“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 average full-time bookkeeper earns nearly $40,000 per year (almost $19 an hour), according to the U.S. Also crucial to a being a virtual bookkeeper is accounting software, such as Quickbooks Online, which keeps startup costs low.Īnd then there’s that $69 an hour pay rate. “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 Businessīesides the high demand, Robinson said one of the great benefits of starting a virtual bookkeeping business is the freedom to choose where you work, when you work and with whom you work.Ī good computer and high-speed internet should be your first investments. “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.
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How to Start a Virtual Bookkeeping BusinessĪfter 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. Ready to work for yourself? We've got 49 great home business ideas. 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.” “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 Robinson discovered the demand for good bookkeepers. He’s been a CPA since 1999 and has owned two accounting firms.
Ben Robinson, a certified public accountant and business owner, teaches others to become virtual bookkeepers through his online courses at. 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 $69 an hour, according to Intuit, the creator of QuickBooks. Your nerdy – ahem, precise – tendencies could make you the perfect candidate to start your own work-from-home bookkeeping business.Īnd no, you don’t have to have a CPA to be successful. It’s just that everything makes more sense in a spreadsheet with formulas and even cell spacing. Learn more about how we make money and select our advertising partners. We provide you with accurate, reliable information. Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors.
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