to be a bookkeeper?Īlthough the job title might lead you to believe you’ll be holed up alone with your computer and dusty ledgers (wait, do those still exist?), Robinson said real-world skills are also essential since you’ll be dealing with clients on a day-to-day basis. We spoke with Robinson about what it takes to become a virtual bookkeeper, as well as tips and advice for making this career track work for you. And, when I did find a great bookkeeper who owned their own business, they were buried with clients and had a waiting list of business owners who wanted their books done.” How to become a virtual bookkeeperĪfter he sold his firm in January 2015, Robinson started to teach not only the technical side of bookkeeping but also the strategies for starting your own business. “What I soon discovered is that great bookkeepers are hard to find. “A lot of - actually most - business owners struggle with keeping accurate and up-to-date bookkeeping records,” Robinson said. It was through the firms that Robinson discovered the demand for good bookkeepers. He’s been a CPA since 1999 and has owned two accounting firms. In fact, all you really need are decent computer skills and a passion for helping business owners tackle real-world problems.Įven better? You can earn up to $60 an hour, according to Ben Robinson, a certified public accountant and business owner in the U.S., who teaches others to become virtual bookkeepers. Your nerdy - ahem, precise - tendencies could make you the perfect fit for a job as a virtual bookkeeper.Īnd no, you don’t have to have a Certified Public Accountant, or CPA, to be successful. It’s just that everything makes more sense in a spreadsheet with formulas and even cell spacing. While Postmedia may collect a commission on sales through the links on this page, we are not being paid by the brands mentioned. Additionally, bookkeepers who excel at their jobs are sometimes promoted to accounting positions, even if they lack the level of education the company typically prefers.This article was created by Wise Publishing. In fact, many aspiring accountants work as bookkeepers to get a foot in the door while still in school.

You can become a bookkeeper right out of high school if you prove you are good with numbers and have strong attention to detail. In the 21st century, most accountants hold bachelor's degrees, and many hold advanced degrees, such as MBAs with accounting or finance concentrations or a master's degree in accounting. Accounting often requires more education than becoming a bookkeeper.Bookkeepers line up all the small pieces of a company's financial records, and accountants view and arrange those pieces.Accountants, though not formally required to do so, traditionally acquire their CPA certification and a master's degree.Bookkeeping is where accountants generally start their careers as the barriers to entry are lower and pay is decent.Although they are job titles used interchangeably, bookkeepers and accountants are different with different requirements.

Freelance bookkeeping jobs toronto