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in this post: If you are known for your bookkeeping prowess, you may be able to make a good living with a work-at-home QuickBooks job. Opportunities are plentiful and the pay isn’t too shabby either.
Bookkeeping isn’t just for big business. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that, at some point, everyone gains experience in the world of bookkeeping. From reconciling accounts to the freelancer or independent contractor figuring up a quarterly tax payment, bookkeeping is going to play a role in managing finances.
Where there’s a need, there’s money to be made. Intuit has filled this need nicely with QuickBooks – their software package developed and refined to make multiple accounting jobs easier, including balancing the books, generating invoices, doing payroll, and tracking business expenses.
Of course, like any robust software package, it can be complicated for the casual user to work with – and, let’s be honest – some people just don’t like keeping the books. If that’s not reason enough to avoid those profit and loss statements, it’s probably not the best use of a home business owner’s time. They need to spend their hours on profit-generating activities. And while accounting is very important, it isn’t generating profit.
If you are ready and willing, becoming a QuickBooks expert can be a great virtual business that can produce some serious cash. You will likely find that your work can become full-time or part-time – it’s up to you!
How can QuickBooks help your job prospects?
Being proficient with QuickBooks is a fantastically marketable skill! With so many small businesses being started every day, there are a significant number of business owners in need of someone to handle their books. While you may not be an accountant, having full control of the QuickBooks program puts you in a position to be a solid bookkeeper in a remote position.
With QuickBooks Online, you can input income and expenses, balance the books, create cost reports, generate reports on various income streams and expenses for the company, and more. It’s a key tool for helping a business visualize its cash flow and performance from a financial perspective.
As a master of QuickBooks, you can take the bookkeeping burden off a small business owner’s already overburdened shoulders – and, according to Payscale, you can make an average of $20 per hour or more while doing so!
How do I brush up on QuickBooks?
If your prior bookkeeping experience had you working with an older or desktop version of QuickBooks, don’t worry. You have plenty of resources available to help you brush up on the latest technology, whether you’re learning through a local class, self-directed study, or taking a course on LinkedIn Learning.
NOTE: If you don’t have a background in bookkeeping, check out this post on how to become a bookkeeper for a course that will teach you how to get started with no experience.
You can check for live training courses being offered near you through Intuit’s training website, but be aware that these classes cost $549.95 – even the ones offered as a webinar through your home computer. If you prefer self-paced learning, Intuit also offers several self-study courses; these also cost in hundreds of dollars, so are really the only viable options if you have a little money to invest. If you don’t, that’s okay too! Luckily, you can also learn for little to no cost: Intuit offers a number of free tutorials, or check out the latest QuickBooks course offerings on LinkedIn Learning. Community colleges also offer QuickBooks courses or workshops through their community development programs. You may also check with your local Small Business Development Center to see their upcoming programs and workshops – they are often free or have reduced fees!
One of the best ways to learn is by doing, so begin working with QuickBooks right away. You can get a QuickBooks account for as little as $10 per month that will let you track income and expenses, estimate quarterly taxes, run reports, do invoices, and accept payments. (You can actually get your first 30 days free, and then 50% off for 3 months after that, so the Self-Employed Plan could cost you $5 per month to start.)
Just remember: Whichever way you pursue proficiency, make sure you finish up by getting your QuickBooks Certification. It’s one gold star that can really level up your earnings!
What kind of jobs can I land with QuickBooks?
Freelancing – The most obvious job you can land as a QuickBooks expert is to become a freelance bookkeeper. In this position, you market your services to small business owners and individuals, even other freelancers– basically anyone who needs accounting done but doesn’t necessarily need or want a CPA.
You’ll help your client run a more efficient business by staying on top of data entry and financial tracking through QuickBooks – from storing PDF copies of all their bills and invoices, tracking financial transactions and reconciling bank statements, to knowing at a glance when quarterly tax payments are due. If you’re well-rounded, you’ll also help them by generating reports so they see where they make and lose the most money – which can prompt them to make changes that drive more revenue while minimizing losses. You can also help them generate budgets for a given period or project, and even track their mileage for business travel.
As a bookkeeper, your QuickBooks proficiency should just be one tool in your bag – and you should know that not every client will employ the QuickBooks software in their business. When that happens, though, QuickBooks has a very robust import and export feature so you should still be able to work with QuickBooks on your side, thus saving yourself a lot of time and enabling you to take on more clients. Other popular software used by small and home business owners includes Freshbooks and Xero.
Employee – There are several companies that hire for online bookkeeping jobs using QuickBooks:
- AccountingDepartment.com hires Virtual Full Charge Bookkeepers. You need to have a minimum of 2 years of recent QuickBooks experience. These are employee positions with benefits and paid time off.
- BELAY occasionally hires 1099 bookkeepers. Qualifications typically include a bachelor’s degree in accounting, business, finance, or a related field and an in-depth understanding of QuickBooks.
- Bookminders.com is seeking those with a four-year degree, preferably in accounting or finance, five years of accounting or finance experience, and the ability to work during business hours. The minimum workload after six months is 20 hours per week.
- ClickAccounts is always accepting resumes for new talent.
You can also find several QuickBooks jobs on any given day on job boards like FlexJobs and Indeed.
Always Be Learning
An important thing to keep in mind is that technology is constantly changing, and software regularly evolving. Intuit will release new versions of QuickBooks, and you’ll need to keep up and keep sharp to keep your business offerings fresh and attractive. As an expert user of QuickBooks, you’ll find it easy to keep up if you stay abreast of any new features announced.
Always Be Learning: I’m sure you’ve heard that phrase before, and it’s a great motto for remote workers dedicated to their work-from-home careers. Don’t stop at mastering QuickBooks; as I said above, it should be but one tool in your bag of bookkeeping tricks. Educate yourself on accounts payable, accounts receivable, financial reporting, and basically every knowledge- or skill-set that would fall under the heading “things a Chief Financial Officer should know.” Through this striving, you’ll level up and find that greener pastures with better-paying prospects open up to you as you go along.
Now that you’re well-informed on how to incorporate QuickBooks into your work-from-home career, it’s time to go do some learning or job-searching! And don’t forget to feature your certification or proficiency prominently on your résumé – it’ll do you good.
