NACPB has a lot to offer, including some live seminars online and in person. I think the decision about whether or not to join is an individual one. In the bookkeeping community, as with most things, there are those who love it and those who are less enthusiastic. Since the guy who is the founder of NACPB is also a CPA and has a background in both public bookkeeping and QuickBooks consulting, it would likely be a good fit for you to give it a shot and try it out for a year. Ultimately, you won’t know if the organization is right for you unless you try it. That’s what I did anyway.

Wishing you much success in your virtual bookkeeping (and beyond)!

Gabrielle

I’ve been parusing sites like the Four Hour Work Week and the one by the authors of “Why Work Sucks and What to Do About It” trying to get an idea of how to build a better life, and am looking at virtual bookkeeping. I am reviewing past posts to get an idea about starting and running a virtual bookkeeping business look forward to seeing future posts, and the suggestions included.

I am a CPA and a CMA, but my career has not gone as well as I would have hoped. I’m hoping that by starting a business I can showcase my talents, and by leveraging my CPA and CMA I can do some value added stuff to make me stand out.

The question I have for you (or anyone who reads this) is whether it would be worth my while to join the NACPB. It looks like a good organization, but wanted to hear other’s experiences with it. Please let me know if anyone has joined them, and if it is a good deal.

Thanks!

Ted

The technology is moving quickly and getting more sophisticated…which is great for us! The combo you mentioned is a good one of Smart Vault (paperless document management) and Right Networks (virtual desktops). There are lots of choices out there, and as you mention, my suggestion is to pay attention to what your clients want and what they’re ready for. If they are already going paperless, they are ripe for these services. Conversely, you have to be careful to not be too far ahead of them either, or you may have a tough sell.

Another solution that is up and coming that you may want to explore that works with QuickBooks is Method (www.methodintegration.com), depending on your clients’ needs.

This technology is an area we all need to watch closely!

Thanks for your feedback, it is appreciated.

You’ll see more articles in the area of virtual bookkeeping in upcomig posts. It’s a popular subject!

Terrance,

I recommend that you sit down and decide what your ideal business would be like. Visualize it. Then choose to pursue the type of freelance bookkeeping services that will give you that kind of business.

The truth is, there are so many options. But none of us can “do it all.” But that doesn’t mean we are locked into any one mode of business either. Pick what seems to work best for the type of business you want and run with it. In time, you’ll find the best combination for you.

Sheila,

Since QuickBooks is THE most popular bookkeeping software in the US (85% market share), watch for the seminars that Intuit puts on. Usually in the fall (most of them have passed now) they have a free 1/2 day seminar for the new version of QB that comes out each year. It’s definitely worth going to those if there is one near you. Check out the Intuit website for the accounting community at http://www.accountant.intuit.com

Great questions guys!!

Gabrielle

While I have not looked into virtual bookkeeping, the concept is appealing. I like the idea of providing the service from my home, never having to transport documents or myself to or from a site.

I have always been interested, excited if you will about bookkeeping and taxes. To me it is interesting to take a pile of papers and turn them into sensible information.

I would love to learn more about virtual bookkeeping please guide me.

Thank You

Great question! It is true, there are many companies now who provide services from overseas, as you mention, most notably from India. This is because of all the technology available now that makes it easy to work virtually. And they are working for FAR less than we ever could, and quite honestly, their skills are good too. In fact, many accounting firms are subcontracting work to these companies to reduce labor costs.

However, I don’t see this as a problem for us. For one reason, the language barrier can be an issue. Not that these overseas folks can’t speak English. They can. But it is not their native language, and that in itself can cause frustrating communication issues. Many clients want those with English as their home language. Most clients are also rather suspicious about sending their financial data to another country where the laws on privacy may be different.

Also, clients whose primary concern is price are really not the best clients for your freelance bookkeeping practice. You do not want to position yourself as a commodity. And as you can see, if you just want to compete on price, you’ll lose anyway.

You are selling your expertise and your ability to provide value to your clients in helping them manage their business. You are not selling data entry services.

So bottom line: I see the outsourcing overseas as a good thing. It sends the clients who don’t highly value what we do to those who are happy to make $3. We get the higher level clients who are much more fun and interesting to work for, and we get paid well for our expertise and value-added services.

Gabrielle