Who is a bookkeeper?
The recording of the financial transactions of a business is known as bookkeeping. An employee that performs bookkeeping is a bookkeeper. This involves writing 'daybooks' that comprise purchases, payments, sales and receipts of the company. A bookkeeper has to record all business transactions in the appropriate customer, suppliers or general ledger.
What does it take to be one?
Along with the right education, reliable bookkeepers need to have skill and interest in their job. As being a bookkeeper requires performing frequent calculations, an aptitude for Mathematics is a must. With the advancements in technology, almost all companies maintain financial records on computers. As such, computer skills are also needed. Financial accounts need to handled with care. One will benefit from having a keen eye and being able to pay attention to detail.
Education
A general education followed by an appropriate course in accounting is all you need to start your career in bookkeeping for small business. School or general education would teach the basics of English and Mathematics. At college level, one can better understand economics, business ethics and organisational structure of companies. Specialised courses can impart knowledge on statistics, research, information systems, payroll and taxes.
Once you complete your training, you can choose to work with an established company as a full time bookkeeper. Alternativley, you can work part time or on a temporary contract. There is a lot of flexibility in this field and one can decide if they wish to work from home. Reliable bookkeepers get paid handsomely too!