How to Start an Online Bookkeeping Business?

Nowadays, the services provided on the internet have started to increase gradually. One of these services is accounting services. The increase in internet usage and the fact that most things can now be done online make it easier to do accounting work online. This makes the work of both accountants and people who want to receive services easier. If you are doing research on How to Start an Online Bookkeeping Business, then this content is for you.

Table of Contents

What is online bookkeeping?

Online bookkeeping can be defined as performing all traditionally performed calculation and accounting transactions online and providing services completely online.

How does online bookkeeping work?

Online Bookkeeping Business is carried out through cloud-based accounting systems. Customers request online service from your social media accounts, your website or by contacting you directly. Thanks to accounting software, you can complete all your customers’ book records, invoice transactions and anything else you can think of in terms of accounting online, without keeping physical books.

How to start a bookkeeping business online?

Let’s come to the answer to our main topic, how to start bookkeeping online. To start this business, you need to meet some basic requirements and most importantly, be experienced. Being knowledgeable about your business and providing timely and complete service to your customers will increase your preferability. You can start your online bookkeeping business by following the steps below.

1.Training and Certification

One of the most important requirements for this job is certifications. You must have an accounting certificate and the necessary authorization documents. Since the required documents vary from region to region, you can learn all the necessary documents from the relevant Institutions.

2.Experience

Certificates and necessary authorization documents are not enough to start work. You also need to be very good at your job. You should work with an experienced accountant for a certain period of time and improve yourself. In my opinion, this period is at least 4-5 years. In my opinion, this period is necessary in order to provide quality service and to be a good accountant.

3.Creating a online bookkeeping business plan

If you are going to start an online bookkeeping business, you must have a valid business plan and take logical steps. How and where you will start the business, which platforms you will use, the way you work, how you can reach your potential customers, competitive analysis and marketing strategies can be stated as the main elements that should be included in the business plan.

4.Obtain necessary legal permits

Obtain the necessary tax registration and legal permissions from the relevant Institutions for your online bookkeeping business. Since you will receive payment for the services you provide, you need to tax these payments. Starting this business without being tax registered and obtaining legal permits may cause problems for you later.

5.Establishing Business Infrastructure

If your business plan is ready and you have decided on the way of working, the last step is to complete the software and necessary equipment you will use. Use cloud-based accounting software that you have experienced before and is suitable for online service. When choosing, make sure it is reliable.

How to find bookkeeping clients online?

If you have decided to open your business or have opened it by following the steps I explained in the How to set up an online bookkeeping business section, now I would like to talk about how you can reach potential customers. You have many options to reach potential customers. Here are those options.

Social media platforms: It is the easiest way to reach customers. Create professional accounts in accordance with your business plan. You can reach your customers using Instagram and Facebook ads.
Create a website: Create a professional website that matches your job description. I can help you with this and provide you with a turnkey website. Create all the information about you and the necessary pages on your website. Include references and previous work. Add a Whatsapp contact page where your customers can reach you through your website. By using Google ADS, you can allow customers to access you through your website.
Business Listing Sites: There are many job posting sites on the internet where you can post a business. You can open an account and post a job on these sites. You can also reach potential customers by opening accounts on freelance job sites such as Upwork and Fiverr.
Business Forums and Communities: You can apply for active jobs by opening an account on forums, social media groups and other platforms where business owners and people who want to receive services meet.
The above steps are usually sufficient. But real references are more important. The satisfaction of your customers and those who receive your services will naturally increase your customer portfolio. For this reason, you should always provide fast and quality service and constantly improve yourself.

How to start a bookkeeping business from home?

Since you will be doing the job online, you can easily do it from home. You do not need to rent a workplace for this. A good computer and accounting software will be enough for you to do the job from home.

How to start a bookkeeping business with no experience?

Accounting is a very important job and requires experience. An error in calculations or book records may cause the customer to face criminal sanctions. Therefore, it is difficult to do this job without experience. However, tasks such as data entry and invoice processing are simple tasks and do not require experience. If you are going to do detailed accounting, experience is definitely a must. You can access simple tasks such as invoice processing or data entry on accounting forums or freelance job posting sites.

Do you need a license to start a bookkeeping business?

For simple tasks like data entry or invoice processing, you generally don’t need a license or certification. However, if you are going to provide a full accounting service, you must have the necessary licenses and certificates, training and experience.

How much does it cost to start a bookkeeping business?

The cost may vary depending on the business plan you want to create. If you have taken care of the certification and license part of the job, you will not have much cost for the online service. Creating a good computer, cloud-based accounting software, printer and website can cost an average of $10,000. You can also get it at more affordable prices, but this is the average cost.

Is a bookkeeping business profitable?

If you are a good accountant, yes, it is a very lucrative job. You get regular customers and earn fixed amounts of money per month for certain jobs. As your customer portfolio grows, your earnings also increase. This depends on your performance. If you are already a good accountant and your customers are satisfied with you, you may find yourself in a situation where you cannot handle the work on your own. In this case, you may even need to employ assistant staff.