There are a number of qualities needed to become a successful bookkeeper; these are the five qualities that I feel are the most important. They are in no particular order and the first one is not necessary but it helpful. The other four, in my opinion, are all essential to success.

1. Qualifications. As I have said, this is not essential but it is definitely a bonus when trying to secure new clients. It doesn’t have to be a bachelor degree in accounting; it can just be a certificate. Showing that you have achieved some level of education in your chosen career with show prospective clients that you know what you are talking about.

2. Experience. When listing your previous experience, even the small things count, e.g. banking. Experience can be anything related to office work. The more experience you have, the more confidence your clients will have in you, especially if your experience has been gained in a variety of situations.

3. Reputation. Your reputation is build with your experience. If you do your job well, you can use previous employees and clients as references for new clients. When you build a good reputation, you won’t need to search for new clients; they will come looking for you.

4. Ethics. There is an ethical code of conduct for accountants and this should be followed by all bookkeepers. I am in contact by email with a bookkeeper in Sydney who asked for my advice. Although it is hard to help when you don’t exactly know what you are dealing with, I respect him more for not giving me exact details, as it would not be ethical to tell me more. In my opinion, he will go a long way in his bookkeeping career as he has the right attitude. He is willing to ask for help when he needs it AND he doesn’t give away company information. I don’t even know the name of his company.

5. Commitment. You must be committed to each and every one of your clients. They need to feel that they are your most important client and that you are committed to helping them make a success of their business.

If you can show clients and potential clients that you have experience, ethics and commitment, then your reputation will build itself and thus you will have a successful bookkeeping career.