Continued Education - what do you suggest???

[Karen Mitchell]

Hello Dear VA's

I have been working as a bookkeeper for a number of years, but have not had any 'formal' education in this field. All of my experience comes from on-the-job training and when I didn't understand something - digging.

Although I have had a great start in this area (always accurate, with no complaints), today I am sitting here feeling somewhat crippled by the use of accounting programs. Do you know what I mean? It's not good enough for me to be ABLE to do the work, I want to know exactly how each account is affected with each posted transaction. If I had to pick up pencil and paper I would be a bit stuck.

Sorry for the long post, here is my question: Can you recommend an on-line tutorial that would provide the foundational information I am lacking?

I am really good at what I do. I've always had a zest for my work. I just feel to offer my services as a VA in this area I must be PROFICIENT.

Thanks!!

[Rebecka Melson]

I commend you on wanting to continue your education. To be a great bookkeeper you NEED to know the fundamentals of accounting. You need to know the software too, but you need the accounting to know when the software isn't doing what it should.

I would recommend taking your education from your local community college or a vocational school. Most of them offer online courses now and they are usually cheaper than going through a company. If your not going through a degree program you can pick and choose your courses. Also, check to see if they have business development classes. They usually provide accounting basics as part of their BD program at a discounted rate.

Accounting classes are extremely boring I would recommend taking them in the classroom rather than online if you can. They put me to sleep, I can't take them online. LOL

I'm about to go to a 2-day tax class, which I usually do annually when preparing taxes to get all the updates... can you say BORING!

[Elise]

Is there a National Association of Bookeepers or a certification that you could look into, most of these would have some sort of assessment attached to them - I think.

[D_Victoria_Virtual_Assistance]

I would like to second Rebecka's suggestion on going to your local community college to take courses on bookkeeping. The costs are usually cheaper and there is almost always a resource center students can go to get extra help for free.

I am taking my second Accounting course this semester in college... the cost is far less than that of an online school and I am taking the course online! Taking the course online works great for me. However, there are some courses I take on campus because I just learn them better that way. The same may be true for you. Whichever choice you make, continuing your education is absolutely fantastic and I wish you the best of luck!

[mapeavy]

My background is utilizing Quickbooks which is very user friendly and doesn't require a lot of "accounting terminology" just basic understanding of accounting principles. Because of the economy, I looked at working with an placement firm that specialized in accounting/bookkeeping placements and they wanted to "test my understanding of accounting principles" - I suddenly realized that since I hadn't really used the terminology in over 15 yrs since working with Quickbooks, I might need to brush up on that aspect for the test. I found a great site to give you an indtroduction to this. If isn't software specific which is good - it goes into the basic principles of accounting and bookkeeping. The site is: http://www.dwmbeancounter.com/tutori...html#introquiz

I would still recommend that you take a basic bookkeeping class which can usally be found at any community college in their continuing ed class. Also, if you are software specific such as Quickboooks, they have training classes that are taught by accountants so they give you the basic information and understanding as well.

[Karen Mitchell]

Thank you for the tip. I have used QB's for over 10 years and reached a point of frustration when I too went to take a test. In the end it was good because it highlighted the area of weakness I needed to work on. Since then I have purchased a book *yawn* and have looked into classes at my local JC. I will have to wait until the spring to sign up as there is nothing available now. In the mean time I will check out the link you sent. THANKS

[McCaul Assistance]

Thanks for the link mapeavy! I'll go visit it now. I've been using Peachtree for over ten years and Quickbooks for just under two. I'm so used to the software giving me the information I need, I've forgotten the accounting rules!

Lori
Aspiring VA

[Office Goddess]

Check out Longmont Free University http://www.ed2go.com/cgi-bin/oic/ren...artmentCode=BA

Their online classes run for 6 weeks and usually cost $89. I just finished a photoshop class and was really pleased with them.

[Karen Mitchell]

OoooOO! Thanks for the info. I will definitely check this out. I've been reading books like crazy - puts me to sleep most of the time. I am slowly filling in the blanks. I found a great tutorial program for excel. I tagged as a favorite on my other computer so once I get back there I'll post the link for all who are interested. Thanks again for the Longmont U link!

[LindaK]

Karen,
I am with you. All of my QB experience has been through trial and error. I went through a year and a half to get a diploma in bookkeeping/accounting through a correspondence school years ago. At that time, it was all done on paper and with ledgers. I'm still vague on debits and credits and which is which depending on whether I am working with the asset side or the liability side of things. I have played around in QB a lot and learned what affects what with my entries. If you are going to contract someones bookkeeping, I would think you should have a working knowledge of how your entries affect other figures and accounts within QB.

I would suggest taking a couple of accounting courses at a local college such as Acctg I & II. For around 12 to 24 credit hours you can obtain a couple of accounting certifications.

I am currently working on an Associates in Paralegal studies through the www.iowacconline.com (Iowa College Consortium). This is a group of participating Iowa Community Colleges who in a combined effort offer online classes toward degrees or as individual courses. You do not have to be a resident of the state and the tuition is quite reasonable.