She loves empowering people to get smart about their finances so they can live their dreams. If you want to work from home and have a head for numbers, becoming a bookkeeper is a great option. There are many opportunities to earn money while enjoying the freedom of a flexible schedule. If you run your own business, you can charge higher rates than if you work for a company where you get paid by the hour or a salary. For a list of current openings, check out the SmartBooks jobs page.

• The ability to go above and beyond virtual bookkeeping is crucial if you want to become a great bookkeeper and earn a great living.
• Select the potential number of users at your company below to get started with your 14-day free trial.
• With so many moving pieces (including assets and liabilities, and income and expenses), small business owners must stay on top of it all.
• Freelance jobs can range from quick temporary projects to long-term employment.
• If you’re going to start working as a full-time bookkeeper single-handedly, you can choose to form a sole proprietorship.
• As any good bookkeeper knows, one of your primary jobs is making sure your clients’ financial data is safe and secure.
• Please consult the applicable policy for the exact terms and conditions.

However, PROCEED WITH CAUTION and consult with an attorney before you begin your business. Preparing a business plan is essential for everyone should do before they start a business. However, you still need to decide how you’ll fund your business before you get started. It’s these types of questions your clients will have in and around data security. Your goal is to make them feel secure with leaving their most valuable company information in your hands. As a bookkeeping service, you can provide companies with better and more comprehensive data.

Choose your bookkeeping software

Our firm has weekly update meetings on Mondays and we take turns presenting biweekly lunch-and-learns. You may just need one weekly meeting or multiple stand-ups throughout the week. Set standard all-hands meetings for regular updates and check-ins. remote bookkeeping Depending on the size of your team and the number of projects (and whether or not it’s tax season) you can adjust the length and frequency of these meetings. Here are a few key tips to help you along the way in your virtual journey.

• You can research how to hire employees and download or bookmark any necessary forms like the W-4 and W-9 through the U.S.
• Accountants analyze and interpret the financial information that a bookkeeper provides — such as the financial statements — to help the company make decisions.
• Working remotely has proven to reduce stress and improve overall work-life balance, making employees more likely to stay with your company long term and be happier in their roles.
• Once your bookkeeping business is underway, you will have to trust that your system will draw clients to you.
• When clients enjoy working with you, they are more likely to offer referrals for you.
• You might be wondering why a business would hire a remote bookkeeper with no experience.

That isn’t to say you need a ton of tech know-how, but you do need to know how to use a computer and the Internet and not be afraid to Google if you have questions. I had no prior knowledge of bookkeeping, aside from transcribing my dad’s business receipts when I was a teenager and muddling my way through my books in my VA business. As a contractor, you’ll be responsible for invoicing for your time and receiving payment according to your policy. It also lets you get to know them better and work in a more personal, intuitive kind of way.

Why Businesses Hire Remote Bookkeepers

Many can also be integrated to work together, creating even more automation that saves you time and money. For an accountant or bookkeeper, running a virtual practice has some major advantages. First, you have the flexibility to work on your client’s books any time of day or night. A virtual accounting firm can also work with anyone anywhere in the country, which is a powerful advantage if you want to niche down to a specific sub-industry. Firstly, bookkeeping services are in high demand as everyone needs to keep records and manage finances – be it freelancers, solopreneurs, small business owners, or corporations.

Some virtual firms take advantage of public co-working spaces, while others rent specific spaces for their employees to use. Still, others provide a remote working stipend to be used as the employee prefers. Remember to be considerate of employee and client communication preferences, as virtual communications can sometimes cause misunderstandings and unhealthy work/life balance. Some clients and employees prefer voice or video to make introductions and communicate, and co-working spaces may be great to help create that connection.

Email marketing

Most remote QuickBooks Live bookkeepers work from home which means you need a reliable hard-wired internet connection and a landline phone. Intuit will provide a laptop with all the technology and software required to meet your responsibilities. Intuit will also provide a webcam, headset, USB hub, Ethernet cable, backdrop, and VPN token.

Some clients may require you to have business insurance or to be bonded. It’s essential to do your research and ensure you have adequate protection in place that will cover you and your customers. However, you don’t have the safety net of a regular paycheck and potential benefits such as health insurance and retirement.

Other requirements include home office space, a computer and access to a car for local travel. They may be open to hiring a remote bookkeeper or on a consulting basis. If you’re ready to work from home as a bookkeeper, you can reach out to companies you might have worked with before. You can also take a bookkeeping training course to teach you the basics, but there is no substitute for real-world experience.

The specific amount you charge your clients for bookkeeping services will depend on your certifications, years of experience and familiarity with the client’s business. Some popular options include QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks and Zoho Books, among others. You can read more about our ratings for various https://www.bookstime.com/articles/invoice-financing business accounting software here. You should be familiar with more than one software as some of your clients may have a preference in terms of the accounting software that they’d like you to use. While both you and the client may choose to keep hard copies, you need a way to share them online.

At Huckleberry, for example, you can get a 60-second estimate and secure your small business insurance entirely online and in as little as 5 minutes. Also, note that you can hone your niche over time as you clarify which types of clients you love to work with and who love to work with you. After you decide on your business structure, you will want to follow the necessary steps to register as soon as you can. This is a necessary document if you think you might seek financing from a bank or other investors. It shows that you know what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and how you will continue to grow in a positive direction over time. Gain 1-3 years of on-the-job work experience, earn a couple of certifications, and then venture out to start your own business.

• Now I have two bookkeepers helping out, so I rarely do client work, unless they get stumped.
• You can start an online bookkeeping business with as little as a computer, internet connection, and basic knowledge of bookkeeping and accounting.
• Including the scheduling link in your email signature makes it even easier for people to book time to talk.
• The virtual network of other bookkeepers is also a great resource.
• Bookminders hires both full-time and part-time work-from-home positions.
• Try to focus more on the outcomes and getting the work completed than on activity and clocking a set number of hours per day during a fixed window.

I recommend starting with simple businesses and working your way up to more complex ones as you gain experience. Again, you don’t have to be a CPA or an experienced bookkeeper to learn how to do this. For virtual bookkeeping companies, your focus should be on online advertising. Will your accounting firm focus on tax preparation and tax planning? Are you more interested in working with financial reports and general financial data analytics? A company hires a bookkeeper to manage and organize its finances, including detailing and categorizing all transactions.

This flexible and remote setup allows virtual bookkeeping businesses to serve clients from different geographical locations. Furthermore, they offer professionals the advantage of working remotely, contributing to work-life balance while providing cost efficiencies in operation. There are different payment levels for QBO, but bookkeepers and accountants can set up a free account to run their business, access their clients’ books and track their own finances. Inside QBO, you’ll find tons of training materials that walk you through how to use the software.

• If your business chooses to keep this task in-house, it’s best to stick to a predictable expense tracking schedule.
• Create a guideline document and make sure everyone reads and understands it.
• You should also consider health insurance as an added expense, especially if you previously had health insurance through your employer.
• Think about various ways you can reach out to potential clients or get your business in front of them.
• She has written legal and marketing content and communications for a wide range of law firms for more than 15 years.
• You do not need an expansive or expensive website to get started.
• You don’t need to have years of experience as a practicing bookkeeper to start your small business.