A bookkeeper is a person who is engaged in sorting, managing, organizing and maintaining financial records. This role requires accounting skills, hard work, dedication and patience. Anyone wanting to begin a career as a bookkeeper needs to do the following:
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First – enrol on a suitable book keeping course with a reputable training provider. A good training provider will support you with skilled and experienced training staff, practical training and innovative techniques. Many training provides offer a distance learning option for their bookkeeping courses. Choose a course and provider to meet your needs and flexibility.
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When you have completed the training and obtained a certificate, you can either apply for a job in an established firm or you can set up your own bookkeeping service. Working as an employee gives you a secure position and income, whereas working as an independent bookkeeping service provider is a challenging job with endless future possibilities.
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• Always be eager to learn new things. Membership of a professional bookkeeping or accounting organisation such as IAB (International Association of Bookkeepers) or AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) will help your career. As a member of a reputed organization you will regularly be sent up to date information about the market and industry and stay in touch with experienced, senior professionals which may help in finding new and innovative ideas and trends.
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As a professional bookkeeper you are responsible for managing the financial data and records for your client. There is a legal requirement that you be registered for Anti-money Laundering Supervision.
Start making contacts within the industry for guidance and assistance in troubleshooting any problems which arise while performing the bookkeeper duties.
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Start your business in the right location. This can be a rental office, or you could work at the client’s site or from home.
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You may need to purchase a suitable computer and the appropriate business software
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You may need to purchase a suitable computer and the appropriate business software
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Use online marketing tools such as social media and networking to promote your business.
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If you will be processing or accessing any personal information you will need to register with the Information Commissioners Office, as stated in the Data Protection Act 1998.
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Keep improving your skills, develop new ideas and cultivate contacts as well as enrolling for our book keeping course. This will help you to keep up to date with changes in the VAT rules and other changes in legislation which affect how company accounts must be reported.
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