"Keeper makes us look good."

Highlights:

• Using Keeper’s custom management reporting tools, McBride CPAs received high praise from their nonprofit clients’ board members, who loved the Executive Summary and noted the overall increase in clarity and professionalism.
• McBride CPAs saves 10+ billable hours per month thanks to the ability to ask transaction questions—and send automated reminders for those requests—directly from the Client Portal.
• McBride CPAs transitioned from disconnected Google Sheets and Asana workflows to Keeper, where the team benefits from visibility, enhanced quality control and smoother internal communication.

Supporting local nonprofits

Kala McBride founded McBride CPAs in 2020 fueled by a specific mission: to provide high-quality bookkeeping and tax services to Indianapolis-area nonprofits and women- and minority-owned businesses. Today, the firm manages monthly bookkeeping for over 35 clients and has quickly grown from a solo practice to a busy team of four.

As the team continued to focus on the nonprofit niche, Kala recognized the unique needs within this important sector, specifically when it came to reconciling accounts and financial reporting. Nonprofit boards rely heavily on clear, digestible financial data, particularly to understand cash positions and budget variances. Kala knew that certain aspects of her month-end close process needed optimization, so that she could stay organized and provide an even higher level of service to her clients. So, she started looking into Keeper.

Searching for a better month-end close system

Before adopting Keeper, McBride CPAs struggled with fragmented systems that lacked the structure needed for sustained firm growth. Kala recalled starting out with one other bookkeeper on board, where the month-end close process involved a Google Sheet template and Asana to track tasks. “That was our process, and it wasn't very good. And as we planned to add more teammates, that absolutely would not have been doable," she said.

This exceedingly manual system meant that Kala’s team had to spend tons of valuable time combing through the GL—making sure that errors or inconsistencies in their clients’ books were caught and corrected. But shortly after adopting Keeper, it was clear that the Transaction Review Report significantly improved accuracy, automatically. The report instantly flagged inconsistent categorization and enabled Kala’s team to maintain quality control without the extensive manual reviews.

Saving 10 hours per month in follow-ups alone

Ultimately for Kala, the most attractive thing about Keeper was the ability to send a list of transaction questions to clients, straight from the bank feed. Prior to using Keeper, Kala’s team still relied heavily on those age-old Google Sheets plus manual emails to make client inquiries—a process ripe with delays and frustration. But Keeper’s client communication features made this aspect of the bookkeeping process a smoother and more efficient one.

“It automatically sends reminders to the repeat offenders who just won’t get their responses to us. That alone probably saves us 10 hours a month, and it’s providing so much clarity now that there are more of us on the team,” said Kala.

Clients find Keeper’s portal intuitive, because it offers a centralized place for them to upload documents, answer questions, and access previously published financials. This straightforward hub for communication drastically reduced internal bottlenecks and client frustrations, giving Kala’s team more time to focus on meaningful client interactions.

Making clients look good, and their bookkeepers look even better

While workflow improvements and client communication are crucial to running a successful firm, Keeper’s custom management reporting feature was what truly elevated McBride CPAs’ client relationships and satisfaction, especially for those within the nonprofit niche.

The Indianapolis nonprofit network is relatively small, so the organizations and boards are well connected. Case in point: one of Kala’s clients sits on the Board for a different client’s nonprofit organization. After a board meeting, he wasted no time in sharing the board’s praise about the financial reports they were reviewing that day.

"Everyone went on and on about how professional these reports were, and how easy they were to understand. All of the important information was highlighted,” he told Kala.

Nonprofit boards seem to exceptionally love the Executive Summary. This well-loved Keeper feature allows Kala’s team to present critical financial information clearly, highlighting key metrics like cash-on-hand and budget-to-actual variances. After reading through the Executive Summary’s highlights, the rest of the package contains digestible reports that provide boards with newfound confidence in the financial health of the organizations they advise.

"For nonprofits, we're not helping them make money—so the value we provide lies within making sure they can communicate to the board about how things are going." Kala explained.

While Keeper’s reporting tools did save the team time, it also helped to simplify even the most complex financial reporting packages. One of their nonprofit clients has 15 separate credit card accounts, and before Keeper, the McBride CPAs team had to manually collapse each individual account in QuickBooks. After all, the team just needed to know the total amount of credit card spend in a given period of time. But now, they can generate the exact same report, in seconds.

“We just hit a button and collapse them all. Depending on the client, that feature can save us at least 30 minutes to an hour every time we run those reports,” said Kala.

Scaling a practice with Keeper

Kala also had great things to say about Keeper’s client-based pricing model, which allows her team to scale effortlessly without worrying about seat-based costs.

"The price feels like an inconsequential amount for what we're getting. With other tools, pulling the trigger on paying for new seats is a big hurdle," Kala remarked. "Keeper lets us use the features fully as a team without that barrier."

Since adopting Keeper, McBride CPAs has comfortably added new clients and expanded internal capabilities, exploring even more advanced Keeper features like the new integrated email system–Keeper Emails—as well as Keeper Receipts.

Future growth and peace of mind

When asked about the value of Keeper overall, Kala had this to say:

"We are 100% completing our tasks faster than before. But even if we weren't doing it faster, we have peace of mind knowing things aren’t slipping through the cracks."

For Kala, this integrity paired with a reinforced confidence in her team’s work product is priceless. Keeper not only improves efficiency and accuracy, but also empowers McBride CPAs to consistently deliver the same level of professional, reliable service their clients trust.

Now, as McBride CPAs continues to expand and grow, Keeper remains central to the team’s operational strategy. "It's apparent to our clients: Keeper makes us look better and helps us deliver a better-quality product. And it’s at a really reasonable price,” Kala concluded. “So… I’m a Keeper fan forever!”

Curious to see what Keeper can do for your practice? Book a personalized demo today.

The post How McBride CPAs Saves 10+ Hours Per Month and Nails Nonprofit Board Reporting with Keeper appeared first on Keeper.

Tax season is a whirlwind. Between juggling client communications, managing deadlines, and ensuring compliance, the last thing you need is a cumbersome e-signature process. Enter Knowledge-Based Authentication (KBA) e-signatures—a secure, IRS-compliant method for obtaining electronic signatures on critical tax documents like Form 8879.​

At Keeper, we've seamlessly integrated KBA e-signatures into our Tax Suite, eliminating the need for third-party tools and streamlining your workflow.​

What is KBA, and why does it matter?

KBA is a security measure that verifies a signer's identity by prompting them to answer questions based on public records (think previous addresses or loan details). This method ensures that the person signing the document is indeed who they claim to be.

For tax professionals, KBA is a legal requirement. The IRS mandates KBA for electronically signed Forms 8878 and 8879, which exist to authorize the e-filing of an individual’s tax returns.

The old way:

Historically, incorporating KBA into your tax workflow meant relying on separate platforms, leading to:​

• Manual data transfers between systems
• Increased risk of errors
• Additional costs for standalone KBA services
• Disjointed client experiences​

These inefficiencies can obviously slow down your operations and increase the likelihood of compliance issues or overwhelm for tax teams, which is exactly why we built a KBA feature into our Tax Suite. Now, your firm can securely manage and verify signatures without leaving the platform.

The Keeper way:

Keeper’s e-signature features makes sending, signing, and verifying documents simple. The highlights include:

• Uploading documents directly from a client’s tax return page in Keeper.
• Adding multiple signers and customize the signing order easily.
• Customizing fields with various types (text, signature, date, etc.), ensuring all necessary information is clearly requested. Make templates so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel each tax season.
• Optional KBA verification enhances security, verifying the signer’s identity through personal information and public records.

How it works:

1. Enable KBA verification simply by selecting "KBA signature required" from the Role drop-down when adding recipients.
2. Pay per signature: affordable pricing ($1 per signature in the US) covers the cost of verification.
3. Pre-fill optional client details (such as Name, Address, Date of Birth, and SSN) or let clients provide this information during the verification process.
4. Signers complete verification by answering KBA questions before being redirected seamlessly to sign their document.

Put simply: clients get a link, they answer a few simple questions, and they sign. They’ll automatically receive confirmation, and so will you. That’s it!

Stay organized and compliant

Once completed, signatures and related documents are auto-organized within Keeper’s Files tab, accessible anytime. Both you and your client receive notifications confirming the completed signatures.

Keeper’s integrated KBA e-signatures simplify your firm’s workflow, ensuring secure, compliant, and stress-free tax seasons. Ready to get started?

The post Simplify IRS Compliance with KBA e-Signatures in Keeper appeared first on Keeper.

Ever get stuck waiting on missing receipts or scrambling to reconcile uncategorized transactions at month’s end? Most accounting professionals have been there, juggling multiple apps, and sending clients endless follow-up emails. But what if a single, integrated tool could streamline every stage of your monthly close—from task management to real-time collaboration with clients?

In a recent Earmark Expo, Andy from Keeper demonstrated how one cloud-based practice management platform can tackle the monthly close in a streamlined, client-friendly way.

1. Streamlined Task and Project Management

A smooth month-end close starts with effective planning. Instead of juggling spreadsheets or generic project tools, Keeper lets you create recurring monthly tasks alongside ad-hoc projects (e.g., onboarding, payroll processing, sales tax). You can:

• Set Custom Frequencies: Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or quarterly tasks with specific due dates.
• Create Checklists & SOPs: Store all the instructions, links, and passwords your team needs.
• View Firm-Wide Progress: A central dashboard shows each client’s close status, from pre-close tasks to account reconciliations.

From an owner’s perspective, this holistic view helps ensure junior staff follow standardized procedures. No more scattered checklists; everything is tracked and auditable in one place.

2. Intelligent Review: Direct Ledger Integration

Keeper integrates with QuickBooks Online or Xero, analyzing the general ledger for anomalies and inconsistencies. It flags potential issues, such as:

• Vendors with Inconsistent Categories: If a vendor was previously coded to “Software " but ended up in “Advertising " this month, the system notifies you.
• Missing Payees or Transactions: Instantly spot missing or incomplete vendor info.
• Auto-Added Bank Rules: Verify that automated rules are accurate, reducing errors.

Changes can be made from Keeper itself—no toggling between platforms. When you recode a transaction or add a vendor, it updates QuickBooks or Xero in real-time. This ensures everyone from the bookkeeper to the reviewer is working with up-to-date financials.

3. Consolidated Client Communication

If you dread sending 40 emails to a single client each month, modern platforms offer a better way. Keeper consolidates client questions—uncategorized expenses, missing statements, etc.—into a single, branded portal. When you’re ready, you notify the client.

“Rather than sending the client 40 messages throughout the month, we wait until all our questions are ready and then let them know they have new items,” explained Andy from Keeper.

Clients click a magic link—no password needed—and land in a portal with your firm’s branding. There, they see only the transactions or questions that need attention. They can respond by typing an explanation or uploading documents. Communication remains organized with a clear audit trail, so your team can finalize the books faster.

4. Proactive W-9 Collection & 1099 Prep

The year-end 1099 season can be a scramble when you haven’t collected W-9s in advance. Keeper automates the process by:

• Tracking Thresholds: Once a vendor exceeds $600 of reportable spend, the system flags them.
• Sending Branded W-9 Requests: Vendors get a link to fill out or upload their W-9 electronically.
• Syncing Data: Submitted forms are attached to the vendor record in QuickBooks Online (or Xero).

By converting 1099 tracking into a recurring monthly task, you can avoid the January rush of incomplete or missing vendor details. Firms can even export data directly to a 1099-filing solution, turning W-9 collection into a year-round routine.

5. Receipt Management on Your Client's Terms

Receipts are one of the most common pain points in bookkeeping. Keeper’s receipt capture tools offer multiple ways for clients to submit documents:

• Dedicated Phone Number for Texting: Clients can snap a picture and text it directly.
• Magic Link Portal: They drag and drop files from a desktop or mobile device.
• Email Upload: Optionally forward digital receipts to a dedicated inbox.

Once in the system, OCR technology extracts key data and either creates new transactions or matches receipts to existing ones. This eliminates redundant steps like re-keying or reconciling bank feed entries separately.

6. Additional Features: Time Tracking, KPIs, and More

Beyond communication and transaction reviews, Keeper offers tools to centralize your entire CAS practice:

• Time Tracking & Budgeting: Set budgets per client or project. Track time with built-in timers.
• Advanced Reporting & KPIs: Customize monthly financial reports with real-time variance analysis, graphs, and even non-financial metrics (e.g., headcount).
• Inter-Company Transfers: For multi-entity clients, Keeper can sync due-to/due-from accounts across different QuickBooks or Xero files.

The result is a single source of truth for all monthly close tasks, collaboration, and data oversight.

A New Era of Month-End Efficiency

Platforms like Keeper reimagine not just client communication but the entire month-end process—reducing the back-and-forth between email threads, spreadsheets, and accounting files. From automated anomaly detection to text-based receipt collection, these solutions let accountants focus on higher-value advisory work.

Ready to streamline your month-end and client collaboration? Watch the complete Earmark Expo session featuring Keeper. You can also earn continuing professional education (CPE) credit for learning how integrated software simplifies your workflow—giving you time back to serve your clients at a higher level.

The post Earmark Expo - Keeper: Transforming Client Communication in Accounting appeared first on Keeper.

Here’s an easy-to-follow lead generation strategy that gives you step-by-step tips on how to build your firm from the ground up.

How to Get Leads for a Bookkeeping Business

Consistently generating quality bookkeeping leads requires a strategic mix of industry research, networking, and marketing to attract new clients.

Ideally, lead generation will involve tapping into existing resources while experimenting with proven marketing techniques to build your client base.

With that said, here are seven bookkeeping lead generation strategies you can follow to drive qualified leads to your accounting firm.

1. Start with People You Know

The first phases of launching a bookkeeping business are often the most difficult. At this point, you have minimal credibility and momentum, and you’re simply looking to get the ball rolling with your marketing and lead generation.

Often the best way to gain initial traction is to leverage your current network of people you know, such as family, friends, and old classmates and colleagues. Because you have built-in rapport, many of these people will be willing to take a chance on you when a stranger may not.

And because many people need help with their finances, you may be surprised at how receptive they will be to any bookkeeping services.

Typically, the best way to go about this is with systematic outreach where you let people you’re still in contact with know that you’ve started an accounting business and that you’d love for them to become your bookkeeping client.

For those who you’ve lost touch with, spend some time reconnecting with them to rebuild some chemistry, and let them know that you’re searching for bookkeeping clients.

If all goes well, this can help you generate your very first accounting leads, with a decent percentage converting.

2. Pick an In-Demand Niche

Being a generalist bookkeeper where you work with clients across a variety of industries increases the size of your potential client pool. However, this makes it harder to stand out, which can make it trickier to generate quality leads and grow your bookkeeping business.

That’s why it often makes more sense to “niche down” with lead generation and place your focus on in-demand bookkeeping niches in the accounting industry. While you won’t likely have the same volume of potential clients, this can be beneficial for four main reasons.

1. There’s less competition
2. It’s easier to market your accounting services to prospects
3. It’s easier to build trust with a business owner
4. You can often earn higher rates because of your expertise

The key is to carefully research different industries and narrow it down to one or two that have high demand and that you’re knowledgeable and passionate about.

According to 2024 research, some of the most profitable industries were:

• Real estate
• Healthcare
• Construction
• E-commerce
• Restaurant and hospitality
• Non-profits

It’s important to perform your own research in this stage of lead generation, but these industries should serve as good starting points.

3. Ask for and Get Referrals

No matter how advanced your marketing efforts are, word-of-mouth referrals continue to be one of the best ways to generate high quality leads.

For perspective, of accounting firms surveyed, 80.9% said referrals were their main source of client leads.

Further, “leads generated from referrals boast a conversion rate 30% higher than those from other marketing avenues.”

This means you’ll want to make it a habit of asking for and getting referrals from your existing clients, as it can be a major contributing factor to the growth of your bookkeeping business.

But what’s the best way to go about getting client referrals?

First, focus on consistently offering excellent client service that goes above meeting expectations. That’s a precursor.

To get your first batch of client referrals, it’s usually best to reach out to your most satisfied clients.

Ask for referrals at strategic times, such as after a client is delighted with your service or after a project has been successfully completed. Timing is critical for 1) getting referrals and 2) ensuring bookkeeping clients speak highly of you.

Also, it’s important to make the referral process as simple as possible. For example, you would want to give clients a straightforward online form with only a handful of questions rather than a long-winded form that takes 10+ minutes to complete.

4. Publish Advice on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

When it comes to accounting marketing channels, social media is one of the most tried and true. Bookkeepers who use social media see an average ROI of 250%, and it’s the perfect place to gain exposure while also building credibility.

In particular, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are some of the best networks for accounting lead generation, as they all have massive user bases and are perfect for professional networking.

While there are several ways to leverage these platforms, publishing free advice directed toward business owners is one of the best techniques because it organically grabs a user’s attention and gets them to engage without being pushy about it.

Some examples could include:

• Strategies for organizing tax receipts
• How to automate repetitive accounting tasks
• A breakdown of different tax deductions

This allows you to provide valuable content to build initial rapport and get your foot in the door with a prospective client.

Once a person is comfortable with you and a base level of trust has been established, you can then point them to the next steps of the lead generation process where they can learn more about your accounting firm and become a potential customer.

From there, they can check out your services and officially hire you as their accountant.

5. Do a Local SEO Campaign

Would you believe that 97% of bookkeeping clients search online to find local accounting firms?

It’s true. Whether a client is looking to hire a remote bookkeeper or find someone in their local area, nearly all begin their research with a search engine.

To ensure your accounting firm gets in front of the largest percentage of users, it’s smart to launch a local SEO campaign for lead generation, which includes the following.

First, begin by claiming and optimizing your Google Business profile.

It’s completely free, and you simply fill out your contact information, add photos, and link to your website. That alone can have a tangible impact on your search engine exposure within Google.

Next, tailor your bookkeeping website specifically for local clients.

Some strategies include incorporating your city and state names into website URLs, headers, and keywords. You may also want to create an “About Us” page that strategically targets local users by explaining where you’re located and highlighting your role within your community.

Also, be sure to create local-centric content on your blog and social platforms to pull in targeted local prospects in your area.

Of course, if you don’t have the time or feel comfortable using local SEO for client acquisition yourself, you can always hire SEO services and use their expertise for generating leads.

6. Run Search Engine Ads

Organic SEO where users find your business by optimizing content for search engines is an excellent way to generate quality leads. The only downside is that it typically takes three to six months to see tangible results, which can slow down your lead generation efforts.

If you’re looking to leverage search engines to generate accounting leads but want dramatically quicker results, running search engine ads is a great option.

For this strategy, you focus on targeted keywords to find your ideal client, concentrating on your niche and city. If, for instance, your main niche was real estate and you were located in Miami, you might run search engine ads for “Real estate bookkeeper in Miami.”

The goal here is to get your ads in front of exclusive leads, where a sizable percentage of prospects who click on your ads go on to convert and become clients.

Note that running search engine ads in the bookkeeping industry comes with a considerable cost of around $3 per click, which is higher than many other industries.

Therefore, it’s important to set a budget and use caution as you go through the learning curve. But once you get a feel for which ads are working and resulting in a solid ROI, you can steadily increase your budget to capture more accounting leads and optimize your sales funnel.

7. Launch an Email Marketing Campaign

When it comes to ROI, email marketing is hard to beat. Results vary, but on average, a lead generation company earns a staggering $36 for every $1 spent on email marketing.

The process is simple. Offer your audience incentives for signing up for your newsletter. Some ideas include free guides, checklists, and eBooks.

Once someone has subscribed and become a new lead, start by sending them a welcome email to introduce yourself and the specific bookkeeping services you offer.

Then, send a steady drip of email content with valuable insights, such as accounting tips, resources, case studies, and success stories.

Keep nurturing your list, gradually building trustworthiness until a lead is ready to become a client. Also, be sure to include well-placed calls-to-action so subscribers know exactly what action they should take (e.g. contacting you for a free consultation).

Get Keeper to Grow Your Bookkeeping Business

A big part of making your bookkeeping business reach its peak potential is using the right tools to streamline and automate. One particular platform that can help in nearly all aspects is a bookkeeping practice management software like Keeper.

Keeper integrates with both QuickBooks Online and Xero and helps you achieve seamless communication with clients and team members, automates file review, efficiently gathers W-9s and 1099s, produces in-depth financial reports, and much more.

Get a full overview of Keeper’s robust capabilities here.

The post The Blueprint for Attracting and Converting Bookkeeping Leads appeared first on Keeper.

The thing is, if you want to stand out as a professional bookkeeper, then your credentials need to be in tip-top shape. And, a certification can help with that.

Here’s the lowdown on the subject, including the best bookkeeping certificate programs worth pursuing.

Do You Need a Bookkeeping Certificate?

The quick answer is “no.” You don’t actually need a bookkeeping certificate to be successful. And, you’re not legally required to have one, either.

That’s not to say that becoming a certified bookkeeper isn’t worth it, though.

Having a bookkeeping certification will definitely boost your prospects and give you a competitive edge. Especially if you’re just starting out and want a way to jumpstart your career.

If you’re applying for a job and you’re up against bookkeepers with similar experience, employers will likely pick the one who has the best credentials. So, if you have a certification, it’s going to help you stand out.

This is especially true if you want to work within certain industry niches.

For instance, the healthcare industry has complex billing systems and compliance regulations. Having a certification shows you know how to handle sensitive data properly.

In all, we recommend looking at the industries you want to work in and researching how valuable a certificate will be in helping you land your perfect bookkeeping job.

Even an experienced bookkeeper who has racked up a few years in the industry can benefit from a bookkeeping certification (though it matters less if they don’t have one).

Common Bookkeeping Certifications

Two professional bodies provide what are considered the best online bookkeeping certificate programs.

First is the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB).

This bookkeeping certificate program (each with a certification exam) is split into five parts:

1. Accounting Fundamentals
2. Bookkeeping Certification
3. QuickBooks Online Fundamentals
4. Payroll Fundamentals

Once you have completed the above courses and have at least a year’s worth of bookkeeping experience, you can then go for the Certified Public Bookkeeper License – The leading license in the US.

The total cost is $1,400 with a 28% discount given to NACPB members.

Second is the Certified Bookkeeper Designation from the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB).

However, this certification program is for those who already have plenty of bookkeeping experience – it is not for beginners.

To become an AIPB-certified bookkeeper, one needs to have been working as one for at least two years or amassed 3,000 hours working part-time or as a freelancer.

The 99-hour self-study course costs $1,495 for all the materials.

Other affordable options include:

• The Intuit Academy Bookkeeping Professional Certificate gives you bookkeeping basics. This online bookkeeping course costs $39/month and takes about four months to complete.
• For basic and advanced knowledge, the US Career Institute Bookkeeping Certification takes four months. It costs $589 and you get access to a career coach advisor.

Bookkeeping Certification Pros

Demonstrates You Have the Right Skills

Skilled bookkeeping clerks will always be in higher demand.

Newbie bookkeepers who don’t have years of experience can use a bookkeeping certification to prove they’ve put the effort in and taken the time to learn bookkeeping skills and accounting concepts.

If you’re experienced, then a bookkeeping certification serves as a way to enhance your credibility and willingness to stay on top of industry changes.

Essentially, if you can hit the ground running in a new role, then that’s going to work massively in your favor. Employers would prefer not to spend time and money training you and getting you up to speed.

Stand Out in a Crowded Market

It’s estimated that there are over 1.7 million bookkeepers in the US. So, you have a lot of competition!

You need to prove your value and your commitment to the role, and gaining a bookkeeping certification will help you do this.

Additionally, you can use the certification to expand your capabilities, such as offering payroll, tax preparation services, or fraud prevention.

Even an accounting administrative assistant or auditing clerk can increase their employability prospects with a bookkeeping certification.

In short, getting certified will help you stand out above the rest and catch the eye of potential employers.

Higher Earning Potential

According to Indeed, the average bookkeeper rate is $22.60. However, with experience, this can go as high as $31.65.

Payscale states that the average salary for a certified bookkeeper is $59,000/year which is a jump from the median rate of $52,652 as stated by salary.com.

While your bookkeeping career may start at the lower end of the pay scale, you can quickly raise it with a bookkeeping certification.

Holding a bookkeeping certificate gives you more leverage when negotiating your rate because it demonstrates you have advanced knowledge on the subject.

Bookkeeping Certification Cons

Upfront Cost and Time

Let’s be real here. Getting a professional certification isn’t a quick win.

You need to be prepared to put in the time and effort, which can be challenging to fit around a busy life.

For example, the NACPB Accounting Fundamentals certification will take you 13 weeks – and that’s just one of its five certifications. Then there’s the continuing education aspect of it, which takes up even more time.

The cost can create a barrier, too. NACPB and AIPB are well over $1,000 each.

True, it’s not as expensive as enrolling in your local university, but if you’re earning an entry-level bookkeeping salary, this may not be an immediately affordable option.

It’s Not Always Necessary or Recognized

As noted, many industries don’t require you to have a bookkeeping certification and prefer you to demonstrate a strong portfolio and practical experience.

Before you go down the bookkeeping certification route, perform plenty of research to determine whether it’s really going to be worth your time and money.

Check out the various bookkeeper job openings to see if they insist on a certificate or if they emphasize other skills or industry experience instead.

Often, familiarity with specific software (such as QuickBooks) is prioritized over a certification, so this may be where you need to concentrate your efforts.

Ongoing Maintenance and Renewal

Gaining a NACPB or AIPB bookkeeping certification is not a one-and-done thing.

You have to continuously maintain your certification and ensure your professional development remains up-to-date with industry changes.

• The NACPB bookkeeping license must be renewed annually. Renewal requires at least 24 continuing professional education (CPE) credits and a fee of $25.
• AIPB requires renewal every three years. You need to provide 60 CPE credits and pay a $3 fee to register each of them ($180 total).

This doesn’t sound like a lot, but it can feel like a burden when you’re balancing work and personal commitments.

Bookkeeper Skills Needed

If you decide that a bookkeeping certification is not the right path for you, what bookkeeping skills are you going to need to highlight on your resume?

Besides possessing a basic knowledge of accounting principles and tax regulations, you’ll need to know how to perform:

• Accounting concepts (double-entry bookkeeping, general ledger management, financial statement preparation, etc.)
• Accounts payable and receivable
• Bank, credit card, and financial transaction reconciliation
• Vendor tracking and 1099 management
• Financial report creation
• Accurate data entry with close attention to detail
• Payroll accounting and management

You’re going to need several soft skills, too. Employers will want to see that you can:

• Communicate effectively with clients, colleagues, and vendors
• Organize financial records and workloads efficiently
• Successfully troubleshoot and resolve issues
• Display excellent time management skills

You also need to be adaptable and a problem-solver. When challenges arise, organizations want someone who actively looks for solutions, not a person who dwells on the issue.

But above all, employers need to know that they can trust you with their sensitive financial data. Therefore, your ability to maintain confidentiality and integrity at all times is key.

Common Bookkeeping Tools

A huge bookkeeping skill to learn is how to navigate the various accounting platforms.

Believe us, there are a lot of them out there, but fortunately, some are more popular than others.

We recommend learning:

• QuickBooks Online: This should be the first place you start since it’s the most used financial accounting platform out there. It’s worth getting certified to use the software – courses are free if you sign up for the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program.
• Xero: Another widely-used bookkeeping and accounting platform. It also offers free certifications for its software.
• Other platforms include FreshBooks, Wave, ZohoBooks, and Sage 50cloud.

Let’s not forget good old Microsoft Excel, either. This tool is commonly used alongside accounting platforms for advanced data manipulation and analysis.

Believe it or not, some organizations still solely rely on Excel for bookkeeping.

You should also learn how to use bookkeeping practice management software. Platforms like Keeper will enable you to better manage client communication and streamline your workflows (making you super efficient!).

Other tools you are likely to find yourself using include:

• Project management platforms like Trello and Asana
• Communication software such as Slack or Zoom
• You may also rely on customer relationship management (CRM) platforms like HubSpot or Zoho CRM

Get Keeper to Help Run Your Bookkeeping Business

If you’re just getting started, a successful bookkeeper launch begins with the right tools.

This is where Keeper, the bookkeeping software for bookkeeping business owners, steps in.

Keeper’s features are designed to help you close the books in half the time. How? Find out by booking a free demo.

The post Is a Bookkeeping Certificate Worth It? appeared first on Keeper.

It just boils down to choosing the right niche market with enough demand to match your unique skill set.

Factors for Picking a Good Bookkeeping Niche

First, an accounting niche should have enough demand to warrant outsourcing bookkeeping services. This is a necessary precursor to anything else.

You should be confident that there will be a genuine need among prospective clients to justify concentrating on a particular niche.

Next, the niche should be big enough that you can find a reasonable number of clients.

By default, you won’t have access to as many clients as you would if you were running a generalist bookkeeping business. But your market research should indicate a sizable number of clients to ensure it’s profitable.

Third, choose a bookkeeping niche that caters to your specific skills and background. For example, if you used to work in real estate and have a passion for it, that would likely be a good choice for your accounting practice.

Note that many Keeper customers mainly focus on the following niches:

• eCommerce
• Nonprofits
• Real estate
• Dental/orthodontics

While focusing on a specific industry that matches this criteria won’t necessarily guarantee success, it can be a lucrative niche for many bookkeepers.

With that said, here are our 21 top accounting niches.

1. Construction

The construction industry has a reputation for having strict, complicated accounting requirements. Companies need to understand things like subcontractor management, job costing, and capital gains tax, which is why many prefer to outsource.

That, combined with high demand and the need for specialized knowledge, sets the stage for higher accounting fees than many other industries. If you have the expertise, you can command top dollar for serving this specific niche in your bookkeeping business.

2. Real Estate Brokerages and Agents

As we mentioned before, real estate is one of the more popular niches that Keeper customers specialize in.

Like construction, there’s plenty of demand for professional accounting services for real estate brokerages and agents. And in many high-growth markets, demand is continually increasing.

Real estate also requires a high level of accounting expertise that many brokerages and agents lack, which means many feel more comfortable outsourcing to a niche accounting firm.

3. Real Estate Title Companies

This is one of the more complex and involved bookkeeping clients, where you need to have an understanding of things like property transfers and escrow accounts.

But if you’ve got the knowledge, real estate title companies can be one of the more profitable clients for a bookkeeper.

4. Fix and Flip Real Estate Investors

These clients have a different set of accounting needs than traditional real estate inventors. As a result, many require a highly specialized bookkeeping service.

As long as you partner with high-value investors who are bringing in large amounts of income from their flips, this can be an ideal client.

5. Restaurants

The restaurant industry is one of the biggest, with total sales exceeding $1 trillion in 2023.

From small mom-and-pops to large-scale chains, restaurants of all sizes need reliable, accurate bookkeeping, as it’s an integral part of effective business management.

Because of the extensive bookkeeping services list, this industry requires areas like food cost analysis and tips reporting, many restaurant owners prefer to outsource, which means there’s plenty of demand.

And with a high transaction volume, many accounting professionals stand to earn big profits from this chosen niche.

6. Janitorial Services

Compared to most of the other industries on this list, janitorial services is fairly straightforward with its accounting requirements.

That said, many of these clients lack the in-house expertise to handle accounting and would rather outsource it to a professional bookkeeper. This is especially true for a smaller business owner with a heavy workload.

Considering how ubiquitous this profession is, there’s a good chance you can produce a steady income from it.

7. Landscaping

While you should be aware that landscaping often has seasonal fluctuations because of the varying workload, it’s still a stable niche overall, with high demand throughout most of the country.

While larger companies often have an in-house bookkeeping team, many small businesses can benefit from the expertise of a bookkeeping firm.

8. eCommerce

The size of the eCommerce industry is staggering and had a value of $25.93 trillion in 2023. And with a CAGR of 18.9% from 2024 to 2030, it’s not slowing down.

With tax complexities common in eCommerce and a high demand for skilled bookkeepers, this type of niche client should be on the radar of many accountants.

9. Law Firms

This mainly applies to smaller law firms that lack an in-house accounting team.

Because of the large scale of this industry and the inherently complex nature of law firm reporting, it has high demand and often commands large profits. 1099 preparation is extremely important for law firms because they have so many vendors, and it can usually become important in litigation and their corresponding settlement talks.

10. Medical Doctors and Small Clinics

This also applies primarily to small-scale doctors and clinics, as opposed to large hospitals.

Financial reporting can be complex and requires a high level of accuracy. With medical doctors and small clinics in nearly every corner of the country, bookkeeping in this specific industry can yield high profits and plenty of business.

11. Optometrists

Insurance and Medicare don’t cover most of these services, so optometrists must run a smarter business than most medical practitioners.

This means that many seek the services of a professional bookkeeping business to handle their accounting software and manage their financial records.

Whether virtual bookkeeping or physical bookkeeping, the complexity involved with a potential client in this niche makes it potentially lucrative.

12. Dentists

Dentists are located in every nook and cranny of the country, generate consistent revenue, and most have a steady customer base. That, combined with the expertise it requires for dental-specific medical coding, means a bookkeeper can often charge a significant rate.

13. Veterinarians

The pet industry is a big one. It was valued at $320 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow to around $500 billion by 2030.

When you consider the difficulties of managing accounting, especially for small veterinary offices, it’s easy to see why many turn to a bookkeeping service.

14. Software/SaaS

This industry has experienced monumental growth in recent years. In 2024, it was valued at $317 billion and has future projections of reaching over $1.2 trillion by 2032.

With this growth comes plenty of opportunities for specialization in software/SaaS. Because these companies often face challenges like reporting for subscriptions and customer churn and need robust accounting, it can be a profitable niche.

15. IT Companies

Like other areas of tech, the IT industry is experiencing rapid growth. And because of unique accounting needs like software development and managing remote employees, many seek the services of accounting firms.

While this can be a competitive field, there’s plenty of potential if you have strong expertise.

16. Engineering Firms

When it comes to revenue potential, engineering firms can be extremely high-value clients. Accountants have to navigate difficult revenue reporting rules and have a clear understanding of industry nuances.

If you have the skillset, you can bypass many competitors and partner with steady clients.

17. Marketing Agencies

Marketing agencies can have multiple forms of revenue, such as project-based deals, retainers, and bonuses. Because most are so focused on business growth, customer service, and landing new clients, they’re often quick to partner with an accounting firm to ensure accurate reporting.

18. HVAC Companies

These companies have a lot of moving parts, including service contracts, inventory, and employee payroll. Because of the inherent complexity, many prefer to outsource bookkeeping to a professional.

If you’re an accountant with plenty of expertise in this niche, you should be a frontrunner for winning their business.

19. Plumbers

The vast majority of small business plumbers lack a dedicated in-house accounting staff. This, combined with intricate reporting practices on service contracts, inventory, labor, and more, makes them a prime candidate for professional bookkeeping services.

And because plumbers are located in nearly every city and town, there should be no lack of potential customers.

20. Nonprofits and Churches

First, note that many nonprofits have sizable assets and incomes, so this isn’t pro bono work.

Offering bookkeeping services in this niche requires specialized knowledge. If you possess the right skill set, it should be fairly easy to win over these types of clients.

Not to mention, your work can have a meaningful impact.

22. Trucking Companies

This last niche idea applies specifically to trucking companies, not individual truckers.

Accounting can be incredibly complicated and requires reporting things like hours of service, truck maintenance, and fuel tax, making it something many companies would rather outsource.

Streamline Operations with Keeper

Regardless of the specialized niche you choose, it’s important to use the right bookkeeping practice management software to streamline operations and improve client service. One of the best platforms that assists in nearly every area of bookkeeping is Keeper.

It can be used to facilitate seamless communication with clients, perform comprehensive task management, automate file review, produce professional financial reports, and much more.

Keeper is also the first tool that integrates directly with QuickBooks Online and Xero to close the books in as little as half the time. Book your demo today.

The post Finding Your Perfect Fit: 21 Bookkeeping Niches for Bigger Profits appeared first on Keeper.

These are all features that we built out because we couldn’t already find them in the market.

That said, the other solutions on this list have their advantages and may be more suitable in certain circumstances. Here’s what you should know to determine which option is right for you.

• Keeper
• Canopy
• Jetpack Workflow
• Uncat
• Botkeeper

Best Bookkeeping Practice Management Software

1. Keeper: Best Bookkeeping Practice Management Software

Keeper is the best bookkeeping practice management software on the market in 2025, providing a supremely well-rounded solution specifically for accountants and bookkeepers.

It includes features designed to help streamline many different aspects of your operation, including:

• File review and closing: Keeper facilitates a faster month-end close by automatically highlighting potentially miscoded transactions. It also has two-way integration with QuickBooks Online (QBO) and Xero, meaning updates in Keeper adjust the client’s QBO or Xero file and vice versa.
• Management reporting: Keeper can generate reports summarizing the data your clients care about most in just four clicks, including financial statements, an executive financial summary, noteworthy accounts, graphs of key performance indicators (KPIs), and AP and AR aging reports.
• Client communication: Instead of emailing back and forth, Keeper lets you communicate with clients on the platform. Both parties can comment directly on transactions, instant message, and send automated text or email reminders. Clients can also sign in using magic links, with no need to remember a password.
• Workflow management: Keeper includes task management tools to help organize your team’s efforts. You can create and automate workflow templates, tag tasks to help prioritize them, and communicate internally with the same chat and comment features used to collaborate with clients.
• Client relationships management (CRM): Keeper stores all your client information in one place, helping you monitor and maintain your relationships. The CRM dashboard shows monthly close statuses, open transaction questions, chats, assigned staff, and more for each client.
• Document management: You can use Keeper to request and organize all your client’s key documents, including receipts, invoices, 1099s, and W-9s. Keeper’s artificial intelligence (AI) can also automatically extract and process the information in them.

Despite being packed with features, Keeper’s prices are relatively low, starting at just $8 per user, per month. The only notable downside to the platform is that there can be a steep learning curve due to the depth and breadth of its tools.

Book a demo with Keeper.

2. Canopy

Canopy is another great example of well-rounded bookkeeping practice management software that contains a variety of features capable of streamlining multiple aspects of your operation. Similar to Keeper, that includes tools to facilitate:

• Client interaction
• Workflow management
• Relationship management
• Document management

The primary reason we prefer Keeper to Canopy is that Canopy lacks tools to help facilitate actual bookkeeping tasks, like highlighting transactions that need your attention or generating key financial reports for clients.

Canopy also has a higher cost floor than Keeper and other competitors on this list, with the cheapest subscription starting at $150 per month.

However, Canopy does include some features Keeper lacks, which can make it a better fit for some, especially if they don’t care about bookkeeping automation. Most notably, that includes tools that support:

Tax resolution: Canopy can capture data from prospective tax resolution clients using questionnaire templates and IRS transcript access, then auto-populate the appropriate forms to file. It can also guide you step-by-step through multiple types of tax resolution cases and calculate penalties and payment plans.

Time tracking and billing: Canopy includes a time tracking feature that integrates with its billing tool, allowing you to track your hours down to the minute, generate invoices, and collect payment from your clients seamlessly through the platform.

If you’re trying to choose between Keeper and Canopy, the decision will typically depend on whether your practice focuses on bookkeeping work or tax services.

Keeper is often superior for bookkeepers, while Canopy may be a better practice manager for tax professionals or a tax-focused CPA firm.

Get a demo of Canopy.

3. Jetpack Workflow

As you might have guessed from the brand name, Jetpack Workflow focuses primarily on workflow automation and management.

Rather than incorporating other accounting practice management features into its software solution, it doubles down on optimizing that function.

As a result, its workflow dashboard and features may feel more refined than some of those you’ll see in other solutions that spend resources diversifying into other processes. For example, here are some of the ways it stands out:

Intuitive interface: Jetpack’s user interface is uncluttered and easy to understand due to the lack of other features. As a result, it has a shallow learning curve, and you should be able to incorporate it into your systems relatively easily.

“Plan” feature: Jetpack’s unique Plan feature provides uniquely granular insight into your team’s outstanding tasks, including a visual overview of their workloads, deadlines, and capacity. It’s designed to help you recognize who is overburdened and who is underutilized, then reassign work as needed.

Unlimited storage: Jetpack can support an unlimited number of clients, contacts, and documents, no matter the subscription tier. You never have to pay for extra storage or usage, only additional users.

While there are benefits to doubling down on one function, the flipside is that Jetpack focuses on workflows to the exclusion of virtually everything else.

Unlike Keeper and Canopy, which are all-in-one solutions, Jetpack is best for those who already have tools in place for other aspects of practice management and just want to add a workflow management tool to their accounting tech stack.

Schedule a demo of Jetpack Workflow.

4. Uncat

Like Jetpack, Uncat has a more limited scope than Keeper or Canopy, but rather than focusing on workflow management, it prioritizes file review features and document management features designed to streamline your day-to-day client work.

It separates these into three categories, which it refers to as:

• Uncat Transactions: Like Keeper’s file review tools, these features help you identify and correct problems in each client’s books. That includes the ability to automatically aggregate uncategorized transactions in the software for cleanup and sync the changes back to your client’s bookkeeping file.
• Uncat Requests: Uncat lets you request important documents from clients through the platform, including 1099s, bank statements, receipts, and W-9s. Clients receive a magic link they can use to sign into your portal with one click and upload their documents. You can also customize the appearance of the portal to fit your brand.
• Uncat Receipts: Uncat Receipts lets multiple clients submit receipts through the platform, email, or text message. Once captured, it can also parse the documents and link them with the appropriate transactions.

Uncat may be a good fit if you’re looking to plug file review and document management tools into your existing tech stack. It also has a slight edge over Keeper in that it supports two-way syncing with QB Desktop in addition to QBO and Xero.

However, its file review features aren’t quite as robust as Keeper’s, as they’re limited to highlighting uncategorized transactions. It also costs a dollar more per client, per month.

Start a free trial of Uncat.

5. Botkeeper

Botkeeper is another holistic accounting practice management software option, designed to streamline as many aspects of your bookkeeping or accounting firm as possible.

That includes file reviews, document management, relationship management, and workflow management.

It breaks its offerings down into 12 distinct features. Here’s how they work:

• Smart Connect: Connect directly to your client’s bank and credit card accounts, providing real-time access to their transactions and most recent statements.
• Transaction Manager: Automatically categorize transactions using machine learning. If the software isn’t sure, a human Botkeeper accountant will step in. Only when that fails will they reach out to you.
• Auto Bank Rec: Like most modern accounting software, Botkeeper can automate the bank reconciliation process so you don’t have to do it by hand.
• Documents: This is Botkeeper’s document management tool, which allows you to securely request and store your client’s sensitive paperwork in organized digital folders.
• Work: Formerly called Task Manager, this is a to-do list that tracks the responsibilities assigned to you, your clients, and Botkeeper.
• Password Manager: Botkeeper’s platform includes a tool for securely requesting, saving, and sharing client log-in credentials.
• User and Client Management: You can control what clients and team members have access to on Botkeeper, allowing you to customize roles and protect sensitive client data.
• Transaction Insights: Each month-end close, this tool provides a summary of how many transactions you, the client, Botkeeper’s accounting professionals, and the software handled. For auto-categorized transactions, it also estimates how confident the software was in its treatment.
• Bot Review: Botkeeper automatically searches through the general ledger for 13 different types of exceptional transactions that may need further attention.
• Activity Hub: This is Botkeeper’s relationship management and client communication feature, which aggregates comments across the entire platform.
• Journal Entry Automation: When you upload loan documents into Botkeeper, it can automatically generate journal entries and post them to QBO or Xero.
• Close Tracker: This is another type of project management software that helps you keep track of the status of each client’s month-end close.

Like the other comprehensive platforms on this list, Botkeeper may have a steep learning curve. However, all plans come with some amount of onboarding support, which can make adoption easier for bookkeeping, accounting, and CPA firms.

Unfortunately, there’s no free trial, so you have to pay to try out the software and see if you like it, which starts at $69 per license, per month.

Sign up for Botkeeper.

The post Best Bookkeeping Practice Management Software in 2025 appeared first on Keeper.

The answer?

AI won’t replace bookkeepers and accountants, but the accounting industry is changing, and it’s changing fast.

AI is revolutionizing the way things are being done by automating repetitive tasks and eliminating critical steps in the workflows previously done by humans.

To stay competitive, professionals must embrace this technology. Those who don’t risk being left behind by accounting firms that harness AI’s potential to deliver faster, smarter services.

Is AI Good Enough to Replace Bookkeepers and Accountants Now?

The short answer is: no.

Artificial intelligence won’t replace bookkeepers and accountants entirely yet.

While AI has become incredibly proficient in automating routine tasks and boosting human efficiency, it still needs human input to work in this space.

AI is currently doing a great job of performing tasks in areas such as:

• Data entry
• Invoice matching
• Transaction categorization
• Financial reporting

Machine learning algorithms are capable of processing huge amounts of financial data fast and finding patterns and anomalies that would take humans hours to spot.

However, these accounting functions aren’t foolproof.

AI tools often struggle with nuance. You might find challenges using AI, for example, in areas such as:

• Interpreting complex tax codes
• Understanding ambiguous entries
• Making judgment calls on sensitive financial strategies

These areas require human expertise, contextual knowledge, and critical thinking that AI can’t replicate.

AI systems also rely on clean, accurate input data to function correctly. Mistakes or incomplete data can lead to errors that require human oversight to resolve.

Lastly, another huge limitation to keep in mind is AI’s inability to build trust with clients.

Financial professionals don’t just crunch numbers—they provide strategic advice, tailored solutions, and emotional reassurance, especially during tough economic times.

These human qualities are irreplaceable.

As of today, AI is merely a tool that complements, rather than replaces, bookkeepers and accountants. You can make it a powerful ally by cutting down time-consuming processes using bookkeeping workflow automation.

However, the industry will continue to rely heavily on human professionals to oversee, interpret, and create strategies around the insights it provides.

Will AI Replace Accountants and Bookkeepers In the Next 5 Years?

While artificial intelligence is changing the accounting world, there is no evidence to suggest that bookkeepers and accountants will be replaced in the next 5 years.

It’s true that the technology is moving fast, but major breakthroughs would be needed to overcome the current limitations of AI in this space.

As of now, AI excels in carrying out the repetitive and time consuming tasks like invoice processing, reconciling accounts, and generating basic financial reports. But these tasks are only a small part of what bookkeepers and accountants do.

Areas such as strategic financial planning and interpreting nuanced situations that can impact a firm financially are areas that AI is yet to perform well in. These accounting jobs won’t be severely impacted.

Also, the current state of AI technology requires vast amounts of clean structured data to work. Inaccurate or incomplete data can prove very costly, especially if it leads to the wrong decision being made.

Human judgment is still needed to identify these issues and make informed decisions that are specific to the client in concern.

It’s important to remember that the role of accountants is evolving and not disappearing. As AI becomes a greater part of the workflow, professionals will need to adapt by learning how to use these AI accounting software to increase their productivity.

For AI to completely replace bookkeepers and accountants, we would need significant advancements in the thinking models of AI to fully and confidently replicate human judgment.

This is a possibility in the distant future. However, it’s not likely to happen in the next five years.

What Can Be Automated by AI?

AI bookkeeping is changing accounting by automating the routine, mundane, time consuming tasks so bookkeepers and accountants can focus on the strategic, high value activities.

Bookkeeping workflow software tools like Keeper have taken automation to the next level with features that make the accounting process more efficient and accurate.

For example, bookkeeping transaction reconciliation is a tedious task AI is good at. Keeper automates the categorization and matching of financial transactions, reducing errors and hours of manual work.

By doing this, accountants can quickly ensure financials are accurate and up to date.

Another useful feature is receipt capture, which eliminates the hassle of paper receipts.

Users can upload receipts via the app and Keeper’s AI will extract and match the data to transactions, so you’re compliant with IRS documentation requirements.

One of Keeper’s newest features is Keeper Research, a tax research tool powered by AI. (This is free to the public: you don’t have to have a Keeper account to use it!)

Available in the app and online, this tool sits within Keeper’s accounting software and is trained on the Internal Revenue Code and IRS publications. You can ask tax questions—like if a business meal is deductible—and get comprehensive, source-cited answers.

By using Keeper Research in their daily workflow, accountants can save hours on tax research while still maintaining accuracy.

Whether it’s answering tough tax questions or confirming regulations, this is a must-have tool to stay ahead in the accounting game.

Automation through accounting software like Keeper is a testament to how AI can support bookkeepers and accountants to deliver faster, more efficient, and more accurate services to all clients.

What Can’t Be Automated by AI?

While AI is great for efficiency and accuracy for routine accounting tasks, there are areas where human expertise can’t be beat in the accounting profession.

These tasks require creativity, empathy, and the nuance that only experienced professionals and account teams can bring where AI outputs cannot compete.

These include:

Human Creativity

• AI can’t replicate the creative solutions accountants and bookkeepers come up with when dealing with unique financial issues.
• For example, when designing a custom tax saving strategy or creating an innovative plan to restructure a business’s finances, human ingenuity is key to getting tailored results.

Client Interactions

• Building trust and relationships is a no-brainer success element in accounting. Clients want reassurance, guidance, and a personal touch when managing their finances.
• While an AI system can help with responses, it can’t replicate the empathy and understanding that human accountants bring to client conversations, especially in difficult times.

Tough Calls

• Financial data needs to be further interpreted in grey areas. For example, deciding how to classify a one off expense or choosing the best long term tax strategy often involves weighing multiple factors.
• AI may give suggestions but lacks the professional judgment and experience to make strategic decisions with context.

High Risk Decisions

• When the stakes are high, like during mergers, acquisitions, or audits, human expertise is required.
• Accountants and bookkeepers are trained to assess risk, present options, and navigate the complexities of these situations with discretion and foresight – something AI can’t do.

Strategic Planning

• AI can crunch data and give insights but it takes human accounting professionals to turn those insights into strategies that align with a client’s objectives.
• Planning for business growth or financial stability requires a level of understanding and foresight that AI doesn’t have.

Will Accountants and Bookkeepers Have to Use AI in the Future?

Yes.

As AI adoption grows across various industries, those in the accounting profession who use it will get ahead.

Using AI automation tools will increase productivity, streamline processes, reduce errors, and improve outcomes for clients. Ignoring AI means falling behind competitors who use it to deliver faster, more accurate, and affordable services.

AI is already changing bookkeeping and accounting with automated transaction categorization, real time data analysis, and intelligent tax research tools.

These let accounting and tax professionals focus on high value tasks like planning, client relationships, and decision making.

Using AI tools like the ones Keeper provides shows that your firm recognizes what is possible in the accounting space and is adapting to it.

By using technological advancements to eliminate the repetitive and mundane elements of work, professionals can then focus on delivering client services and strategic insights while retaining the human touch in the areas that AI can’t help with.

Use Keeper Automation to Improve Your Bookkeeping Workflows

The old adage “time is money” stands true today.

In accounting today, being ahead of the game means using bookkeeping practice management software that saves time and is accurate.

Keeper does just that with automation features that streamline tedious workflows and free up time for higher level tasks.

Here’s a quick recap on how Keeper can make a difference to the accounting profession:

• Use automated transaction reconciliation to make sure your clients’ financial records are accurate and up to date
• Leverage receipt capture to make document management a breeze
• Tap into Keeper Research to take your tax research to the next level

Are you ready to optimize your advisory services and accounting practice today?

Get started with Keeper now!

The post Will AI Replace Bookkeepers and Accountants in 2025? appeared first on Keeper.

But to make things simple, we chose the seven best online bookkeeping certificate programs based on curriculum, time commitment, price, and overall certification impact.

If you’re interested in becoming a certified bookkeeper and need direction, read on.

Top-Rated Online Bookkeeping Certificate Programs

• 1. NACPB Bookkeeper Certification
• 2. Intuit Academy Bookkeeping Professional Certificate
• 3. ACCA: Introduction to Bookkeeping
• 4. University of Virginia - Financial Accounting Fundamentals
• 5. Penn Foster Career School - Bookkeeping Training Program
• 6. AIPB Certification Program
• 7. Universal Accounting School - Professional Bookkeeper Program

Best Online Bookkeeping Certificate Programs Compared

1. NACPB Bookkeeper Certification

The National Association of Certified Bookkeepers (NACPB) is a widely recognized and highly respected organization in the US.

Enrolling in a bookkeeping course and getting certified by the NACPB is an excellent way to build your bookkeeping skills and become more reputable in clients' eyes.

This bookkeeping certification program offers a robust curriculum, covering all the essential topics needed to launch your career as a public bookkeeper or enhance your continuing education.

We like that the NACPB is currently offering a bookkeeping certification bundle deal in that by taking the bookkeeping classes and completing the Bookkeeping Certification exam, you can save 26%.

And you can even take a free practice test with no commitment to see if it’s the right bookkeeping course for you.

As for drawbacks, the time commitment of 13 weeks is longer than some other courses, and the pricing ($369 for members and $449 for nonmembers) is higher than some other options.

Also, to maintain your bookkeeping certification, you’re required to complete continuing education courses.

While this is helpful for staying on top of industry trends and improving your bookkeeping knowledge, this admittedly, can be a turn-off for some experienced bookkeepers, as it can result in further costs and time commitment.

Learn more about NACPB Bookkeeper Certification and request more information.

2. Intuit Academy Bookkeeping Professional Certificate

This bookkeeping certificate program, completed through Coursera, is perfect for beginners looking to learn the ropes of computerized accounting.

If you’re just starting out and want to build foundational knowledge to springboard your career, a Bookkeeping Professional Certificate can be a great choice.

The time commitment of two months is relatively low, and the cost of $160 makes it more affordable than many related programs.

And because of the weight that Intuit’s name carries, completing this bookkeeping certification should improve your reputation and help you stand out among the competition.

This, along with using the right bookkeeping practice management software, can be instrumental in acquiring new clients and growing your business.

The main downside is that this course isn’t as comprehensive as some other certificate programs, and it only focuses on QuickBooks (as compared to other accounting software like Xero).

If you’re wondering why, it’s because Intuit was developed by QuickBooks. So it only makes sense that they would strictly want to feature their own software and offer a QuickBook certified user exam.

Also, it should be mentioned that there is no continuing education available with this certificate. While this won’t be an issue for some people, it does limit your ability to keep expanding your accounting knowledge and stay up-to-date on industry trends moving forward.

Learn more and enroll here.

3. ACCA: Introduction to Bookkeeping

Taken through the digital education platform edX, this online bookkeeping certification program from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) teaches everything you need to know about fundamental accounting concepts.

Unlike any other programs on this list, the course itself is completely free (you just have to pay $99 to get a certificate).

Like enrolling in a similar budget-focused online bookkeeping course like Mt San Antonio College, this is perfect if you only need to learn bookkeeping basics and don’t want to spend a lot in the process.

In terms of course completion, it’s self-paced. If you devote just five to eight hours a week to it, you should be able to finish it in around six weeks, which is much shorter than many comparable courses.

We also like that the ACCA is globally recognized, which means receiving certification can help you stand out from the pack.

As for downsides, ACCA: Introduction to Bookkeeping isn’t quite as comprehensive as some other certificate programs, as it’s more on the 101 level. But it should still be sufficient for many bookkeepers who are looking to launch a business or advance their careers.

Get the full details and request information here.

4. University of Virginia - Financial Accounting Fundamentals

This is another bookkeeping certification course offered through Coursera — one of today’s leading online learning providers.

One of the biggest benefits is that it’s from The University of Virginia, which means you’re getting a university-level education. It offers five different modules that cover most of the essentials of running an accounting practice.

Here are the details:

Module 1 - Intro to Finance Accounting, the Financial Statements, and the Balance Sheet
Module 2 - Intro to Recording Transactions
Module 3 - The Income Statement, Revenue and Expense Transactions, and Adjusting Entries
Module 4 - The Statement of Cash Flow and Financial Statement Preparation
Module 5 - More Transactions, Auditing Clerk Analysis of Financial Statements, and an Annual Report

While this bookkeeping certification isn’t as in-depth as some other programs, it’s more than adequate for learning accounting basics. And getting a bookkeeping certificate from The University of Virginia can greatly increase your credibility.

With only around 13 hours to complete this bookkeeping course, it’s a minimal time commitment. Not to mention that only having a cost of around $80 is far less than many alternatives.

The only downside is that it’s not as comprehensive as some other certificate programs, and additional certifications may be necessary to get firmly established as a bookkeeper.

Get the full details on course objectives and enroll here.

5. Penn Foster Career School - Bookkeeping Training Program

One of the main things accounting students like about the Penn Foster Bookkeeping Training Program is its flexibility. It’s designed in a way that you can learn the essentials while going at your own pace.

This program covers a wide range of topics, allowing you to gain a fundamental grasp of accounting so you’re fully prepared once you enter the industry.

Penn Foster has a reputation for employing highly experienced instructors. This means you have access to comprehensive online learning with educators who can guide you from start to finish, along with a career center and excellent student services.

Another perk is that after enrolling Penn Foster gives you a free one-year subscription to QuickBooks, which is a nice plus. If you’re already using bookkeeping software for accountants like Keeper, you can easily sync up QuickBooks Live to significantly up your efficiency.

As for pricing, $789 is on the more expensive end of the spectrum. It’s not as high as some other online bookkeeping certification programs like AIPB and the Universal Accounting School, but it’s still a considerable investment.

In terms of time commitment, Penn Foster states that students can finish this course in as little as six months, depending on how much time they devote to it. However, it can take as long as one year if you’re only able to move at a slow pace.

Therefore, if you’re looking for a course that can be completed quickly, this probably isn’t the best choice. But if you’ve got the time, it’s definitely an option to consider.

Find out more about the Penn Foster Career School - Bookkeeping Training Program.

6. AIPB Certification Program

The American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers is one of the most well-respected organizations in the country. So becoming an AIPB certified bookkeeper is a great way to prove your professionalism and dedication to potential clients.

This certification program offers an incredibly rich curriculum, covering critical areas like accounting foundations, financial statements, payroll processing, and much more to develop strong bookkeepers.

If your goal is to build a solid foundation in the bookkeeping field and have a firm grasp of the essential areas needed to start and grow your business, this program is hard to beat.

The AIPB even offers quantifiable numbers on how big of an impact the program can have, with 37% of bookkeepers saying it helped them earn new clients and 48% reporting that it allowed them to raise their rates.

If you’re using bookkeeping workflow software, this combined impact can be immense and help dramatically expedite the growth of your accounting firm.

As for the cons, the biggest is the cost. At $1,495, this makes it one of the more expensive bookkeeping certificates on this list and may be more than some people are willing to spend. Also, the three to four-month time commitment can be a bit arduous as well.

But if you’re looking to reach your peak potential and are willing to put in the time and money, this bookkeeping certificate can pay dividends in the long run.

You can find out more about the AIPB Certification Program and what it has to offer here.

7. Universal Accounting School - Professional Bookkeeper Program

One of the biggest pros of these online bookkeeping courses is the curriculum depth. It’s one of the more comprehensive curriculums on this list and you can go from knowing virtually nothing about bookkeeping to operating your own successful business.

The other main benefit is the hands-on education you receive.

“You will actually do books for 11 different small businesses from different industries as you go through the course and learn the unique aspects of accounting for each — things people usually only learn by actually working for those particular businesses,” the school writes.

If you want to dive in head first and go beyond theoretical to real-world application of accounting techniques in a field like home office management experts, this program is highly recommended.

Once completed, you officially earn the title “Certified Bookkeeper,” which can go a long way in advancing your career and helping you win over more clients.

As for the cons, pricing will certainly be an issue for many people. At $3,091, this is the most expensive professional bookkeeping program on our list. Therefore, you’ll need to be willing to make a sizable investment into your education before enrolling in this career institute.

And while 60 hours isn’t as big of a time commitment as some other courses, it’s still significant, which should also be taken into consideration.

Here’s more Universal Accounting School program information.

Accelerating Your Bookkeeping Career

Is a bookkeeping certificate worth it?

Absolutely! Research indicates that becoming a certified public bookkeeper can help you earn more money and land more clients.

It’s just a matter of choosing the right program that matches your needs, budget, and availability.

By comparing the pros and cons of each program on this list, you should be able to pinpoint which is the best fit for your career path so you can build and expand your bookkeeping practice.

The post Best Online Bookkeeping Certificate Programs appeared first on Keeper.

Here are the top bookkeeping and accounting conferences to mark on your calendar for 2025. And be sure to stop by the Keeper booth and say hello, because we’ll be at many of these this year!

1. Digital Accountancy Show By Xero

Date: April 1st - 2nd

Location: Battersea Park in London

With over 200 speakers and 150 exhibitors across eight stages, Xero’s Digital Accountancy Show promises to be one of the biggest and best bookkeeping conferences of the year.

During this two-day event, there will be educational talks from today’s top digital CPA experts, updates on the latest accounting technology trends, how-to sessions, demo sessions, and much more.

This event features eight stages, with each concentrating on different areas of improving your accounting practice.

There will also be plenty of opportunities to network and collaborate with a wide variety of other accounting professionals from all over the world.

If you’re committed to expanding your accounting education and want educational insights from some of the world’s brightest minds, this is a can’t-miss event.

2. GrowCon 2025

Date: May 5 - 7

Location: Provo, UT

GrowCon 2025 bills itself as “the conference exclusively for owners of bookkeeping, tax, and accounting companies.”

During this three-day event, each attendee gains access to insightful presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities to accelerate business growth and strategically scale to become a successful bookkeeper.

Besides teaching accounting professionals the ins and outs of the industry, one of the main highlights of this conference is providing a valuable network so they can form partnerships and collaborate with others who have found success.

The GrowCon2025 annual meeting will also feature the latest accounting tools and technologies to help you build your perfect tech stack and will offer advice on how to grow your business organically using a proven methodology.

3. AccountingWEB Live Summit 2025

Date: May 6 - 10

Location: San Diego, CA

The Accounting WEB Live Summit will be loaded with plenty of activities to gain valuable insights and fuel professional growth.

This four-day event will feature some of today’s top accounting professionals, finance professionals, and software innovators.

Like previous events in years past, you can expect a heavy emphasis on technology at this annual meeting, such as accounting data analytics, cybersecurity, cloud-based systems, and AI.

If one of your main focuses as a business owner is utilizing technology to increase the operational efficiency of your accounting practice, you can gain a ton of practical advice from this conference.

AI, in particular, will be widely discussed. So if you’ve been wanting to see its numerous applications in the accounting industry and how to practically implement it into your operations, this is a live summit you’ll want to be part of.

There will also be numerous workshops with hands-on activities and extensive networking opportunities.

4. Accountex London 2025

Date: May 14 - 15

Location: ExCel London

This is the other London event on this list and will be taking place a month and a half after Xero’s Digital Accountancy Conference. Accountex London 2025 will be a large-scale affair, featuring over 300 exhibitors and 160 seminars, across 12 theatres.

And with an expected turnout of over 11,000 attendees, there will be networking opportunities abound.

Some of the focal points of this accounting business expo will be 180+ CPD-accredited seminars led by some of today’s top experts. It’s free to visit, and you can get up to 16 CPD points by simply showing up.

There will be a lot going on. But one of the highlights is the software that will be showcased.

Here, you’ll also have the chance to try out over 300 bookkeeping and accounting software solutions, with live demos from company reps.

This will provide a great opportunity to try before you buy, and you can ask reps live questions for instant feedback to find the perfect software to run your accounting firm more efficiently.

If you’re committed to using technology to get your firm firing on all cylinders and want to rub elbows with some of the most innovative tech companies, Accountex is a must.

5. World Conference on Financial Accounting

Date: June 2 - 3

Location: Zurich, Switzerland and Online

The World Conference on Financial Accounting in the summer of 2025 will be a hybrid event, taking place in Zurich, Switzerland, and virtually. So if you can’t make the physical count conference, you can still get all the great sessions online.

This accounting conference runs the gamut with its subject matter, and you can expect “meaningful discussions focusing on solutions, future scope, and ongoing trends to acquire knowledge, learn, and improve.”

Speakers and academicians will be presenting original research and creative ideas surrounding the current state and future of accounting. And there will be endless opportunities to engage and ask questions to fully extract their insight.

Attending in person is ideal, as there will be numerous chances to form connections with speakers and fellow participants. But much can still be gained by joining the event virtually through the digital CPA conference.

6. AICPA and CIMA Engage 2025 - June 9 - 12

Date: June 9 - 12

Location: Las Vegas, NV and Live Online

Like the World Conference on Financial Accounting, AICPA and CIMA Engage 2025 will be a hybrid event, where attendees can participate in-person or online.

If you have the chance, it’s highly recommended to attend in person because it’s one of the accounting industry’s biggest annual events and allows you to earn CPE credit from The National Registry of CPE sponsors.

But if you can’t make it, you can still get the experience online.

There’s a ton of buzz around AICPA Engage, with many bookkeepers and accountants considering it to be a must attend accounting conference.

In their own words, “No other event comes close to the breadth and depth of our programming. With nine overlapping tracks seasoned experts curate, you can discover exciting new facets of your field and explore new ones.”

Here are the specific conference details that will be covered.

If you’re looking to immerse yourself in the full spectrum of accounting and gain detailed insights to help your business thrive, this is an excellent event to attend.

7. ACS Financial Accounting and Reporting Update 2025

Date: June 11 - 12

Location: Virtual

Unlike every other count conference on this list that will be held at a physical location, the ACS Financial Accounting and Reporting Update 2025 will be entirely virtual.

While there won’t be the same level of networking opportunities for finance professionals, the event will still be loaded with insightful information that can help a bookkeeper in several key areas.

A big part of the first day’s agenda is examining recent updates that impact how an accounting professional runs their business, with key points being the recent financial accounting update, cybersecurity update, and tax update.

Speakers will be discussing the new role generative AI plays in accounting and will show practical use cases so finance professionals will know how to leverage this technology properly.

There will also be an in-depth discussion on financial accounting fraud, along with practical advice on how to reduce the chances of it happening.

8. Scaling New Heights

Date: June 22 - 25

Location: Orlando, FL

With a primary focus on accounting technology, the four-day Scaling New Heights events will be jam-packed with everything you need to know to implement tech into your accounting practice.

Some key areas that will be covered include:

• AI
• Automation technology
• Mobile tools
• Collaboration platforms

If you’re looking to transform your firm with professional technology and provide your clients with the best possible experience, this is an event to have on your list.

There will also be comprehensive bookkeeper business coaching and seminars from numerous industry experts, with one of the top being keynote speaker David Allen, who’s partnered with multiple Fortune 500 companies.

9. NATP Taxposium

Date: July 21 - 23

Location: Las Vegas, NV

Here’s another accounting conference that will be held in person and online.

Most of today’s important topics will be covered at the NATP Taxposium, including up-to-date tax laws to maintain compliance, practice management to keep your firm running efficiently, strategies for enhancing client service, and techniques for resolving common tax issues.

At the time of this writing, this conference has yet to still mention any specific speakers, but you can expect insights from a wide range of industry experts and robust networking opportunities if you attend the physical event in Las Vegas.

10. Xerocon Brisbane 2025

Date: September 3 - 4

Location: Brisbane, Australia

Xero Brisbane 2025 is another accounting conference held by Xero and is poised to be a fantastic follow-up to the sold-out Xerocon Sydney in 2023.

The event is “a unique opportunity to celebrate Xero’s collective achievements, connect, and explore the latest innovations on the platform.”

During the event, you can expect in-depth discussions from world-class speakers, insights on the most innovative bookkeeping technology, and potentially career-changing networking opportunities.

If you’re a die-hard Xero user and want to learn how to get the most from the platform and improve your bookkeeping business, this is the event for you.

11. Accounting Summit Dusseldorf

Date: September 3 - 4

Location: Dusseldorf, Germany

This is another of the international accounting conferences that should be on your radar. The Accounting Summit Dusseldorf primarily revolves around discussions on digital transformation and how to leverage advancing technology to become an industry leader.

Two particular forms of technology that speakers will discuss are AI and robotic process automation, and how they can be used to make nearly every aspect of accounting more productive and efficient.

There will also be talks on cybersecurity, sustainability, future tech trends, and related posts.

Besides that, there will be hands-on consulting services for a smoother shift to digital transformation and a range of exhibition booths for a highly interactive experience.

And to top it all off, this event will feature the Accounting Summit Dusseldorf Start-Up Awards, which celebrates the achievement of some of the newest, most innovative companies in the field.

12. CPB Canada IGNITE 2025

Date: September 9 - 25

Location: Calgary, Alberta

If the 2025 conference that’s set to take place in Calgary is anything like the 2024 Winnipeg Conference, attendees are in store for an enriching experience that can help fine-tune their skills and keep them up-to-date on accounting industry trends.

At CPB Canada IGNITE 2025, there will be talks on tech advancements, with a heavy focus on AI, automation, and cybersecurity. Experts will discuss changes in legislation and regulations that will impact accounting firms moving forward.

There will also be a variety of workshops and seminars for hands-on training around topics like client communication and building a more efficient practice.

Beyond that, attendees can expect exhibitions, showcasing cutting-edge accounting products, with networking opportunities abound.

13. REFRAME 2025

Date: October 16 - 19

Location: Hollywood, FL

“Influential conversations for accountants” is the tagline for REFRAME 2025. This four-day event is centered on the transformative power of language to crystalize your company’s identity, build a stronger business structure, and create a tighter, more collaborative culture.

There will be a lot of similarities between the Women Who Count Conferences of recent years and this conference. For instance, like the Women Who Count Conferences, this event focuses heavily on communication.

One of the main discussions will be the “Exactly What to Say” Methodology by keynote speaker and thought leader Carlos Garcia.

During this talk, he’ll educate accounting professionals on how to use persuasive language to better communicate with key stakeholders and provide optimal client service.

Also like the Women Who Count Conferences, there will be a lot of attention placed on adaptability, where leaders can learn how to adopt new perspectives, technologies, and strategies to not only meet client expectations but blow them out of the water.

In an ever-changing accounting profession, this is vital for continually providing value and standing out from the competition.

14. Thriveal Deeper Weekend

Date: October 22 - 24

Location: Greenville, SC

Held in the heart of the south, the three-day Thriveal Deeper Weekend event will consist of accounting firm owners who are passionate about being their best and making the improvements to stand out in their industry.

Armed with research and education, speakers will deliver discussions on how to help leaders reach their peak potential while maximizing productivity and profitability.

There will also be a lot of talks on how to intelligently scale a firm without growing so fast that it compromises the client experience.

If one of your main goals in 2025 is to build a team of dedicated accounting professionals and connect with like-minded individuals, this is a highly recommended conference.

15. Intuit Connect 2025

Date: Late October

Location: Las Vegas, NV

As of the time of this writing, the exact date of Intuit Connect 2025 hasn’t been announced. But based on previous conferences, it’s expected to be held in late October.

If you’re a passionate QuickBooks user, you’ll definitely be interested in this event, as it’s the place to learn all about new product updates, features, and innovations. By staying up-to-date on QuickBooks and other Intuit products, this puts your accounting practice in a position to thrive and stay ahead of the competition.

While there’s no concrete outline of the specific events that will happen at the 2025 conference, you can expect:

• Product announcements
• Product exhibitions
• Intuit expert-led discussions
• Educational workshops

And, of course, there will be abundant networking opportunities to connect with others in your field.

16. DCPA25

Date: December 7 - 11

Location: Washington DC

In 2024, the AAA Annual Meeting took place in America’s capital. In 2025, this final count conference will be held there as well. It’s specifically for any certified public accountant who wants to stay at the forefront of the accounting field in the digital age.

Like many other events on this list, there’s a big emphasis on technology and how to strategically use it to make operations more efficient while simultaneously elevating the client experience.

Some specific topics of discussion at DCPA25 will be cybersecurity, accounting analytics, AI, machine learning, and blockchain technology.

There will also be the chance to check out exhibits from top technology companies and plenty of opportunities to network with digital CPA leaders.

Use Keeper for a Faster Month-End Close

As we’ve mentioned throughout this annual meeting list, incorporating the right technology is key to helping financial professionals operate at their best. One type of tech that can provide immense value is bookkeeping practice management software like Keeper.

Keeper integrates with both QuickBooks Online and Xero and offers an extensive bookkeeping services list, including client/team communication, task management, W9s/1099s, receipt management, and custom reporting.

By leveraging powerful automation and robust features, this platform can result in a dramatically faster month-end close, with many accountants closing the books in half the time.

Learn more and book a demo today.

The post Accounting and Bookkeeping Conferences in 2025 appeared first on Keeper.

[Keeper] is worth it for that one feature.

Nancy McClelland, also known as The Dancing Accountant, runs a hyper-local bookkeeping and tax firm in Chicago. Before getting started with Keeper, Nancy noticed that her senior accountant, Kendra, was juggling critical accounting responsibilities while simultaneously supervising the junior bookkeepers. Nancy sought out a solution that could ease Kendra’s workload without compromising the quality and efficiency of the firm’s operations, and she landed on Keeper.

In comparison to other practice management apps on the market, what struck Nancy most was Keeper’s ability to automate those month-end reviews that consumed so much of Kendra’s time. Additionally, tasks that previously fell to the supervisors were delegated to the junior staff with ease, thanks to Keeper’s task management features paired with the intuitive dashboard.

That dashboard also allowed for Kendra to have a clear, at-a-glance view of each team member’s progress on their assigned tasks. Keeper even flagged when someone was “stuck” somewhere in the month-end close process. This new system saved Nancy’s whole team tons of time, simply because they no longer had to engage in endless check-ins and back-and-forthing about who was doing what. Everyone was equipped with an increased awareness of the tasks at hand.

Nancy also highlighted one of Keeper’s standout features: automatic 1099 tracking and W-9 collection. “It is worth it for that one feature,” she said, noting that some of her colleagues initially added the entirety of their client base solely for this functionality. But for Nancy’s firm, Keeper’s use cases went far beyond the 1099 season. Features both large and small were being consistently implemented at a pace that made sense for her team—thanks to the expertise of Keeper’s support reps.

Today, Keeper helps Nancy’s firm operate more efficiently, allowing her team to continue delivering exceptional services to clients. Plus, her 1099 seasons are no longer headache-inducing.

You can find Nancy McClelland, CPA’s award-winning blog at thedancingaccountant.com, and be sure to check out Ask a CPA, which is a community for bookkeepers looking to enhance their accounting skills and increase collaboration with their clients’ CPAs and tax preparers.

Curious to see how Keeper can solve the capacity constraints at your firm? Book a personalized demo today.

The post How Keeper Helps Nancy McClelland, CPA Solve Capacity Constraints appeared first on Keeper.

As the owner of Quick Bookkeeping & Accounting and a self-proclaimed “QuickBooks nerd,” Hector Garcia knows firsthand the challenges of running a busy accounting practice. Before discovering Keeper, Hector’s team experienced recurring chaos surrounding the month-end close—and staying organized was a challenge. The constant back-and-forth over email threads and Slack and endless questions like, “Did I already send that to the client?” or “What’s the status?” created inefficiencies and unnecessary anxiety.

That was until they found Keeper. By centralizing the information on clients and tasks along with the actual bookkeeping workflows, Keeper provided Hector with unparalleled visibility into his team’s progress each month. With just one click, he could check the status of each client’s close. This comprehensive bird’s eye view gave him the confidence and clarity to manage his team effectively.

“[Keeper] moved me from the previous chaotic state, to the ideal future state—and I’m living in that future state now.”

What stood out most to Hector was Keeper’s ability to combine this high-level view with granular detail. He could easily zoom in on uncategorized transactions, make those corrections, and zoom back out to see the bigger picture. The best part was that he could do all of this without switching tabs or apps. With less time spent juggling software or managing the chaos, Hector realized he could focus on delivering more value to his clients.

The post Keeper Helped Hector Garcia’s Firm Eliminate Chaos & Increase Confidence appeared first on Keeper.

What Is Uncategorized Income?

Uncategorized income refers to income that has been recognized in accounting or bookkeeping software without being assigned to a specific account, such as Product Sales, dividends, or interest earnings.

Uncategorized income typically appears on the books when accounting software imports a deposit from a bank account or payment processor that it can’t match with an income category.

For example, that could happen because the payment comes from a new customer or payment processor.

As a bookkeeper or accountant, fixing uncategorized income is a routine part of cleanup and catch-up projects.

While it doesn’t distort the bottom line, uncategorized income does obscure revenue data, and it must be corrected before the financial statements are suitable to be used for financial planning or sharing with prospective lenders or investors.

QuickBooks Example

Say you have a bookkeeping client who uses QuickBooks to organize their accounting records. They generally collect each customer's payment via Stripe, but they switch to PayPal to accommodate more customers.

Since their QuickBooks hasn’t seen any deposits come from PayPal or that customer before, it doesn’t know which account to match their bill payment to, so it ends up appearing on the profit and loss (P&L) statement as Uncategorized Income.

How To Fix Uncategorized Income in QuickBooks Online

Fixing uncategorized income in QuickBooks Online (QBO) is often a tedious and time-consuming process, especially when you’re cleaning up the records of a company with high deposit volumes.

Since QBO doesn’t offer a convenient way to edit transactions in bulk, you have to track down and correct every uncategorized deposit individually. Even if you know immediately how to reclassify them, the time it takes to do each one can add up quickly.

Here’s how the process works:

1.Generate report: QBO doesn’t provide a convenient way to track down uncategorized transactions, so you typically have to generate a report to identify them for a given period. For example, you can do so through the P&L or general ledger.

2. Drill down into the account: After creating a report for the period you’re fixing, click on the Uncategorized Income account total to pull up a list of deposits assigned to the category during the period.

3. Drill down into a transaction: From the list of Uncategorized income deposits, click on the first one you want to fix to pull up the details of the transaction.

4. Review the transaction details: The transaction’s description, total amount, source, and other details can help you determine where it belongs.

5. Reclassify the transaction: Change the transaction’s account from Uncategorized Income to the correct category, such as Product Sales, Consulting Fees, or Interest Income.

6. Save and exit: QBO won’t remember that you updated the financial transaction to the appropriate account unless you save it before exiting. 

7. Repeat steps 3–6 for each transaction: Exiting the transaction will take you back to the list of deposits assigned to Uncategorized Income for the period, where you can repeat the reclassification process for each one.

If you can’t determine where a bank deposit belongs, fixing its category becomes even more laborious, as you’ll need to consult the client first. Since QBO’s platform doesn’t facilitate convenient communication with them, you typically have to go back and forth via email.

Unfortunately, many clients take days to respond to transaction inquiries, if they reply at all. You often need to send multiple reminders to get an answer, and even then, it may not be sufficiently comprehensive, requiring further rounds of emails for clarification.

Fixing Uncategorized Expenses

Fixing uncategorized expenses in QBO is a similar process to fixing uncategorized income. In fact, the steps are virtually identical, requiring you to generate a report, drill down into the uncategorized expense account, and update each individual transaction.

However, in practice, uncategorized expenses are more common than uncategorized deposits and more difficult to reclassify, making the correction process even more time-consuming. That’s primarily due to:

• Volume of expenses: Businesses often process more payments than deposits, so uncategorized expenses tend to pile up in the books more quickly than uncategorized income, even if the rate of misclassification is the same.
• Diversity of expenses: Businesses rarely sort their income into more than a handful of accounts, while expenses frequently cover a much broader range of potential categories.
• Complexity of expenses: Deposits typically represent a single source of income, while a business expense transaction is more likely to involve multiple costs bundled together.

Given the nature of uncategorized expenses, it’s beneficial to clear them out frequently. You might be able to let uncategorized deposits accumulate for a few months without consequence, but uncategorized expenses should be fixed monthly, at least.

Fixing Uncategorized Assets

Mechanically, fixing uncategorized assets in QBO is much the same as fixing uncategorized income or expenses.

The only practical difference is that the Uncategorized Asset is a balance sheet account, so you may have to generate a different financial statement to identify them.

However, transactions typically get assigned to the Uncategorized Asset account for a specific reason. Namely, when it picks up a transaction in your bank feed that’s described as a transfer, especially to an account that isn’t connected to your QBO.

For example, say you transfer $2,000 from your checking account to your savings account, but only the checking account syncs to your QuickBooks file. In that case, QBO would likely classify the transaction as an Uncategorized Asset.

Making sure all your client’s accounts are connected to QBO can help prevent this issue, as it enables the software to match the transactions across accounts and more easily identify them as two sides of a cash transfer.

You can also establish rules to help QBO categorize transactions correctly going forward, but it won’t fix the backlog you already have.

QuickBooks rules are also far from foolproof, and uncategorized transactions can still slip through the cracks due to slight variations in the bank or payment processing feed.

The New Way: Fixing Uncategorized Income in Keeper

If you’re tired of the repetitive, manual processes of QBO, Keeper can help you fix uncategorized income deposits in a much more efficient way. It’s loaded with features designed to streamline the file review and cleanup process, including:

• Automatic transaction highlights: Keeper flags uncategorized income and other potentially problematic transactions for you automatically, so you don’t have to comb through reports hunting for them.
• Batch transaction edits: Instead of forcing you to update every transaction individually, Keeper lets you edit them en masse, significantly reducing the time and effort it takes to assign multiple transactions to an appropriate category.
• Local client communication: Keeper lets you attach questions to specific transactions and send automatic reminders to unresponsive clients, so you can stop going back and forth via email and start communicating in the same place where you do your work.
• Two-way QuickBooks syncing: Any updates you make to your client’s books in the Keeper app automatically sync to your client’s QBO or Xero file and vice versa, ensuring accurate financial records on both ends.

In addition, Keeper’s Receipts feature uses artificial intelligence to study your historical transactions, greatly enhancing its automatic categorization capabilities and reducing the number of uncategorized transactions that arise in the first place.

Project Management and Team Assignments

In addition to facilitating the fixing of uncategorized transactions, Keeper contains features designed to streamline your entire bookkeeping process, including robust project management tools. Some of its most notable capabilities include:

• Reusable workflow templates: Keeper lets you create reusable workflow patterns for recurring bookkeeping tasks. These help ensure all work is done consistently and efficiently.
• Task tagging and assignments: You can assign specific tasks and subtasks of a project to certain team members and add tags to help them filter and prioritize their responsibilities.
• Local team collaboration tools: The same features that make communicating with clients on Keeper more efficient can help enhance collaboration with your team members, including instant messenger and the ability to attach comments and questions to individual transactions.

Best of all, these features are integrated directly into your Keeper dashboard, so you don’t have to juggle multiple apps or tabs like you would with an external project management solution.

Bank Account and Merchant Processing Reconciliation

Account reconciliation is another fundamental bookkeeping task that Keeper can help make significantly more efficient, whether you need to reconcile bank accounts, credit cards, or merchant processing systems.

Not only does Keeper support the process directly on its platform—with a full sync back to your client’s QBO or Xero file—but it also includes features that help keep your account reconciliations organized and make it easy to review their status.

Some of those features include:

• Automatic addition to workflows: When you add a new client to Keeper, the software automatically creates an account reconciliation task for each of its bank account and credit card feeds.
• Transaction filters by reconciliation status: When you drill down into an account reconciliation task, you can open a ledger of all the transactions it contains and filter them by their status as uncleared, cleared but not reconciled, or reconciled.
• Timestamped account balances: Keeper lets you add timestamped account balances to reconciliation tasks, making it easy to find accounts whose balances have changed since you last reconciled them.

If you have a bookkeeping client with multiple related business entities, Keeper can even help you complete intercompany reconciliations by displaying account balances from other QuickBooks files.

The Importance of Categorizing Income Correctly for Financial Reports

Allowing uncategorized income items to accumulate on a client’s books may not affect their net earnings, but it distorts their revenue data and significantly diminishes the value of their P&L for strategic and financial planning.

After all, revenue growth is a key performance indicator (KPI) for many businesses, and analyzing it is often essential for making informed decisions.

For example, your clients may want to know how each revenue stream performs to help them determine which products or services are most profitable and where to allocate their sales and marketing resources.

Categorizing income correctly is even more important if your client intends to share their financial reports with external stakeholders, such as prospective lenders or investors.

These third parties expect to see clean, accurate, and up-to-date financial statements, and having uncategorized income on the P&L won’t instill much confidence in your client’s financial reporting or management.

Common Mistakes in Classifying Uncategorized Transactions

Classifying uncategorized transactions may seem like a straightforward process, but it’s easy to make mistakes that significantly reduce your efficiency, especially in combination. Here are some common ones to avoid:

• Using software inefficiently: Whatever bookkeeping software you use, make sure you learn to fully utilize its capabilities. For example, automation tools like bank feed rules and recurring workflow templates can save you time and effort.
• Failing to connect all accounts to software: Connecting all of your client’s accounts to their bookkeeping solution ensures you have a comprehensive picture of their finances and helps the software prevent uncategorized assets.
• Not knowing when to ask clients for info: Repeatedly asking your client about an uncategorized transaction when you don’t need to can damage the relationship, but spinning your wheels for too long is a waste of time. It’s essential to develop a sense for balancing these competing needs.

Developing effective bookkeeping systems is the best way to avoid mistakes like these. For example, consider following a consistent onboarding routine, transaction categorization workflow, and client check-in process.

Speed Up Month-End Close With Keeper

Keeper is a comprehensive bookkeeping practice management software designed to streamline the month-end. We built it to provide bookkeepers and accountants with a single platform where they can complete all their work in record time.

• Some of Keeper’s most powerful features include:
• Two-way syncing with QBO and Xero
• Personalized workflow templates to facilitate file reviews
• Automatic highlighting of uncategorized banking transactions
• A custom-branded client portal with magic sign-in links
• Built-in communication tools that facilitate collaboration
• Digital receipt capture, storage, and organization software
• Integrated project management and task assignment tools

Schedule a demo with one of our experts to test-drive Keeper’s powerful software and learn how you can use it to close your clients’ books in half the time.

The post Uncategorized Income Explained: The Ultimate Bookkeeper’s Guide appeared first on Keeper.

Popular practice management solutions often integrate with accounting platforms like QuickBooks or Xero.  

Features such as automated reminders, secure portals, and customizable reporting make it easier to stay on top of tasks while saving time.  

This helps manage client workflows, track KPIs, and catch accounting errors—all in one place.

With so many options out there, how do you choose the best practice management software to transform your bookkeeping success?

If you’re curious about practice management software, let’s explore everything you need to know to help you make the best choice for your firm.

How Practice Management Software Works

Accounting and bookkeeping practice management software is designed to centralize and automate a majority of accounting functions. With this, your team can spend less time on data entry and more time on value-added work.

For example, Keeper’s practice management software integrates with QuickBooks and Xero so you can sync client data, transactions, and reports in one click. 

The software will feature a central dashboard where you can view all client communications, track projects, and review financials. 

Automated reminders and alerts also help keep you on top of deadlines and follow-ups so nothing falls through the cracks with your clients. 

Most practice management systems also offer task management features. This could include:

• Creating recurring or one-off tasks
• Assigning them to team members
• Tracking task progression/completion 
• Categorizing tasks with tags and sections
• Advanced workflow management features across multiple clients

Keeper also stands out as one of the few practice management systems that can automatically catch and correct common input errors in your client’s books. 

For example, by reviewing P&L reports at the vendor level, you can standardize reviews across your firm. 

By automating the routine tasks carried out by accounting firms daily, practice management software can help: 

• Reduce the number of errors
• Save time spent on mundane activities
• Boost the bottom line 

This helps your business grow and manage more clients with time. 

Bookkeeping-Specific Features

Now, let’s explore the unique features that make Keeper’s practice management system the best for bookkeeping firms.

CRM

Keeper’s CRM is designed to make client management easy for bookkeeping and accounting firms.

With a personal dashboard, you can see and manage all client information in one place.

Whether it’s tracking monthly closes or open transaction questions, Keeper gives you a clear view of your entire client list so your team can stay on top of everything.

Custom client properties let you organize information to fit your firm’s workflow. You can filter, hide, and save views to find what you need, whenever you need it. 

Keeper rewards you with a super personalized client management experience for your team.

Keeper also integrates with your existing tech stack via Zapier integrations. 

You can seamlessly update your client list when a proposal is signed or trigger actions across all connected platforms if something changes in Keeper.

From task management and client communication to file reviews tools all in one app, Keeper’s CRM keeps your firm connected in all the right ways, allowing you to focus on what matters most: your clients.

File Review

Bookkeeping and accounting firms can review their clients’ books faster and with more accuracy using Keeper’s file review feature.

It eliminates the need for manual checks by automatically identifying errors, inconsistent expenses, and uncategorized transactions—saving you from surprises during the month-end close.

If you choose Keeper as your practice management software, you can also say goodbye to tab switching and tool jumping. 

Scale your month-end close process up to 3x faster using the consolidated and unified dashboard. Plus, every correction made in Keeper syncs back with QuickBooks Online and Xero. 

Keeper’s file review enables more visibility by:

• Reviewing P&L reports at the vendor level
• Drilling down into individual transactions 
• Seeing cost drivers and variances without opening Excel

Keeper’s tools also show transactions coded to parent accounts, tax inconsistencies, and other anomalies so nothing gets missed.

Finally, custom-saved search reports allow your team to customize reviews for maximum operational efficiency. 

Every change is tracked in the Client Portal, providing your team with a clear audit trail and reducing errors during file review. This ensures accurate financial insights while freeing up review time for higher value work.

Client Portal

Keeper’s custom-branded Client Portal is designed to simplify client communication for bookkeeping and accounting firms while housing client records in one common place.

Bid farewell to endless spreadsheets and emails—this central hub lets your clients respond to transaction questions, share documents, and view their financials in one place.

Asking questions is easy. You can send transaction questions directly from the bank feed.

When your clients respond, you can edit transactions in Keeper and they will auto-sync back to your accounting software.

With scheduled requests and automated email/text reminders, no question goes unanswered, and it saves you time on the back and forth.

Clients also love Keeper’s Magic Link login system which eliminates the need to remember passwords—just one click, and they’re in. 

Plus, with Keeper’s mobile app, clients can respond to questions, upload documents, and stay connected on the go.

The portal provides unlimited file storage to store receipts, other financial reports, and strengthen your overall document management. 

Pro-Tip: With custom branding and white labeling, you can host the portal on your domain with your firm’s colors and logo so it feels like an extension of your business.

Keeper’s Client Portal combines ease of use with bank-grade security, creating a secure modern solution that clients will actually use.

Project and Task Management

Keeper’s project and task management features are designed to change the way bookkeeping and accounting teams work.

Keeper allows you to create, organize, and track tasks while boosting your team's collaboration and productivity.

You can get started by:

• Creating workflow templates for recurring tasks like month-end, payroll, or administrative tasks
• Assigning recurring or one-off tasks to your team so everyone is on track with minimal effort
• Using tagging and client properties features to organize tasks in a way that makes sense for your firm

Using Keeper’s single client dashboard, you can track outstanding tasks, resolve bottlenecks, and mark completed work for managers to review instantly.

Features like internal commenting and in-app chat help get issues resolved quickly and efficiently. You can also use attachments to reduce confusion. 

Additionally, Keeper helps manage non-closing tasks like tax filings or bi-weekly payroll by creating schedules that assign work to your team. 

Within the interface, you can add more clarity by breaking down projects into sub-tasks, assigning users, and marking priority tasks.

Finally, you can use daily digest emails and starred tasks to keep everyone aligned so nothing gets missed. 

1099 Management

Say goodbye to the seasonal stress of January 1099 management with Keeper on your side. 

Keeper makes the whole process smoother, so you can manage vendor compliance year-round, not just at the last minute.

With Keeper’s Prepare 1099s Report, finding 1099-eligible vendors has never been easier. The system automatically excludes credit card transactions so you only see what matters.

For vendors missing W-9s, Keeper’s Client Portal lets you request them from your clients or the vendors themselves.

You can even add W-9 requests to your monthly workflow with the newly added vendors report to practice efficiency and stay ahead of the game.

Once a vendor submits their W-9, simply update it in Keeper, and it will instantly sync back to QuickBooks Online or Xero. 

When it’s time to file, export all 1099 data in your preferred file format to trusted platforms like Track1099 or Tax1099 for easy filing.

By managing 1099s as part of your workflow, Keeper saves your team time, reduces errors, and eliminates the last-minute stress so that you can be compliant without the hassle.

Report Creation and Management

Get financial reports your clients will read—and understand—with Keeper’s bookkeeping and accounting reporting tools.

Keeper connects to your client’s general ledger so you can generate a full financial report in four clicks. 

With Keeper’s Executive Summary, you can give your clients a quick snapshot of their financials, with visuals and key metrics to make it easy to digest. 

For example, a client looking for insights on their revenue cycle management can receive customized insights. 

Keeper’s Executive Summary includes:

• Space for commentary or notes on the report
• Profit & Loss vs prior periods
• Key metrics your clients care about
• Bar charts to show year-over-year performance
• Once published, management reports can be pushed to the Keeper Client Portal with one click.

Clients are notified and can access their financials. Reports are stored in the Portal for future reference.

Plus, you can customize even more aspects of the practice management software by tracking custom KPIs and metrics specific to your client’s business. 

With Keeper’s formula-based variables, these metrics update automatically as new data syncs from QuickBooks Online or Xero.

Hence, with Keeper’s streamlined report creation, customization, and management features, you can turn your financial reporting into a valuable, insightful experience. 

Ready to Simplify Your Practice Management?

It’s your time to streamline all your workflows, boost your team collaboration, and deliver exceptional value to your clients. 

This is where Keeper comes in.

Ready to see it in action? 

Book a demo today and discover how Keeper can transform your accounting firm.  

The post What Is Practice Management Software? appeared first on Keeper.

It’s a great idea – bookkeepers are in hot demand!

After checking out tons of bookkeeper jobs, we’ve uncovered the top 9 skills that employers most want to see on your resume.

1. Quickbooks Online Proficiency

Quickbooks is the most widely used accounting and bookkeeping software in the US. The company dominates with a market share of over 80% across its products. Therefore, knowing the platform is one of the most essential bookkeeping skills you can possess.

Check out current bookkeeping job postings. You’ll find that most of them want professional bookkeepers who know and can use QuickBooks Online.

Why do organizations love this accounting software so much?

Well, it’s because:

• The platform offers a complete range of bookkeeping and accounting features (really, there’s a lot!)
• It’s suitable for businesses of all sizes
• The features are scalable in line with business growth

QuickBooks is also well-known for its automation capabilities, making data capture and processing seamless. So, as part of your proficiency in this area, you should be able to demonstrate your skill in optimizing accounting workflows.

In all, for a budding bookkeeping career, QuickBooks is 100% one of the best places to start.

Tip: It’s worth getting certified in QuickBooks. Adding official certifications is a great way to establish yourself as a pro and prove you know your stuff. Plus, having this level of expertise will make it even easier to score new clients or positions.

2. Xero Proficiency

If you stop at QuickBooks, you’ll be selling yourself short. Even though it’s the most widely used accounting software, it doesn’t mean it’s the only one you should learn.

For us, the second on the list for bookkeeping software is Xero. It’s similar to Quickbooks in terms of feature set but is designed specifically for the small business. 

Xero hails from New Zealand and although it has a presence in over 180 countries, most of its users are based in the UK, Australia, the US, and its home country.

Since many organizations are global, adding Xero proficiency to your resume will help you appeal to them. Being proficient in Xero will also help you obtain Certificate IV in Bookkeeping and Accounting – a recognized vocational qualification in Australia.

Like QuickBooks, Xero offers certifications. They’re free of charge and take a matter of hours. So, obtaining these is a quick win.

Tip: Did you know that you can integrate Quickbooks Online and Xero with Keeper? 

Keeper assists you with your bookkeeping tasks so you can close out the month in half the time. And its 2-way sync ensures that any changes made in Keeper instantly update in Quickbooks Online and Xero, so you don’t have to toggle back and forth between different software and Excel sheets.

3. Basic Spreadsheet Skills

Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets are still the firm favorites of many organizations.

And, it’s easy to understand why.

While spreadsheets certainly aren’t the most efficient way to perform bookkeeping, they are low-cost and relatively easy to use. Therefore, you often find that this method is favored by smaller businesses and freelancers who lack accounting know-how.

So, if you’re looking to capture these types of clients, then a basic knowledge of spreadsheets is a must-have on your list of bookkeeper skills.

What do we mean by basic, exactly? 

You must understand how to manipulate the data to create balance sheets, income statements, financial reports, and so on. Which includes the following skills:

• Setting up and organizing worksheets for multiple financial aspects
• Formatting columns, rows, and cells appropriately
• Basic financial formulas, such as arithmetic operations, SUM, AVERAGE, etc.
• Highly detail-oriented data entry (it’s a manual process so you have to be hot on accuracy)
• Creating tables, charts, and graphics
• Linking data between multiple sheets
• Creating and using pivot tables

And, of course, you must be adept at sorting and filtering all the data to perform basic analysis and spot discrepancies.

4. Creating Financial Reports

A core part of any bookkeeping job description will be the ability to generate all types of financial reports, including:

• Income statements
• Balance sheets
• Cash flow statements
• Statement of earnings
• Budget vs actual
• And more

Although most accounting software can generate these reports for you, it’s still necessary to possess high attention to detail. Even more so if the employer uses manual spreadsheets.

Your ability to spot discrepancies and errors is key. So is verifying the data that goes into the reports. 

Additionally, your analytical skills must extend beyond simply showing the numbers. 

You certainly won’t be expected to perform an in-depth analysis like an accountant would, but you still need to be able to identify trends, patterns, and data anomalies. Your ability in this area is what enables stakeholders to make an informed decision about finances.

Speaking of accounting, knowledge of accounting principles also matters. Understanding Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), etc., will ensure your reporting adheres to best practices.

We all know that reports are time-sensitive. Getting them out on time requires serious organizational skills plus soft skills like time management.

One way to impress your clients is to use a tool like Keeper to generate polished financial reports in a few clicks. They’re presented in an easily digestible, readable format which your clients will appreciate.

5. Managing Invoices and Accounts Payable

Processing and paying invoices is one of the key bookkeeping tasks. Employers want successful bookkeepers who are savvy enough to pay vendors on time and accurately. 

Doing so establishes their business as trustworthy and reliable and helps maintain solid client relations.

Your bookkeeping skills in this department include the ability to:

• Understand differing payment terms (Cash in advance, cash on delivery, letter of credit, and so on)
• Review and approve invoices
• Record invoices in the accounts payable account within the general ledger
• Assign general ledger (GL) codes to invoices
• Add the debit entry to the appropriate account
• Match invoices with purchase orders and receiving documents
• Schedule and facilitate payments before the invoice deadline

Often, you will be juggling multiple invoices at once, each with its own set of payment terms and deadlines. So, you must be efficient at handling these simultaneously. 

If one slips through the cracks, it can quickly damage vendor relations so your skills need to ensure this doesn’t happen.

Insider Tip: Organizations are always looking for ways to streamline these types of functions. If you can bring optimization ideas to the table (like automation), then you’ll stand a much better chance of landing your dream bookkeeper job.

6. Managing Payroll

Although payroll is not strictly a core function of a professional bookkeeper, it’s a great skill to have, especially if you want to become a full-charge bookkeeper. It’s also a role frequently carried out by accounting firms and is a valuable addition to any firm’s bookkeeping services list.  

Since both are financial functions, it’s natural that bookkeeping and payroll go hand-in-hand. And, because of this, many organizations expect you to possess both skills.

What does the job of a payroll expert involve, exactly?

First, you need an extremely strong understanding of federal and state labor laws and tax regulations. Anywhere the business operates and has employees – you have to know the laws inside out.

Proficiency with payroll software is also necessary. For example, ADP Run and Gusto are two popular payroll platforms (QuickBooks and Xero also include this function). 

Then, the main payroll skills, include:

• Tracking and calculating employee pay 
• Applying deductions and taxes
• Spotting discrepancies and errors – and correcting them
• Handling sensitive financial information securely

A payroll expert must also possess many expert-level soft skills, such as:

• Project management
• Communication skills
• Time management
• Conflict handling

You’re responsible for ensuring that staff get paid properly and on time, which means the pressure is always on. It’s on you to effectively address pay concerns and disputes with staff. 

Keeping a cool head is a must!

Reconciling Bank and Credit Card Records

Another core bookkeeping skill, reconciling bank and credit accounts also requires high levels of efficiency and (you guessed it) accuracy.

A skilled bookkeeper will fully understand and know how to apply double-entry bookkeeping and abide by GAAP accounting principles. They will also know the different types of transactions and how to record them properly.

Skills in this area also include:

• Analyzing each journal entry with keen eyes. Tiny discrepancies can have a big impact if missed
• Looking into the discrepancies and resolving them
• Knowing the reasons for any differences such as timing problems, fraud, or error
• Using software and spreadsheets effectively to record transactions
• Performing precise calculations to adjust balances and ensure reconciled amounts match across records

Excellent communication skills are crucial here because you will be liaising with stakeholders to report your findings. You may also need to speak regularly with banks and credit card institutions to flag and resolve issues.

Also, you must have a deep understanding of banking and credit card processes. This will heighten your ability to spot fraudulent transactions, monitor cash flow properly, and maintain that all-important accuracy.

7. Track Vendors and Manage 1099s

One skill we find that pops up frequently in a bookkeeper job description is the ability to manage and handle the 1099 tax form.

Specifically, employers want a certified public bookkeeper who can:

• Request and obtain the W-9 form and taxpayer identification number (TIN) from contractors and vendors
• Track vendor payments and transactions throughout the tax year
• Identify which vendors do – and don’t – require the 1099 form based on the monetary thresholds
• Request and collect the W-9 for any services that were provided by your client or employer
• Recognize which version of the 1099 form to use (and when) must also form part of your bookkeeping skill set
• Know the latest IRS 1099 requirements (and keep the knowledge up-to-date)
• Navigate the 1099 electronic filing system properly

Overall, 1099s are a complicated, time-consuming aspect of business administration that requires a lot of attention. Therefore, employers are keen to find ways to optimize this process.

Using Keeper to track and prepare 1099s is one way to do it. The platform quickly identifies vendors that meet the reporting requirements and flags if a W-9 is missing. 

Then a request for the form can be sent in a matter of clicks and saves your employer the hassle.

8. Pay Bills and Manage Accounts Receivable

As for money coming in (accounts receivable), you must be on the ball to ensure the business maintains a healthy cash flow.

This means you need to keep on top of multiple customer accounts and their respective due dates. And, of course, track and record the payments correctly.

Beyond invoice management, one big thing we also want to highlight is that you should be able to analyze financial data and spot areas where money can be saved.

Having the talent to find cost-saving opportunities is a skill that most businesses are eager to acquire. So, if you can add this as a resume example, then you’re onto a winner.

Also:

• Soft skills like effective negotiating and communication skills will help you greatly
• Time management matters

Why?

Because often, a discount is applied if a payment is made well ahead of its deadline. It also becomes easier to get better payment terms or deals.

9. Bookkeeping Practice Management Software Proficiency

All in all, there are tons of skills that will make your resume stand out and help you land the perfect bookkeeper position.

And, if your talents aren’t quite up to scratch then there are ways to get yourself there.

For instance, consider investing in a bookkeeping course to increase your talents and even become certified. Or, if you’re already experienced, the next step could be advancing to a certified public accountant.

Before we finish, we’ve got one more big piece of bookkeeping career advice to share.

Bookkeeping practice management software is your biggest ally when it comes to demonstrating a strong skill in efficiency and optimization.

Keeper’s extensive suite of features takes care of time-consuming task management and client communications. 

Plus, as we already mentioned, it integrates seamlessly with QuickBooks Online and Xero – two of the most popular accounting and bookkeeping platforms around.

The result?

Your work is accurate and fully compliant with accounting principles and regulations. And, you’ll dramatically speed up the month-end close.

So, if you want to impress potential employers, consider adding Keeper to your list of bookkeeper skills.

To learn more about why our customers love Keeper, check out these related articles or book a demo.

The post 9 In-Demand Bookkeeper Skills Your Resume Needs appeared first on Keeper.

If not, now is the time to start.

By offering specialized accounting services, you can target ideal niche clients more effectively, stand out in the competitive accounting industry, and find your lucrative niche faster.

Here’s how to get started.

What to Consider When Picking a Niche

Choosing the right industry niche can position your firm for sustainable growth. 

Here are the critical factors you should consider.

• Demand: Evaluate market needs. High-demand niches, like forensic accounting or cryptocurrency accounting, offer significant opportunities for growth. Studies have shown that employment for accounting professionals is projected to grow 6%1 by 2033, driven by evolving financial trends.
• Personal Interest: Align your chosen niche with your passion or expertise. Enjoying the work will help you deliver better results and attract ideal niche clients who value your skills.
• Profitability: Consider niches with lucrative billing opportunities. For example, working with smaller firms in private equity or law firms often comes with premium rates for specialized services.
• Expertise: Leverage your existing knowledge in a specialty accounting niche. If you have experience in real estate accounting, this expertise will help you stand out in a crowded accounting profession.

You should also evaluate your current clients for patterns that align with profitable niches. Check if there are underserved industries or services they need, such as specialized client accounting services. 

Balancing these needs with market trends, like the growing demand for cryptocurrency accounting, ensures your accounting practice stays competitive.

Pro-tip: Leverage tools like Keeper to streamline your bookkeeping processes and support niche growth.

Here are the 28 top accounting niches for you to know.

1. IRS Audit Assistance (Service)

The IRS closed nearly 583,000 tax return audits in FY 20232, recommending $31.9 billion in additional taxes. 

Providing IRS audit assistance helps your prospective niche clients meet compliance requirements while navigating these complex processes. 

This specialized accounting service is essential for small businesses and high-income earners.

2. Back Taxes Assistance (Service)

Unresolved back taxes can lead to penalties and legal action, making prompt resolution essential. 

In FY 2023, the IRS collected over $104.1 billion in unpaid assessments3 on returns filed with additional tax due, netting about $68.30 billion after credit transfers.

A niche accountant specializing in back tax assistance can help small businesses and individuals negotiate payment plans and avoid further complications. 

3. Estate and Trust Advisory (Service)

Collaborating with estate planners and high-net-worth individuals offers opportunities to manage substantial assets and complex financial structures. 

In 2022, U.S. financial institutions held approximately $127.2 trillion in assets4, reflecting significant wealth management needs.

This growing niche is where staying on top of financial statements and optimized asset management is a huge priority. 

4. Forensic Accounting (Service)

Forensic accounting plays a vital role in fraud detection, legal cases, and dispute resolution. 

Fraud costs businesses over $4.7 trillion annually5 worldwide. 

Accountants in this niche support investigations and litigation with expertise in financial data analysis.

5. Nonprofit Accounting (Service)

Many nonprofit organizations manage significant assets and resources. Working with them is far from doing pro bono work.

In 2022, U.S. nonprofits contributed $1.4 trillion to the economy6, comprising 5.6% of GDP. 

Specializing in this niche accounting practice enables you to optimize compliance and financial reporting while helping drive charitable causes through cost-saving initiatives. 

6. Cryptocurrency and Digital Assets (Service)

With the global cryptocurrency market cap reaching approximately $3.05 trillion during mid-November 2024, mastering cryptocurrency and digital assets has become an indispensable skill in the accounting domain.

Specialization in this niche can help you navigate your clients' complex compliance and valuation challenges in different industries.

7. Bookkeeping and FinOps (Service)

Did you know that organizations lose 5% of their revenue7 annually to fraud, amounting to $117,000 per case before detection?

Efficient bookkeeping services can combat this through accurate financial management in a bookkeeping business.

Keeper’s bookkeeping practice management software streamlines workflows with features like an intuitive client portal, automated file reviews, automated w-9 requesting and tracking, team task management, and so much more. 

8. Internal Auditing (Service)

Internal auditing is key to strengthening an organization’s internal controls and risk compliance practices.

According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, 29% of fraud cases8 occur due to insufficient internal controls. 

Choosing to specialize in internal auditing and niche accounting services helps mitigate risks and improve operational efficiency.

9. Merger and Acquisition (Service)

Merger and acquisition services require robust financial due diligence and precise valuation. 

In 2023, global M&A deals reached $3 trillion9. 

By specializing in this niche, you can help your clients identify risks and opportunities based on the prevailing trends.

10. Transaction Advisory (Service)

Transaction advisory services help businesses structure their financial transactions while ensuring compliance with regulations. 

Accountants specializing in this niche accounting area can provide critical insights to optimize deal terms, mitigate risks, and align with business goals. 

11. Risk Management (Service)

Risk management services are critical for identifying and mitigating financial threats. 

According to PwC’s Global Risk Survey 2023, 37% of organizations feel highly exposed to cyber risks, second only to inflation. 

An accounting firm providing expert assistance in this niche often focuses on safeguarding assets and ensuring compliance.

12. Financial Planning and Analysis (Service)

Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) services are essential for budgeting and forecasting to drive strategic growth. 

According to Deloitte's Global Planning, Budgeting, and Forecasting Survey, over 60% of organizations plan to change their FP&A processes to enhance decision-making and resilience. 

An accounting firm providing services in this niche often gives valuable insights for creating informed business strategies.

13. Financial Controller (Service)

A financial controller streamlines accounting tech stack operations for SMBs, promising accuracy and compliance. 

Research indicates that 82% of small businesses10 fail due to poor cash flow management. 

Experts and accountants in this role can help attain stability and obtain insights for growth.

14. Fractional CFO Services (Service)

Fractional CFO services offer small business owners access to high-level financial expertise on a part-time basis. 

These services provide strategic guidance without the cost of a full-time executive. 

This allows companies to benefit from seasoned financial leadership tailored to their specific needs and budget constraints.

15. eCommerce (Industry)

The eCommerce industry demands careful handling of inventory costs, sales tax, and digital payments.

With global eCommerce sales projected to reach $6.3 trillion this year, specializing in this niche market opens opportunities for accountants to deliver vital support and drive success.

16. Real Estate (Industry)

The real estate industry relies on tailored tax strategies for investors and agents to maximize returns. 

In 2022, the U.S. commercial real estate market witnessed transactions totaling $752 billion11.

This is an indicator of the substantial opportunities for accounting firms in this industry.

17. Law Firms (Industry)

Law firms rely on accurate trust accounting and expense management to ensure compliance. 

The American Bar Association’s Rule 1.15 mandates meticulous handling of client funds, as mismanaging trust accounts or misusing client funds constitutes a violation. 

Accountants specializing in this specific niche can help firms mitigate such risks.

18. Medical Doctors and Small Clinics (Industry)

Managing insurance reimbursements and financial planning is crucial for medical doctors and small clinics to maintain profitability while ensuring compliance with healthcare regulations. 

According to the American Medical Association, 51.8% of physicians12 worked in practices with 10 or fewer physicians in 2022.

This highlights the prevalence of small medical practices and the opportunities that lie there.

19. Software/SaaS (Industry)

The SaaS industry requires precise revenue recognition and scalable financial operations to comply with ASC 606 standards. 

In 2023, the global SaaS market was valued at $197 billion and is estimated to reach $247 billion13 by the end of this year. 

By specializing in the SaaS/software niche, you can provide guidance on optimizing subscription billing and give strategic financial and growth insights to your clients.

20. IT Companies (Industry)

IT companies often grapple with challenges like managing project-based billing, allocating costs across multiple projects, and handling intricate payroll systems for diverse teams.

The global IT services market is expected to reach $1,420 billion this year14. 

Accountants can deliver significant value by implementing efficient cost-tracking systems, optimizing resource allocation, and managing tax compliance for international teams. 

21. Engineering Firms (Industry)

Engineering firms must adeptly manage project cost allocation and adhere to regulatory compliance to maintain profitability and avoid legal issues. 

In 2021, the U.S. engineering services industry generated approximately $373 billion in revenue, underscoring its significant economic impact.

22. Marketing Agencies (Industry)

Global digital advertising spending is projected to reach $740.3 billion15 by the end of this year, underscoring the importance of precise financial management in this sector.

Marketing agencies require meticulous ad spend and client billing tracking to ensure profitability and transparency. 

23. Private Equity (Industry)

Private equity firms rely on accurate reporting and financial analysis to support portfolio companies. 

In 2021, the global value of private equity deals crossed the threshold of $1.1 trillion16. 

Tip: Accountants can use tools like Keeper to help track metrics and monitor compliance while specializing in this niche.

24. HVAC (Industry)

The HVAC industry requires precise seasonality and equipment cost management to maintain profitability. 

The U.S. HVAC systems market was valued at $16.54 billion in 202117 and is expected to grow at a 5.6% annual rate through 2030, driven by energy-efficient solutions. 

Accountants provide value by helping track seasonal costs and optimize finances. 

25. Plumbers (Industry)

To maintain profitability, plumbing services require accurate cost tracking for supplies and seamless customer invoicing. 

The U.S. plumbing services market was valued at $124.2 billion18, reflecting steady demand. 

Accounting services in this specific niche focus on optimizing cash flow and transparency.

26. Electricians (Industry)

The U.S. electrical contracting market generated revenue of $202 billion in 202119, highlighting the importance of precise inventory management and cash flow tracking to sustain small businesses. 

By getting expert help from accountants, electricians can optimize your financial processes for growth.

27. Manufacturing (Industry)

In 2023, the U.S. manufacturing sector contributed $2.3 trillion to the nation's GDP20, accounting for 10.2%. 

This underscores the importance of effectively managing the “cost of goods sold” (COGS) and meeting compliance standards within the industry.

28. Trucking Companies (Industry)

In 2023, the U.S. trucking industry generated $987 billion in gross revenue21, reflecting its critical role in freight transportation. 

Effective mileage tracking and fleet management accounting are essential for optimizing operations and maintaining profitability in this industry niche.

Use Keeper to Streamline Operations

Now that you know the best accounting niches to specialize in, you need a tool to level up your game. 

When it comes to managing your accounts, Keeper is the comprehensive solution. 

Our bookkeeping practice management software streamlines workflows with advanced tools like automated reviews and management reports. 

Keeper can make your life easier by:

• Reducing the risk of errors
• Widening the scope for growth and strategic development
• Streamlining niche specialization

Learn how Keeper can transform your accounting firm’s services and help your business gain a tactical advantage in accounting.

Book a demo today!

References

1. “Accountants and Auditors.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 29 Aug. 2024, www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/accountants-and-auditors.htm.  
2. “IRS Releases 2023 Data Book Describing Agency’s Transformation through Statistics.” Internal Revenue Service, www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-releases-2023-data-book-describing-agencys-transformation-through-statistics   
3. “Data Book, 2023”, Internal Revenue Service, www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p55b.pdf 
4. Statista Research Department, and Jan 31. “U.S. Assets of Financial Institutions 2022.” Statista, 31 Jan. 2024, www.statista.com/statistics/421697/financial-institutions-assets-usa/ 
5. Examiners, Association of Certified Fraud. “Organizations Worldwide Lose Trillions of Dollars to Occupational Fraud.” ACFE Press Release, www.acfe.com/about-the-acfe/newsroom-for-media/press-releases/press-release-detail?s=2022-RTTN-launch 
6. “Health of the U.S. Nonprofit Sector.” Independent Sector, 22 Mar. 2024, independentsector.org/resource/health-of-the-u-s-nonprofit-sector/ 
7. Katz, Allison. “2022 ACFE Report to the Nations: Fraud Trends and Key Takeaways.” Withum, 8 Dec. 2023, www.withum.com/resources/2022-acfe-report-to-the-nations-fraud-trends-and-key-takeaways/. 
8. Buckey, Tammara. “How to Use Internal Controls to Prevent Fraud, Waste and Abuse While Improving Auditability.” BDO, 12 Sept. 2022, www.bdo.com/insights/industries/government-public-sector/how-to-use-internal-controls-to-prevent-fraud%2C-waste-and-abuse-while-improving-auditability 
9. 2023 Annual Global M&a Report, pitchbook.com/news/reports/2023-annual-global-ma-report 
10. Desjardins, Jeff. “Here’s Why Small Businesses Fail.” Business Insider, Business Insider, www.businessinsider.com/why-small-businesses-fail-infographic-2017-8?r=US&IR=T 
11. Statista Research Department, and May 3. “U.S. Commercial Real Estate Transactions Forecast 2024.” Statista, 3 May 2024, www.statista.com/statistics/245103/real-estate-capital-flows/ 
12. Policy Research Perspectives, www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2022-prp-practice-arrangement.pdf 
13. Vailshery, Lionel Sujay. “Saas Market Size Worldwide 2025.” Statista, 10 June 2024, www.statista.com/statistics/505243/worldwide-software-as-a-service-revenue/ 
14. “IT Services - Worldwide: Statista Market Forecast.” Statista, www.statista.com/outlook/tmo/it-services/worldwide 
15. “Digital Advertising - Worldwide: Statista Market Forecast.” Statista, www.statista.com/outlook/dmo/digital-advertising/worldwide 
16. Randall, Steve. “Private Equity Has Smashed the $1 Trillion Buyout Deal Threshold.” Wealth Professional, Wealth Professional, 8 Mar. 2022, www.wealthprofessional.ca/news/industry-news/private-equity-has-smashed-the-1-trillion-buyout-deal-threshold/364683 
17. “HVAC Industry Trends to Watch out for in 2022.” ZERO HVAC Technologies, 11 Sept. 2023, www.zerohvacr.com/hvac-industry-trends-to-watch-out-for-in-2022/ 
18. “Plumbing Statistics.” WebFX, 11 Oct. 2024, www.webfx.com/industries/home-repair/plumbers/statistics/ 
19. Electrical Industry Outlook - BBB, www.bbb.org/content/dam/iabbb/marcom-assets/industry-reports/Industry%20Report_Electrical-CA.pdf 
20. “U.S. Manufacturing Economy.” NIST, 15 Nov. 2024, www.nist.gov/el/applied-economics-office/manufacturing/manufacturing-economy/total-us-manufacturing 

“Economics and Industry Data.” American Trucking Associations, www.trucking.org/economics-and-industry-data

The post 28 Accounting Niches to Boost Your Firm’s Revenues in 2025 appeared first on Keeper.

Marketing, scaling, client management, and operational improvements are crucial to your success and growth. 

If you want to avoid cash flow uncertainties and experience growth, here’s how to grow your accounting practice effectively. 

1. Consider Picking an Industry Niche

Some accounting firms thrive on being a jack-of-all-trades. Others, not so much. 

Selecting an industry niche can help you narrow down your ideal clientele. It can help you hone your skills within said industry to offer effective, bespoke service. 

For many smaller practices, this makes getting customers and streamlining operations easier. 

But this prompts the question, which industry niche should you be considering? Every accountant is different, but there are some ideas to consider.

Some of the most lucrative industry niches worth looking further into include:

• SaaS: The SaaS industry is booming, estimated to be worth around $273 million and growing. They may require fractional CFO services, wealth management, and similar advisory services. 
• Real Estate: Real estate is an obvious industry niche for an accountant who wants a steady stream of clients. They may need specialized support such as lease accounting and financial reporting. 
• Dental/Medical: Dental and medical practices often need extensive accounting support. This may include managing patient billing and insurance reimbursements. 
• Hospitality: Hospitality shares some overlap with real estate. However, it offers unique opportunities such as working with hotels and travel companies. They often need support with compliance and cost and inventory management. 
• Construction: The construction industry is an industry niche that’s in demand and requires comprehensive accounting support. Construction companies often need help with compliance and specialized support with overhead expenses. 

2. Establish Effective Marketing

Securing new clients to grow your accounting practice requires a marketing strategy. 

Fortunately, your accounting practice is not unlike other businesses out there. The tried-and-true methods can be applied in your accounting firm. That is, as you have a developed brand and targeted messaging for your ideal client. 

Some effective marketing strategies to boost awareness and client acquisition include:

• Running advertisements, focusing on social media platforms and Google Ads. 
• Incentivizing current clients to refer you to companies in their network. Word-of-mouth marketing and incentivization can be extremely effective. 
• Developing an automated email marketing system for nurturing leads. You should also establish a dedicated sales team that helps you convert leads faster. 
• Enhancing your website with on-page and off-page SEO practices to drive more traffic. 
• Networking to actively secure more clients or partner with companies who can direct clients to you. 

Your marketing plan is integral to your success as an accounting practice. Take your time developing it to avoid potential setbacks. This includes digital marketing practices and other common marketing strategies. 

Consider looking at successful accounting firms to see the approaches they’re taking to secure clients and how you could emulate that yourself. 

3. Look for Cross-Sell and Upsell Opportunities

Growth for accounting firms doesn’t stem solely from onboarding more clients. Every new client certainly helps. However, you will also need to focus on cross-selling and upselling existing clients. 

Cross-selling and upselling promote growth by maximizing the profits coming from existing clients. 

For example, let’s imagine you’re working with a tech startup that hired you for basic bookkeeping. 

If they lack an accounting team, you could offer fractional CFO services. This would provide them with more comprehensive support while helping you generate more revenue. 

Clients may welcome an additional or upgraded accounting service they didn’t initially consider. Accounting outsourcing means they’ll likely need extra support without wanting to pay for a dedicated in-house team. 

Of course, there's a key to making this work. You have to offer enough client accounting services to make cross-selling and upselling possible. We’ve covered some of the most common client accounting services before here at Keeper. 

Some services to offer in your accounting practice to boost firm growth include: 

• Bookkeeping
• Tax Preparation and Planning
• Payroll Management 
• Accounts Payable
• Accounts Receivable
• Financial Statement Preparation
• Cash Flow Forecasting
• Accounting Advisory Service and Consulting
• Controller Services
• Virtual CFO Services
• Business Valuation 
• Wealth Management

4. Streamline Operations to Free Up Time

Operational efficiency determines how many clients your practice can manage. 

If your accounting practice is inefficient, growth will be difficult to achieve. You can’t get to the next prospective client if you’re unable to handle your current workload.

One way to effectively manage your workflow and free up time is with the support of Keeper. 

Keeper is the leading Quickbooks Online and Xero-integrated bookkeeping practice management software that helps you streamline your operations so you can save time for things like tax and advisory. 

The tool offers a wealth of features to support your accounting practice management needs. With Keeper, you will:

• Communicate More Effectively: Our custom-branded client portal and project management features allow you to communicate with your team and manage client relationships in one place. 
• Manage Projects With Ease: Our CRM is built with accounting practices in mind. Manage client work, organize your accounting workflows, and track progress using one dedicated tool.
• Review Files Rapidly: Identify errors faster and correct them swiftly with our integrated file review tools.
• Upload and Manage Receipts Seamlessly: Receipt management can be a pain point in accounting. We simplify it. Our receipt management tool makes managing receipts as simple as having your accounting clients upload them remotely. Then, our OCR processes them, and you post them to your client’s ledger. 
• Track and Prepare 1099s: Collecting W-9s shouldn’t be a hassle. Our accounting software identifies vendors who meet the reporting threshold. All you have to do is request them and update them in our system. Then, you can export them quickly when tax season rolls around. 
• Produce Custom Management Reports: Your client’s financial health is paramount. We help you produce the comprehensive custom management reports your client needs in just four clicks. 
• Supercharge Your Work With Integrations: Keeper is powered by a two-way sync with Xero and QuickBooks Online. Need to add additional tools to the mix? You can also customize your experience through Zapier. 

We help you build strong client relationships, meet client expectations, and transform your accounting business into one of the high growth firms in your target market. Now’s the time to see what Keeper can do for your accountancy firm!

5. Get Good at Hiring Employees

Employees are the lifeblood of any successful accounting firm. 

The more experienced hands you have on deck, the easier it will be to achieve accounting firm growth. 

But where do you start as an accounting firm owner? 

Hiring accounting professionals for your new business is a multifaceted process. 

Finding the right job platforms is your first order of business. There are numerous options out there, and posting jobs on all or most of them is a solid way to start. You should also consider listing job openings on your practice’s website. 

The next step involves identifying what type of support you need. Do you need more accountants or specialists such as controllers? Would you benefit most from additional administrative staff? Identify your needs to get the support your practice demands. 

The interview process is arguably the most difficult aspect of hiring employees. 

The more refined the process, the better your team will be. 

6. Train and Delegate to Employees

Businesses such as accounting practices often face two challenges that can stunt or reverse their growth: a lack of training and an inability to delegate. 

Investing in your employees is a must for a small business looking to grow. While they need to come in with an existing education and an understanding of their role and industry, things will change. The accounting industry is always evolving. 

Investing in their continued education and providing them with the support they need to grow within your organization is critical to their success as well as yours. 

Delegating is another problem that smaller practices will run into. It’s very easy to want to oversee most things or manage most projects. After all, your accounting practice has gotten this far because of the hard work you’ve put in. 

But you can’t grow an accounting practice all by yourself. Being able to delegate to employees and trust that they can get the job done right is the only way to scale. 

If you can master training and delegating, you can pave the way for successful growth. 

7. Budget for Growth

An accounting firm is well-equipped to provide clients with financial services. Fortunately, you’re well-equipped to support your own too. 

Budgeting for growth will ensure that you have the funds needed to expand your operations. You’ll want to actively save money for hiring additional employees, advertising activities, and further expenses that you’ll need to take on as your accounting practice takes off. 

Make sure to:

• Establish clear goals to guide your growth and determine how much funding will be needed to hit those milestones. 
• Properly allocate funds to each activity, taking into account the average spend for practices like yours and more cost-effective routes or services you could take advantage of. 
• Avoid overspending, which could set your growth back substantially if you overshoot and don’t see the success you initially anticipated. 
• Create a contingency fund so your firm has resources you can fall back on. 
• Continuously return to your budget to make adjustments as needed. Sustainable growth is the goal!

Use Keeper to Streamline, Automate, and Delegate More

Keeper is your partner in accounting. 

Our bookkeeping software for accountants makes it possible to scale your accounting firm with ease. 

Utilize our accounting practice management software to streamline, automate, and delegate more so that you can save more time for advisory and business growth. 

Are you an accountant looking to take your practice to the next level?

Book a demo with us today to learn more about what Keeper can do for your practice!

The post How to Grow Your Accounting Practice appeared first on Keeper.

With that said, here are four concrete strategies for streamlining core accounting tasks to reach maximum efficiency. 

1. Integrate Your Task and Project Management

For many accountants, one of the biggest time drainers is simply spending too much time managing day-to-day tasks and big-picture projects. 

Say, for example, you assign someone on your accounting team an inventory or expenses task through a 3rd-party project management software like Asana or Trello. 

You have to jump back and forth between that platform and your accounting software to update those accounting tasks. This is incredibly inefficient and can lower productivity. 

However, using bookkeeping practice management software like Keeper lets you handle task management and project management from a single location. 

That way you can organize workflows in one place.

You can conveniently track the progress of your clients closing and non-closing tasks from start to finish for full visibility and tighter collaboration. By using internal chat features, you can work through problems quickly and attach files right from within the platform to ensure nothing is missed.

And by creating workflow templates, you can automate assigning tasks by re-applying them each month. 

Whether you’re dealing with expenses, inventory turnover, receivable turnover, payable turnover, or any other accounting processes, this feature keeps things organized while eliminating repetitive tasks that are common with manual accounting. 

2. Streamline Client Communication

Like anyone in financial services, ongoing communication with all your business clients is extremely important to the success of an accounting practice. But there comes a point when you have to ask, “How much time is wasted because of inefficient client communication?”

For many in the accounting industry, the number is uncomfortably high. 

Fortunately, we’re at a point where accounting automation can facilitate clear communication to ensure clients get the service they need without harming operational efficiency. 

Take, for instance, a custom-branded client portal. 

Here your accounting firm can manage all aspects of communication from a single, convenient location. You can centralize communication to ask questions and get responses, view financial data at a glance, and submit receipts and documents. 

Follow-ups can be streamlined by an accounting professional creating scheduled requests and automating messages to obtain important client information quickly and efficiently.  

And when it comes to the dreaded spreadsheets, they can be eliminated by asking questions about a transaction right from within the bank feed, with your work from those answers automatically being synced to QuickBooks Online or Xero for maximum efficiency.

3. Automate W-9 Collection and Follow-up

Here’s the scenario. Your outsourced accounting firm sends out W-9s to client vendors so you can report their financial records to the IRS. However, you encounter vendors who either don’t care or don’t respond to your accounting team. 

This is one of the most hated parts of an accountant or bookkeeper’s job and can put a serious strain on productivity. 

If you’ve ever found yourself in this situation, you’ll be happy to know that there’s now a way to automate W-9 gathering, as well as follow-up, which can save you a ton of time when you’re running accounting services. With bookkeeping workflow software, the platform will automatically determine which vendors have reached the 1099 threshold by analyzing financial transactions.

Once they’ve been identified, you can use the platform to quickly send out a request to reach out to them directly.

From there, you can easily track the progress from within the platform to see who’s completed their W-9 and who hasn’t. Keep in mind that you can either upload your own W-9 or use Keeper’s form-fill that generates a brand new one entirely for you.

Once the vendor has filled out the form, the information is automatically synced with QuickBooks Online or Xero, and it’s ready to go for far greater efficiency. 

4. Automate Financial Reporting

Producing accurate financial reporting on things like cash flow, assets, and expenses is critical to your finance team providing clients with high-level insights to guide their financial management decisions. 

However, generating and sharing this information with clients — especially in a way that’s easy for them to understand — is often easier said than done. And when you get “too much in the weeds” with a financial report, it can shave hours off your week. 

But this too is an area that can largely be automated for greater accounting efficiency. 

For instance, with Keeper, you can easily connect to your client’s ledger with just four clicks. 

You can then produce reports that are not only in-depth and measure what truly matters with assets and accounts but produce user-friendly reports with intuitive visuals. That way, your clients can make data-driven decisions without having to be data scientists. 

And rather than having to send financial reports through email or a different platform, your accounting firm can publish them directly through a client portal with a single click. 

If you’ve ever run into problems efficiently producing timely, accurate reports and found that it takes up more time than it should, this technology can be a breakthrough. 

Work More Efficiently with Keeper Bookkeeping Practice Management Software

Accounting efficiency is important on many levels. It increases productivity, reduces labor costs, and boosts client satisfaction. 

And when you zoom out and look at the big picture, accounting efficiency frees up your time so you can focus on advising your business clients to set them up for financial success. 

When it comes to bookkeeping software for accountants that checks all the boxes, Keeper is one of the best options available. 

From task/project management to streamlining client communication to automating W-9 gathering to automating financial reporting, Keeper has all of the features you need for process improvement. It’s also the first platform powered by a 2-way integration with QuickBooks Online and Xero. And with transparent, scalable pricing, you can get the exact plan you need to grow your accounting department while maximizing efficiency. Book a demo today.

The post Efficiency in Accounting: How to Work Smarter and More Effectively appeared first on Keeper.

But with bookkeeping accounting workflow automation, you can drastically increase your productivity to close the books quicker, while optimizing the client experience. 

What Should You Automate? (And What Should You Not?)

Research has found that most accountants waste much of their time on manual tasks. For perspective, one study that surveyed 250 bookkeepers and accountants found that “56% spend too much time on manual tasks.”

Further, “The survey revealed that, on average, 26-50% of tasks are currently automated. However, when looking to the future, respondents feel this will grow, with 51-75% of tasks predicted to be automated in 10 years.”

These numbers show that bookkeeping workflow automation is fairly well utilized today and can help streamline the accounting process. However, there’s plenty of room for improvement, and widespread implementation should gradually happen over time. 

Getting on board with accounting workflow management automation now should give you an edge over many competitors and make you an in-demand accountant that many business owners seek. 

The question is, what accounting workflow tasks should you automate, and which should you not?

This will vary depending on who you ask, but we feel that most bookkeepers can benefit from automating the following accounting tasks:

• 1099 management
• Notifying clients when they need to complete an action
• Accounting team task management
• Data entry
• Accounting journal entry
• Payroll processing
• Invoice processing
• Expense tracking
• Cash flow tracking
• Bank reconciliation
• Financial reporting

As for tasks that shouldn’t be automated, here are some that immediately come to mind:

• Complex transactions
• Detailed financial analysis
• Giving a client regulatory advice
• In-depth client interactions (on intricate topics that demand one-on-one communication)

The key to designing a successful accounting workflow is identifying where automation should be used and what should be left as a manual process. With that said, here are six automated workflows you can leverage to handle tasks without compromising the client experience. 

1. W-9 Requests and Tracking

If we’re being completely honest, it’s fair to say that requesting W-9s and tracking 1099-eligible vendors is one of the most unpleasant parts of accounting. 

You have to identify who meets the threshold to receive a 1099. Then you have to send a w-9 form and wait for it to be filled out. 

If the client is busy, doesn’t want to contact their past vendors, or overlooks it entirely, this could take a while.

And if there are any issues and you need to request revisions, this can lead to additional back-and-forthing before the process is finalized. Then, you have to update the client info in QuickBooks Online, Xero, or whatever accounting software you use. 

It’s a major pain and a part of accounting that can be a serious time drainer. 

Fortunately, 1099 w-9 requesting and tracking can be largely automated with bookkeeping practice management software like Keeper. With Keeper, you can easily identify who meets the threshold without doing it manually. 

You can conveniently make requests through the Client Portal and keep track of reminders until you get the client information you need.

And when the client information is updated, Keeper will automatically sync it with QuickBooks Online or Xero, with no additional lifting on your end. 

If you’ve ever felt the frustration of gathering W-9s, this is one of the main automated processes you’ll be interested in. 

2. Client Reminders and Notifications

Needless to say, close client communication is a critical part of effective accounting. As a bookkeeper, you must keep clients in the loop and get important information when running your accounting practice.

But at the same time, constantly sending manual client reminders and notifications can eat away at your productivity, making it harder to close the books on time.

That’s why basic client interactions should definitely be part of your automated accounting workflow.

For example, with bookkeeping workflow software, you can conveniently organize and store all of your clients in a single dashboard.

When you need to send a reminder or follow-up, you can create scheduled requests or automated messages, letting a client know about outstanding questions that demand their response.

On the client’s end, they have a single accounting platform to answer questions and view documents. This means they don’t have to bounce around from platform to platform or wonder where to reply to your messages, making their life easier.

That way, you don’t have to spend an exorbitant amount of time on client communication, which helps you to focus on the nuts and bolts of accounting operations. At the same time, this creates a more streamlined experience for the client as well, for a win-win.

3. Bookkeeping Transaction Categorization

Before you can perform financial analysis, identify spending patterns, or make data-driven decisions, you first need to know where funds are coming from and being spent on. The problem is that manual transaction categorization can be incredibly time-consuming, with a high probability of errors. 

But this is yet another area that can be dramatically streamlined with a workflow accounting process. 

Take, for instance, expense inconsistencies. Keeper’s accounting automation management software will automatically highlight transitions that may have been miscoded by comparing expenses against historical client data. 

That way, you can quickly pinpoint potential issues and resolve them without manually having to sift through mountains of data. Once a correction is made, it’s automatically synced to your accounting software, saving even more time. 

And when it comes to uncategorized transactions, you can easily view them in a single location. 

Instead of combing through piles of information, you can quickly fix uncategorized transactions, with all client responses and documentation being automatically saved for quick reference later on. 

If someone in your accounting team needs to see what happened during an audit trail, they can quickly find it. Or if a client wants to see the details, they can easily locate it as well. 

4. Client Financial Reports

Whether it’s budgeting, investing, or strategic planning, helping a client get ahead requires data-driven decision-making. Gaining those necessary insights requires comprehensive, accurate financial reports with detailed accounting data. 

Historically, generating financial reports has been a labor-intensive process. But that’s no longer the case with the right workflow management software. 

A core feature of Keeper, for example, is custom management reporting that provides a comprehensive overview of everything you need to help a client operate at their peak potential. 

From cash on hand to sales to total expenses to spend by category and beyond, Keeper can provide a clear picture of a client’s financial state. 

But it goes much deeper than that. 

Keeper even lets you track custom KPIs that are the most integral to an individual client and create variables using formulas from directly within the platform. 

Whenever client data on QuickBooks Online or Xero is updated, these metrics are simultaneously updated as well. 

In turn, you can generate critical insights without a ton of heavy lifting, and share your findings with clients through user-friendly graphs and charts that are easy to digest. This means a client doesn’t have to be a data scientist to unpack your findings. 

At a glance, they can understand what’s happening and tangibly apply the data to improve their finances moving forward. 

You can even publish a financial report right from the client portal for added efficiency. 

5. Employee Task Management

Equally as important as client communication is team communication. Whatever project you’re working on and the specific task, you need to keep everyone in the loop and prevent critical information from being siloed. 

And if you can do that efficiently without falling down the back-and-forthing trap, that’s even better. 

Keeper — a bookkeeping software for accountants — allows you to do just that. With it, you can create workflow templates, manually assign clients and deadlines, and then watch the work get done. 

Once a task has been assigned, you can track the progress from start to finish, while having a bird’s-eye view of what’s happening with your clients at all times. 

Because workflow templates and one-off tasks are automatically re-applied each month, you can save yourself an extra step so that you can work on more pressing tasks and close the books quicker. 

Besides that, you can automatically send emails out each week to let your team of accounting professionals know about high-priority tasks that are either overdue or will be due soon. 

So if an important task for a particular client needs their urgent attention, they could instantly prioritize it and wrap it up before issues arise. 

6. AI Receipt Management 

Anyone who’s been working in accounting knows how overwhelming receipt management can be. Without a streamlined workflow receipt management system, things can quickly spin out of control. 

In the past, this has mainly been done manually, which can put a damper on productivity. Luckily, cutting-edge AI technology now exists that makes receipt management a breeze, while automating much of the process. 

Here’s how it works. 

First, a client uploads receipts through a client portal, mobile app, text, or email — whatever is most convenient for them. 

Next, the receipt management software pulls the data from uploaded receipts. Using specified rules and AI, it then makes coding suggestions. 

Finally, once the receipt has been edited, it can be posted to a client’s ledger, where a new transaction is automatically created. You can also open the transaction in QuickBooks Online or Xero.

At scale, this workflow automation can be a breakthrough for accounting firms and significantly speed up the monthly close. Not to mention, it simplifies the lives of your clients as well. 

Automate Your Bookkeeping Workflows with Keeper

As we’ve learned, using the right automation workflow processes can have an immense impact on the efficiency of accounting firms. In fact, studies estimate that automating repetitive tasks can increase efficiency by up to 44%.

But is it possible for a bookkeeper to automate all of these tasks through a single workflow management software.

Yes, most definitely. 

Keeper offers robust features that cover every single area mentioned above. From 1099 gathering and client reminders to financial reporting and managing employee tasks, you can tackle everything to help your firm run like a well-oiled machine. 

Note that Keeper is also the first workflow management software that integrates with both QuickBooks Online and Xero. And with countless integrations, you can do everything in one app so that you don’t have to jump around to multiple programs. 

Accounting firms that use Keeper are often able to close the books in half the time. You also pay per client, not per seat, and have a month-to-month contract with no long-term commitment. There’s even a risk-free trial with no credit card required, so you can take it for a spin. 

To learn more about Keeper, book a demo today.

The post 6 Must-Have Bookkeeping and Accounting Workflow Automation Processes appeared first on Keeper.

Let’s explore some of the best ways to speed up the process so you can focus on providing more valuable services to your clients.

What Are Uncategorized Expenses?

Uncategorized expenses are expenses that appear in bookkeeping or accounting software but haven’t yet been matched with a category from the chart of accounts, like office supplies, travel, or direct labor.

While they may be immaterial individually, uncategorized expenses can quickly become significant in the aggregate, adding an element of uncertainty to your records that must be resolved before you can close the books.

The Soul-Crushing Time Waste of Manually Categorizing Expenses in QBO and Xero

Accounting software like QuickBooks Online (QBO) and Xero can streamline some routine aspects of bookkeeping, but they’re not very efficient when it comes to manual categorization of expenses.

Even if you follow a month-end close, minimizing the time uncategorized expenses have to accumulate, it can take anywhere from several hours to a few business days to resolve them each period, depending on transaction volume and complexity.

For one thing, QBO and Xero put the onus on the accountant to seek out and correct uncategorized transactions instead of flagging them when they occur. 

They often fly under the radar until you run a profit and loss (P&L) report only to discover thousands of dollars in uncategorized costs.

Once identified, you have to drill down into each expense transaction and reassign it individually. Even when they're multiples of the same transaction type—like a recurring subscription—you can’t adjust them in batches.

The process becomes even more time-consuming when the proper categories for the expenses aren’t immediately apparent, and you have to cross-reference your supporting documents to try and figure them out.

In the worst-case scenario, you may have to ask your client for help. That’s often the most significant delay of all since you have to:

• Draft a professional email explaining the issue
• Wait for a response, which isn’t always prompt
• Follow up if your client takes too long to answer
• Clarify incomplete responses when you need more details
• And more often than not, edit client spreadsheets on their behalf

As powerful as QBO and Xero can be, they’re just not well-suited to manually resolving unknown transactions. If you do all your bookkeeping work in those tools, you’re sure to spend more time on the process than you’d like.

How To Speed Up Expense Categorization and Reconciliation

Let’s explore how you can use software like Keeper to speed up the expense categorization and reconciliation process, shorten your month-end close, and free up time to focus on more valuable and rewarding work.

1. Use Software To Identify Expense Inconsistencies

One of the most effective ways to streamline the expense categorization process is to use software that automatically identifies potential inconsistencies, saving you from having to track them down yourself.

By connecting to your clients’ ledger files, Keeper analyzes your client’s previous financial activities and flags expenses that receive contradictory treatment, giving you the opportunity to determine if their expense category was entered incorrectly.

For example, if your client typically records purchases from a vendor as Office Supplies but a recent payment to them was unexpectedly categorized as Miscellaneous, Keeper can recognize that and bring it to your attention.

These types of inconsistencies are much harder to recognize than an uncategorized expense. Instead of being consolidated in one obvious place, they may be scattered throughout your client’s financial records, blending in with correctly categorized transactions.

You might not even suspect there’s an issue unless you notice a variance in your business expense totals compared to previous periods, and even then, narrowing it down to specific transactions requires a painstaking manual review.

Using software to flag all of the potentially problematic transactions streamlines the process significantly. Instead of manually comparing your expense categories to your historical records each period, you automatically get a list of expenses to review at once before sending them all off to the client.

2. Use Software To Flag Other Common Transaction Errors

In addition to identifying expense categories that differ from established patterns, Keeper can highlight other common transaction issues and further streamline your month-end close. 

For example, some of the other potential problems it can flag for you include:

• Missing transaction detail: Expenses may have a category assigned but lack other critical transaction details, such as a class, location, customer, or necessary attachments, like receipts. Keeper makes it easy for you to add in whatever’s missing.
• Transactions above cash value: Transactions above a certain dollar amount may constitute multiple expenses that should be separated into different categories, such as a $1,000 Amazon purchase that contained Office Supplies and Raw Materials. Keeper can highlight these to streamline splitting them up.
• Transactions auto-added by a bank rule: Sometimes, bank transactions are auto-coded by preexisting rules, such as all payments to a legal vendor being categorized as professional services. Keeper can flag these to help you double-check that no exceptions are needed.
• Transactions coded to a parent account: Transactions sometimes get categorized to broader parent accounts rather than more specific accounts. For example, Keeper can highlight all expenses coded to Advertising rather than Social Media to help you decide if they need to be in a more appropriate account.

Ultimately, Keeper significantly reduces the hours you need to spend combing through financial transactions for all kinds of potential problems. You can also customize the types of transactions it flags for you to avoid wasting time on things that aren’t actually an issue.

3. Batch Categorize Transactions

One of the most time-consuming and repetitive aspects of bookkeeping with tools like QBO is the need to edit each individual transaction. When you have a high volume of changes to make, the process can easily take hours, even if the corrections you’re making are relatively simple.

For example, say you notice that fifty transactions with the same vendor have been miscategorized as Supplies when they should be under the Cost of Goods Sold. 

To correct the issue in QBO, you’d need to click on each transaction, manually update the category, click back out, and repeat the process dozens of times.

With Keeper, you can select all of the transactions from the same page and assign the new category simultaneously. Instead of spending ten minutes clicking back and forth, you could have accurate financial records in a few seconds.

In addition to speeding things up, batch categorization also ensures that all the transaction updates you make are handled consistently, reducing the odds that you’ll make a mistake. Without it, you’re much more likely to categorize a transaction differently or forget one altogether.

4. Ask Clients Questions In-Portal

Identifying and resolving improperly recorded transactions by hand can be incredibly time-consuming, but trying to get answers from your clients via email may be even worse.

Small business owners are busy, and your messages to them often get buried, forgotten, or flat-out ignored. Even when clients do respond quickly, their answers might be incomplete or unclear, which only prolongs the back-and-forth.

With Keeper, you can finally stop emailing spreadsheets to your clients. Keeper lets you give your clients direct access to the platform instead, allowing you to communicate with them in the same place where you do your work.

That provides several significant benefits, including:

• Clearer communication: You can attach your questions directly to a client’s bank account feed, putting everything in context and making it much easier for them to understand what you’re referring to.
• Seamless workflows: Instead of having to switch between apps or tabs, you can assign questions, leave notes, and instant message with your clients on the Keeper platform. When you get answers, you can also immediately make adjustments in the same location.
• Automated reminders: If your clients ever neglect to answer you in a timely manner, you can schedule automated email or text messages that will remind them to respond to your outstanding questions. 

Keeper’s centralized system isn’t just convenient for bookkeepers. It’s also beneficial for your clients, giving them a single hub for communication and support. It even comes with magic links that allow them to sign in without a password.

5. Use Project Management Software for Quicker Management Review

Management review is an essential step in the month-end close, ensuring everything is approved by a supervisor before being finalized. While that can be cumbersome with traditional systems, project management software can streamline the process significantly.

The downside to most project management solutions is that they’re entirely separate from the software you use to actually do your bookkeeping work. For example, there’s no project management tool within QBO or Xero. You have to rely on something external to stay organized.

However, Keeper has built-in project management features that allow your team to keep track of everything they’re working on without ever leaving the app. They’re also more powerful than you might expect, capable of:

• Creating workflow templates: Keeper’s bookkeeping workflow software lets you create reusable templates for month-end closes, automatically creating, organizing, and tracking tasks and subtasks.
• Assigning and categorizing tasks: You can add tags and categories to tasks within Keeper, making them easy for your team to filter and prioritize at a glance.
• Facilitating collaboration: Keeper doesn’t just help you communicate with your clients. It also lets you chat with and leave localized comments for your team.

Keeper makes the management review process simple and efficient. Managers are automatically notified when the books are ready for them, and with everything organized and consolidated, it’s easy for them to make necessary changes, provide feedback, and sign off.

Speed Expense Categorization With Keeper

Keeper’s file review tools can streamline the expense categorization process and help you close the books each month in record time. 

We designed them to help you tackle all the most time-consuming parts of the process, from identifying problematic transactions to reminding clients to answer your questions.

But Keeper’s capabilities don’t stop there. Our goal is to provide bookkeepers and accountants with a single platform where they can do all their work, so it also includes features that support:

• Form W-9 and 1099 management
• Receipt capture and organization
• Customer relationship management
• Bookkeeping and accounting practice management
• Two-way syncing with QBO and Xero
• Customizable integrations with Zapier

Schedule a demo with one of our experts to test drive the comprehensive bookkeeping practice management software trusted by thousands of accounting firm owners.

The post The Definitive Guide to Uncategorized Expenses appeared first on Keeper.