Bookeeper Career Guide and Counseling

Question: Best way to find a good bookeeper? I will be working as an independent contractor soon and will have to pay my own taxes. Any suggestions on how to find a decent bookeeper?

Answer: Recommedations from friends, business associates. Contact the chamber of commerce in your area for a listing of names. Check each one out by getting references. Good luck with your new venture.

Question: What's the difference between an accountant and a bookeeper? I thought they were sorta the same.

Answer: an accountant deals with money, why a book-keeper keeps all the neccessary file, information and transaction.

Question: What all is needed for accountant/bookeeper internship? What all would i need to be able to start an internship at a local book keeping business? Am i required to be certified to do payroll and such? If so, are there other jobs available in such an environment where certification is not needed?

Answer: You do not have to be certified to do any bookkeeping work such as payroll, AR, AP, etc. If you want, you can also work in public accounting. However, it is expected that you will become certified eventually. There are 2 types of CPAs, those who can sign audit reports and those who cannot. So if you want to stick to bookeeping, there are plenty of positions out there that will give you a solid accounting understanding.

Question: To get a job as a bookeeper or accountant? do they have to deal with office politics like other places? i am in college interested in doing acct or bookeeping as my job, im not majoring in accting but have taken the courses and made a's in them. what certifications do u need to work as one of these 2, and where can i get the certifications. about how much do they costs? thanks in advance

Answer: bookkeeper and accountant don't require any certification, per se. Some professional accountants become certified public accountants (although some states have "public accountants,) some become certified internal auditors, others become certified management accountants and there are probably others. Those are just in the US. Other countries have something similar; e.g., Chartered Accountants. You do not meet the requirements to become a CPA; you would need to actually complete a major in accounting or business with an accounting emphasis. Most accountants and bookkeepers don't achieve certification. There are a wide variety of positions/occupations that use the terms, sometimes interchangeably. But generally, bookkeepers are thought to be less trained and competent than accountants. Some bookkeepers work only with one aspect of the transactions; e.g., a/p, a/r, payroll, etc. Full charge accountants or bookkeepers deal with all aspects of the function from recording various journals to preparing financial statements. They can't audit, though. Every job I've ever had dealt with office politics and that includes accounting positions. Accountants can be just as bad or worse than other types of offices.

Question: Does your small business need a bookeeper/accountant? I am 22, live in Iowa and want to start my own business. I am currently working a full time job which I have had for 3 years and want to do something more. I have always wanted to have an accounting business on the side. I am very good with QuickBooks and Microsoft Office. Any suggestions on how to find small business needing this type of work would be most helpful. It would only be a part time job for now, and depending on how much work there is would depend on my rate.

Answer: All businesses need at the very least a bookkeeper and also the services of an accountant. If you are a licensed accountant you could open an accounting business. If you're not, you could open a bookkeeping business. Your best bet would be to advertise in a business/investment expo, yellow pages. Try and network with small business owners around your area and tell them what you can do for them, as far as bookkeeping goes.

Question: How long does it take to become a bookeeper? Which one will it help me more??? -Associates degree??? -Bachelors degree???

Answer: never heard of a Bookeeper but to be a fully qualified Book Keeper takes around 5 years contact your local college or university to find out more.

Question: How much does it typically cost for a bookeeper?

Answer: Bookkeeping services, as opposed to professional accounting services, are typically relatively inexpensive - probably around $25/hour for contract work. Bookkeepers are more in line with data entry - expect them to be able to balance checkbooks, handle payables, do simple journal entries - but don't expect them to be able to do financial statements or audits.

Question: how do you become a bookeeper in the uk? What ourses do i need to take and where would be the best place to do them. /is there a minimum qualification and what is the best way ofgoing about pursung this carerr

Answer: The best qualification is probably one leading to membership of the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT). You'll probably find these offered by colleges of further education as evening study or day-release courses. AAT was set up by the major accountancy bodies in the UK so its standards are high.

Question: Do we really need to have a bookeeper in a business??? By how much would be the Capital???

Answer: It will depend on the nature of your business and your own financial skills. I've found that the more people oriented or artistic/creative you and your business are, the more you'll need a concrete thinking, number cruncher to balance out your tendencies. Also,a good bookkeeper can help free your mind from financial preoccupation. Then you can focus on the bigger picture - running the business, creating your products or services, and/or making your customers happy. If at all possible go for the bookkeeper to prevent getting bogged down doing your own books. Good luck, Lisa

Question: help I might be in trouble. I recieved an email from a guy to be his bookeeper for 1470 amonth I said sure .? now there at p.o to pick up what will i do.he wants me to put in my account and cash no way. am I in trouble?

Answer: sounds like the Western Union scam; take everything to the police. DON'T CASH ANYTHING