With the growth of the Gig Economy, more and more of us are working from home. This not only offers us the flexibility of choosing when we work but also how we educate ourselves. Not having to stick to a regular nine-to-five means that we can have a career that molds itself to our working pattern and style. Being an accountant is often associated with a flexible working life, as many of the tools of the trade can be found on a personal computer. However, to become qualified as an accountant, there are a few steps you need to take.
Complete an online degree
It is absolutely possible to work from home and earn a qualification as an accountant. Not only that, but the degrees themselves are often very affordable – saving you expensive college tuition costs. Being able to study and complete a degree from your own home cuts down on the cost of transport to and from a college, and the time you might need to take off work and other expenses. Opting for an affordable accounting MBA online will see you qualifying in a relatively short space of time and in a way that won’t break the bank.
Furthermore, you can look for resources that are Best for Accountants. Staying updated on industry trends can provide valuable information and support to help you implement best practices.
Reach out to the community
Building a solid client base is one of the easiest ways to operate as an accountant that works from home. Of course, you will need to go out and visit these clients – having a friendly and approachable persona will make customers more likely to stay loyal to you in the long-run. In order to build this client-base, you will need to make an effort to reach out to your community. You should do this by either using targeted social media ads, making your location known to Google Maps and making an effort to say hello to local businesses. Using keywords such as ‘accountant,’ ‘experienced’ and ideally your town’s name will help customers to find you easily when they go hunting for something to manage their accounts.
Create profiles on freelancer sites
If you are using the method of making yourself available on talent-seeking websites, then you will need to create an appealing profile. Even if you just have a LinkedIn profile, try not to be too lazy about the quantity of information you put on there. Filling it with valuable information and persuasive language, it will help customers find you and want to use your accounting services. Remember, too, to add testimonials to all of these profiles as proof that you are as good as you say you are. Testimonials are the freelancer’s equivalent of a glowing employer reference, and so it would be real shame to leave these out.
Building your client base may take some time, but there ways in which you can help boost the speed at which you build customers. Ensuring you have the education to support your claims and the personality to win over new customers will help businesses and individuals gravitate towards you.
