Key Certifications That A Virtual Business Accountant Needs
There are many people looking for ways to transition out of their typical work and office cubicle jobs. One of the leading ways is to work from home. In fact, if you look at work from home blogs and ways to leave the office for greener pastures, you will find bookkeeping and accounting at the top of the list. Before you step out of the cubicle and into a more comfortable environment, there are some key certifications you will want to consider having.
QuickBooks
When you begin working from home, you will find that QuickBooks makes up the vast majority of bookkeeping and accounting jobs. There are several options when it comes to QuickBooks. There are multiple platforms including their online platform as well as freelancer, small business, and all-in-one softwares. Ideally, you will need to pick the one that will gain you the most access to further work from home jobs. This will likely be their online platform as training in this platform will give you versatility and the ability to work for several different types of businesses.
Excel
When it comes to Excel, you may not think a certification in this spreadsheet based program would matter. The truth is, many businesses use Excel for a variety of booking and analysis tasks. Businesses may ask you to use Excel to create spreadsheets reflecting the income, spending, or miscellaneous charges for a specific time frames. You may also be asked to create bar graphs, tables, and other visual aides using the Excel software. In addition, if you would like to advance your career into data and financial analytics, this is the certification that can get you there.
Payroll
Payroll is a form of accounting you may not have considered as a work from home option. The truth is, many businesses have their accounts receivable and payable handled in house or by someone local. Payroll, however, may be different. This is especially true in smaller businesses where they do not have enough employees to justify paying the larger ongoing rates of major payroll agencies. By having a payroll certification you can expand your accounting career and offer a more well rounded background to potential employers.
Regardless of being a business looking for a virtual business accountant or being an account looking to partner with a work from home business, these certifications are vital. Many of these certifications are free and available through the various accounting and bookkeeping software companies. Obtaining these certifications may take some time, but finding the job that appreciates these certifications will be worth it to furthering your accounting career.
For more information, contact an accountant near you.