11 Signs That You Could Become a Successful Bookkeeper
Nov 29, 2021
If you've ever wondered if you have what it takes to be a good bookkeeper, then this post is definitely for you. I'm going to be running through 11 signs that you might make a good bookkeeper.
But before we dive right in, welcome to the Profits + Prosecco Podcast! I’m your host, Katie Ferro, CPA, reformed rule follower, creator of Booked Out Bookkeeper, mom to 3 little ones, and Kajabi enthusiast.
This podcast is for entrepreneurs who desire to change their life through their profitable business, and for bookkeepers and accountants who want to escape the 9-5 and start a simple scalable bookkeeping business like I did.
Bookkeeping increases profits and profits change lives. So pop some bubbles and let me show you how!
In this post, I’ll be busting through some common myths about the trade, as well as what you actually need in order to become a great bookkeeper. Some of these skills and how we operate naturally can really tell a lot about us and our personalities.
Managing Your Own Money
If managing your own finances comes pretty naturally to you then you may be a natural bookkeeper. And examples of this are you're not in debt or you leverage debt very wisely. You have a general understanding of what you're earning, what you're spending, what you're keeping, and how that all makes sense to you.
You pay your bills on time. It's natural for you to have a good system in place for what you use to spend your expenses on, and you manage to pay off your bills and you're not bleeding money everywhere. So in your personal life, if you're good at managing your own money and keeping systems in place, then this is likely an area that you could excel in.
Analytical
You’re analytical and you like to get the right answer. Something that I loved about math when I was in school was that it was undisputed. You either got the right answer or you got the wrong answer. If you got the right answer, you could back it up. And if you got the wrong answer, you would at least be able to figure out why. This is something that I always loved about math, and I love that about bookkeeping.
It's a little bit different from tax in that tax is more like law, but bookkeeping has right and wrong answers. It has clearly defined logic. So if you are a person that likes analytics, right answers, logic, then this is something that would probably come pretty naturally to you.
Problem Solver
You don't necessarily like problems, but you can't stop once you find yourself in one. You know that logic exists in this scenario that I'm talking about, and so you can't stop yourself from figuring it out. I think this is something that allowed me to have a lot of success in bookkeeping and stay the course, not get frustrated. Once I found myself with something not necessarily working correctly or running into a roadblock in books, I could not stop myself from figuring it out.
Let me just tell you right now, QuickBooks and Xero are not doing something wrong if something isn't working. There was a wrong input. That was either human or it was done systemically. Either way, there is a reason why it is malfunctioning and you will succeed in bookkeeping if you cannot sleep until you solve that problem.
Enjoy Predictability
I've noticed that bookkeepers and those who really love bookkeeping tend to be a little risk-averse. This might be the riskiest thing they've ever done, going out on their own, signing clients, putting themselves out there and potentially running into scenarios where they need to ask for help.
But what's great about predictability in bookkeeping is that when you build your business, you'll have predictable hours. You'll have a predictable workload, you'll have predictable deadlines and you'll have a predictable income. So this will make you pretty happy and comfortable.
Not Afraid to Search for Answers
You're not afraid to get your hands dirty to solve a problem. That circles back a little bit to sign three. Where you can't stop yourself from figuring it out. But this is slightly different in that you're not afraid to figure it out, and you trust yourself to either stay the course and find the resources to solve it, find people who can help you solve it, or admit when you don't know.
Desire to Get Things Correct & Highly Ethical
If you find yourself in the uncomfortable position of not knowing the answer and you have exhausted all resources, all community and you cannot find the answer, you will do what's right for your client and admit that it's so important if you're going to be getting into bookkeeping, dealing with people's finances that you're honest and that you work within integrity. If that comes naturally to you, then you're still in the right spot.
You Love Business & Enjoy Watching Clients Succeed
You love small businesses and if that's going to be your clients then you will really enjoy seeing your clients succeed. If you love the idea of working with successful small business owners and helping them really hone in their success and that lights you up, then this is going to be such a fun career for you.
Curious About Other Businesses & How They Operate
You're curious and you really like to see behind the scenes. One of the first clients I pursued was somebody that I was following on Instagram, and I heard about her business. I knew the types of things that she was saying, and in my analytical brain, I knew what her program cost.
I knew how many people had gone through it, and I was doing some math on the sales side. I was so curious about what it would take to run that business and what she would be bringing home monthly.
I was so curious about what was going on behind the scenes in her business, what it would take to operate the business that I just had to get in there. I had to see it for myself. I had so many questions. And I think if you're watching people online or people that you know, start businesses and your head is just asking questions. This is going to be a great career for you.
Good with Tech & Confident with Numbers
I recently had somebody email me and tell me that they were interested in bookkeeping, but they're not really techie and numbers aren't really their thing. And I had to honestly reply and say, then this might not actually be the path for you. I don't think that, especially in the realm of where bookkeeping is going, that you can really make a good bookkeeper if you're not good with tech or with numbers, you do have to be able to get into systems. And I think if you love computer systems, then this is also a really good arena for you.
I always loved Excel, and I even dabbled with computer programing when I was in high school and I was just kind of drawn to systems and logic and formulas. Even language, I would say, translates well. If you like to study language and find the logic in that where language comes naturally to you. I think that it translates to being formula-driven, logic-driven, and that that would make it something that is within your wheelhouse.
Great with Deadlines & Creating Your Own Schedule
You might make a good bookkeeper is that you can meet deadlines and you value setting your own schedule. You will be the boss, you won't have anybody micromanaging you. And even if you want to work for another bookkeeper, ultimately, you have to be motivated to meet deadlines.
You have to know what it takes to do all of the steps in the right order, not push the deadlines and be self-motivated to meet them. What's great, though, about bookkeeping is that you can set your own schedule, and as long as you get it done, it doesn't matter when you're working.
You’re Social, but Value Not Having to be “On” All the Time
I find that I love both sides of this business when I care to be social. I do marketing events and collaborations, and I'm signing clients and I'm talking to clients and having meetings with clients. And when I'm feeling a little bit more introverted, I can focus on just maintaining what's already there.
That means I can focus on serving my existing clients, and I can just allow myself to operate with what's there and not have to be on all of the time. I don't have to constantly be networking. I don't have to constantly be on with clients, and I certainly don't have to constantly be doing marketing.
So you like people enough that having those deep connections that I think really helps you succeed, especially in your own bookkeeping business that comes naturally to you, but you also value the ability to become introverted just hang out with some numbers, some formulas, some logic, some checklists, some checklists and some clear tasks that can be checked off.
11 Signs That You Could Become a Successful Bookkeeper: The Bottomline
I hope you enjoyed this post! If you're looking for more insight on how to become a bookkeeper, enroll in Become A Bookkeeper (BABs). If you checked off a lot of those traits and you’re interested in the next step this course should definitely be it!
Or, if you’re confident in your skills as a bookkeeper and want to learn how to grow and scale your bookkeeping business, you can apply for Booked Out Bookkeeper (BOB).
If you enjoyed the episode, please take a second to rate and review. Each review helps us reach and inspire more entrepreneurs and bookkeepers just like you.
Don’t forget to take a screenshot, share it in your Instagram stories, and tag me at @orderlyaccountingbykatie. Cheers to your inevitable success and I’ll see you in the next episode!
