Being a Bean Counter is a Popular Career Choice
Even with the global financial crisis, some industries are still needed and even flourishing. Bookkeepers, or bean counters as we are often referred to, are often in demand due to the growth over the last 20 years in small business.
20 Years ago, bookkeeping was not really a profession of its own. It was somewhere between being a secretary and working in an accounts department. As a profession it has taken off over the last two decades and in particular in Australia, with the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on July 1st 2000, it has really increased in popularity. This is not only due to increasing small businesses, but also in the compliance work which was created with the introduction of GST.
The new tax on goods and services meant that businesses suddenly needed to understand their accounts on a quarterly, if not a monthly basis. Although this is a great business improvement from a management point of view, it did increase the small business owners paper load and compliance.
On a positive note however these changes have increased the demand for bookkeepers and improved the profile of the profession and it is an increasing career choice for people. Instead of being told you can be an accountant or a secretary, bookkeeping suddenly gets offered.
Bookkeeping is also becoming recognized as a quasi profession. It is becoming more regulated and there are a number of professional organizations available for bookkeepers to join. Historically this was not the case as it was only offered to accountants. Now though, bookkeepers can join membership based organizations and improve their professional profile. Additionally these professional organizations also offer professional development and additional education to improve the members skills.
There will always need to be bookkeepers in small and medium business. Many bookkeepers even start their own business endeavors and become their own boss by starting their own business. This is often popular with mothers who stop their careers for family commitments and only want to continue working pat time. Rather than finding an employer they fall into their own business by taking on a few small clients and gradually grow from there.
Additionally, if bookkeepers want to start their own book keeping business, it is possible to still be employed part time by an organization and start working for themselves on a part time basis until they build up a client base which is sufficient to sustain their financial commitments and not need an employer.
About the Author:
Julia Nitschke is an Accountant, business consultant and author of the book My Bookkeeping Business, how to Start, Run and Grow your Bookkeeping Business. Visit http://www.mybookkeepingbusiness.info
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