Working as an Outsourced Bookkeeper

When the top then factors for employee job satisfaction are considered, three stand out: appreciation to the employee from the company for the work being done, learning and career development with the ability to use acquired skills, and interesting job content with variability. These points stand out because they have nothing to do with salary or benefits and certain occupations are a natural fit to create employee satisfaction if these three factors are the primary drivers. One job that is a perfect fit is outsourced bookkeeping services.

Whether a bookkeeper works for a large financial accounting firm, a small chartered accountant practice or a bookkeeping agency, it can be quite fulfilling for an employee to have the challenge of taking on various small business accounting roles, mid-sized business bookkeeping tasks and large business back-filling, among a range of other tasks. This diversity of roles is generally very beneficial for the employee, employer and client.

Focusing on the employee’s benefits, there are a number of reasons a graduate of a bookkeeping or accounting program would choose to be outsourced:

1. Job security

By becoming an integral part of bookkeeping jobs in a number of businesses, you expand your importance to those companies. So long as you do your job well, meet deadlines and are pleasant to deal with, it’s far easier for a business to keep asking for you than to have someone else come on board to help out with the various tasks you already have knowledge of. Plus, because the companies you are outsourced to see you as a valuable asset, it raises your credibility and importance with your employer.

2. Flexibility

Most companies don’t need you to come into their office on a daily basis to help with the various bookkeeping tasks. This gives you the opportunity to set up a workspace at home or in a work-share office arrangement and be more comfortable in the environment you choose to work in. Additionally, work can be done around your own schedule. As mentioned previously, if you are doing the job well, meet deadlines and are pleasant to work with, clients are unlikely to care if you get the work done at 6 am or 11 pm. You have the ability to build your schedule around taking the kids to school and picking them up, running errands and doing volunteer activities. This lets you learn when you do your best work. You’ll be able to identify those prime times and work when you are most productive without feeling strapped to someone else’s demand for nine to five.

3. Tool choice

Depending upon the employer and the client, there is a certain amount of flexibility in choosing the tools that work for you. If you’d rather work on an Apple product than a PC, cloud software programs make it possible. Consider tools like Quickbooks, Simply Accounting and other bookkeeping and accounting software programs. You’re able to log on wherever you have internet access and take care of business. There may even be more flexibility than that. For small business accounting, you may be able to establish the software tools that you prefer in order to do your job. If you’re the primary point person for account entry, bookkeeping audits and payroll, chances are, you can pick your tool and set the business up in ways that are most convenient for you. Obviously, you’ll need to ensure your employer is satisfied with your choices and that all standards are being met, but beyond that, there can be a lot of tools for you to consider using in your day-to-day activity.

4. Diversity

There is nothing worse than doing the same thing again and again and again. Einstein said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. While you’re not necessarily looking for different results in bookkeeping, you still want a certain amount of diversity in how you spend your days. Having a range of clients of various sizes will ensure a varied workload and provide a broad array of tasks each week. You may find yourself preparing solo-entrepreneur taxes one day, doing account audits the next day and attending a meeting about data entry on the following day. The diversity of work comes down to the differing and unique needs of each client. It will be your job to determine the necessary timing of each task and slot it into your day to meet those distinct needs.

5. Expanded education

Exposure to a number of different clients and tasks will also broaden your awareness of your field. Not only will you learn about different aspects of bookkeeping, but you are also likely to learn different ways of doing things from working with a wide range of individuals. Plus, the flexibility in time allows you to enhance your knowledge by adding more continuing education such as additional bookkeeping or accounting courses, online webinar education on tools and techniques and professional association sessions that expand the learning of members.

6. Focus

Although you might think that working on a wide range of activities at different times would make you less focused, depending upon your work style, it’s likely to be the opposite – it’s likely to make you more focused on both what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. This comes as a result of knowing you are responsible for both your own time and getting certain things done. Therefore, for most people in the bookkeeping field, the ability to sit in the chair, review the task before them and get started becomes a very focusing activity that allows them to see both the big picture and the minutia before them. Those with a financial mind also tend to be better at pushing out the distractions calling for their time and making side lists of things to deal with later while they move ahead on the task at hand.

Everyone wants diversity in their work and wants to feel valued and appreciated by their employer. There’s also a common desire to make use of skills and apply them in a wide range of ways that can lead to other challenges and opportunities. By taking your bookkeeping knowledge to an outsourced model, you may find your greatest satisfaction as an employee.