Any bookkeepers??

[berkeleyp]

I currently do bookkeeping for my father's law office and my husband's contracting business. I am thinking I could perhaps take on a few more businesses for some extra cash. My concern is that I don't have any credentials per se other than on the job experience over the last few years. Does anyone else do this? I would love to pick your brain a little

[soxthecatrules]

Upfront disclosure....I have a B.A. in Accounting.

That being said, I think experience speaks volumes. At the same time it may be worth your time and money to take some basic acctg classes. Perhaps you have a junior college or technical school close by where the tuition would be cheaper. I know of many very successfull bookkeepers who DO NOT have 4 yr degrees, but opted for 2 year technical degrees. You have to be prepared to answer technical questions and your clients are relying on you for the answers. If you've learned plenty on the job then maybe you already feel comfortable with this.

Another thing is....if you start your own bookkeeping business be prepared to have people ask you about tax preparation. ANYBODY, I repeat, ANYBODY can become a tax preparer. I worked one season for a nat'l tax prep co. and a lot of us were seasoned accountants but there were MANY that were clerks at a local convenience store or school teachers or laborers, etc.

Last, but not least, I personally would learn Quickbooks inside out and backwards!!! In fact, you can get certification in QB. That cert. is quite an investment (forgetting the exact cost) but it may payoff in the long haul depending on your area. Just look at QB's official website.

I put a lot of thought into building a homebased bookkeeping business a couple of years ago before I landed the perfect part-time job. Please feel free to ask more questions.

[berkeleyp]

I am very familiar with QB on both the PC and Mac platforms but could probably use to do the certification. I think it is only $100 or so and I'm sure there are some features that I am unfamiliar with. I will not be doing tax prep. I am working on dh's 1065 and accompanying forms and I HATE IT. I have a B.A. so I am not looking to get any kind of degree beyond some kind of simple certification like QB. Bookkeeping is not my career plan but simply a means to make some extra cash while my kids are little.

Do you know of any books that might provide a basic "course" on bookkeeping. Since I am 90% self taught on the job, I feel like there might be gaps in my knowledge that I am not even aware of.

I'm not sure how far to go before putting out feelers for clients. My dh is involved with the local business association. I am thinking of asking him to ask around if anyone needs bookkeeping help. I think I will charge 20 or 25 an hour which seems to be the low end of the going rate.