If you took basic bookkeeping and/or accounting courses in high school or have worked in the bookkeeping department of a company, you may already have the basic skills and knowledge needed to start your own bookkeeping service. Many smaller businesses or independent contractors often dump bookkeeping responsibilities on their spouses who may hate this job and will welcome you to take it off their hands. These are just the customers who hire Pam Baker to do their bookkeeping.

Baker started her small bookkeeping business from her home part-time when she discovered she was only clearing $20 per week from her company bookkeeping job after paying day care expenses, keeping up her business wardrobe, and buying gas for her commute. Her first client was a friend who owned an antique business. That friend then referred her to another contractor. That was seven years ago. Today, her business grosses more than $40,000 per year. Many of Baker's clients are in seasonal lines of work, which works out great for her. "When one business is slow, another may be busy, which enables me to have steady work year-round," she says. She likes, too, the way she can manage her business hours around her children's school and other activities. "I like being my own boss," she says. "I can never picture myself working for anyone else again."

Start-Up Costs

* $100 for basic home office supplies
* $3,000-$5,000 for a computer, software, and other equipment
* Start out with good used equipment or rent and then buy your equipment from your first earnings.

Pricing Guidelines

* $50 for a first meeting and evaluation of a business' bookkeeping records
* $40-$50 an hour after that

Marketing And Advertising Methods And Tips

* Encourage word-of-mouth referrals from your customers.
* Look in the classified or business sections of local newspapers to find small businesses. Call to make an appointment with them.
* Place classified ads in the business section of newspapers.

Essential Equipment

You can start with just a typewriter and a calculator, but most bookkeeping and accounting businesses use a computer and accounting bookkeeping software. You'll also need a separate business telephone, answering machine or service, fax, copier.

Recommended Training, Experience, Or Needed Skills

* Work in a bookkeeping department of a company.
* Take a home study book keeping course or courses at a local business school or college.
* Volunteer to help a friend or relative with a small business do their bookkeeping.

Income Potential

$20,000-$40,000 or more a year

Type Of Business

* ½ in-home; ½ out-of-the-home at your clients' businesses

Best Customers

* Small businesses that gross between $l00, 000-$500,000 a year
* Often these are seasonal businesses such as concrete contractors, landscapers, and pool cleaners.

Helpful Tips

* Be honest with your customers. Know what resources can help you and your client.
* Work with your customers' accountants to make sure you have the right tax forms, etc. Accountants may often refer other customers to you because you will make their book keeping and accounting jobs easier.

Main Sources Of Book Keeping Business

Bookkeeping is the detailed records of all fiscal transactions of the organization, any local sports club, social welfare organization or the governmental institutes. Accounting book keeping services offer the plain cash accounting record of all incoming sources, savings account pass book and check account register with all reports of the expenses of the family or organization. Accounting book keeping software is used by many professional accountant of the organization to minimize the calculation errors with easy usage of the software application. Real estate book keeping software is also used for the complex calculation of massive amounts of real estate transactions effortlessly.

When you are handling the small business book keeping, you need a quick, authentic and instinctive accounting book keeping software which is very easy to use and follow the strategic tools of small business. Book keeping course offers the great opportunity of having a lot of book keeping and accounting jobs for the individuals who want to start small business book keeping. Online book keeping course is also offered by the different well-known institute and you may get benefit from the professional trainings of these institutes with good prospects of starting online small business book keeping. Small business book keeping software is very helpful in preparing all the reports of profit gains and losses with perfect balance sheet without any error in calculating the complicated amounts of investments. If you want to start small business book keeping, it is really very reasonable home based business where you may be expert after doing book keeping course.