Bookkeeping is one of the oldest and most important
professions in the world. Bookkeepers maintain accurate company records,
financial transactions, and statements.
This article provides some tips on how to
teach yourself how to become a bookkeeper. It will also give you some
information on skills needed to succeed in this profession.
Roles of a Bookkeeper
To become a bookkeeper, you’ll first need
to understand what a bookkeeper does and the education and skills required to
become one.
A bookkeeper’s work is to keep track of
company finances by creating financial records for all transactions that occur
in the company. They also maintain the company’s books and records by
calculating taxes and payrolls, paying bills and invoices, reconciling bank
statements, preparing financial statements and budgets, and managing
investments or other assets such as stocks or bonds held.
They do this by using accounting software
such as QuickBooks or Xero and following generally accepted accounting
principles (GAAP).
As a bookkeeper, you’ll have different
responsibilities depending on the size of your employer. For example, if
working for a small business, you might also be responsible for handling
payroll or managing inventory. If you work in public accounting, you may also be
responsible for preparing tax returns.
Skills Needed to Become a Good Bookkeeper
The main requirement for becoming a
bookkeeper is knowing how to keep books. A four-year degree in accounting is
not required, especially if you possess the following skills;
• Organized and detail-oriented
• High level of accuracy and organization
• Ability to handle multiple tasks at
once, such as bills and daily transactions
• Ability to use computer software and
adapt to new programs easily
• The terminology and procedures involved
in financial record keeping
• Basic math skills, an understanding of
debits and credits, and a working knowledge of double-entry accounting.
How to Become a Bookkeeper
Step 1. Learn Accounting
To become a bookkeeper, you’ll first
learn basic accounting skills. If you don’t know how to balance your checkbook,
start there. Learn the difference between a debit and a credit, the difference
between cash and accrual accounting, and how to use the various reports
generated by accounting software.
You can practice these skills on software
like QuickBooks or Quicken as you learn them. These programs are often
available at local libraries or on the internet. Once you feel comfortable with
these basic skills, you can seek more advanced training.
Step 2. Take Free or Low-cost Online
Bookkeeping Courses
Bookkeeping coursework covers general
bookkeeping principles and the specific accounting software used by many
businesses. Accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, trial balance, and
journal entries are covered in typical bookkeeping classes.
Free/low-cost bookkeeping courses include
• Coursera courses
Coursera is a large online learning
platform. Many free online courses are available, including courses in
accounting and bookkeeping. Most of these courses are done in partnership with
other online universities, are accredited, and have certificates of completion.
They offer various courses in different
subjects. Some of the courses are free, and some are pay-as-you-go. You can
learn and expand your knowledge on bookkeeping at Coursera at a minimal
expense.
• Corporate Finance Institute
Corporate Finance Institute is an online
community college that offers specialized training in corporate finance,
including stock trading and investing. You can learn from the world’s best
instructors in just three months. Corporate Finance Institute also offers new
students six months of free access to their online course materials. This
includes a large selection of free video training courses covering topics such
as stock trading and investing and bookkeeping and payroll.
• Intuit bookkeeping basics
Intuit is the bookkeeping division of the
software giant Intuit Inc., formerly QuickBooks. The QuickBooks bookkeeping
software is a great place to get started with bookkeeping, but if you want to
advance your career and learn more advanced techniques, you should consider
enrolling in one of the company’s online courses. There are several different
courses available, designed for beginners and advanced users. You can learn
QuickBooks fundamentals and more advanced topics, such as the payroll module.
Step 3. Enroll In Internship Programs
You may also want to look for an
internship with a company in your area that uses bookkeepers. This will give
you some hands-on experience.
Once you have completed formal training
and gained some practical experience, you will be ready to seek employment as a
bookkeeper for a company in your area or even as an independent contractor
working from home.
If you want to go beyond being just a
beginner at this or any other skill, and work toward developing a real mastery,
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Believe it or not, most of what you do
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So, who exactly was driving while your waking consciousness was in la-la land,
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Source: https://www.amazines.com/article_detail.cfm/6263337?articleid=6263337
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