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Small business & freelance
Bookkeeper
Every business needs one, and most are terrible at finding one.
Typical pay
$40k-$80k
How you get in
Certification in 3-9 months; no degree required
Outlook
Steady; the shift is toward advisory work
Bookkeepers record transactions, reconcile accounts and keep a business ready for tax time. It is one of the most realistic paths to a genuinely independent home-based business.
A day in the life
- 8:30aCategorize the week's transactions for two clients
- 10:00aBank and credit card reconciliations
- 12:00pLunch
- 1:00pChase a client for missing receipts, again
- 2:30pRun payroll for a small business
- 4:00pMonth-end reports and a client check-in call
How to get in
Certification and freelance
Duration
3-9 months
Cost
$500-$3,000
Credential
QuickBooks ProAdvisor or Xero certification
- Learn double-entry bookkeeping properly, not just the software
- Get QuickBooks or Xero certified — free or cheap through the vendors
- Take two or three small clients at a discount to build references
- Move to monthly retainers, which is where the stability is
Employed bookkeeper first
Duration
1-3 years
Cost
$0
Credential
None to start
- Get hired doing AP/AR or bookkeeping at a small company
- Learn the full monthly close cycle where you touch everything
- Build speed and confidence on someone else's books
- Go independent with real experience behind you
Bookkeeping into advisory
Duration
2-5 years
Cost
$1,000-$8,000
Credential
Certified Bookkeeper (AIPB) or enrolled agent for tax work
- Build a stable base of monthly bookkeeping clients
- Add payroll and sales tax services
- Get an enrolled agent credential to handle tax returns
- Advisory and tax work is where the rate doubles
What people love
- · Work from home with almost no startup cost
- · Recurring monthly clients mean predictable income
- · No degree required
- · Every business in every industry needs it
What wears people down
- · Chasing clients for documents never ends
- · Software is absorbing the routine data entry
- · Solo work can be isolating
- · Ceiling without adding advisory or tax services