The Beginners Guide to Bookkeeping: for the DIYers
If you're running a solo business and want to learn how to manage your own books before handing it off, you're not alone. Many business owners start by doing it themselves to get a better understanding of their finances.
The good news is that bookkeeping is a skill you can learn, especially if you're organized, detail-oriented, and willing to put in the time. This guide will give you a starting point, plus a few resources that can help you build confidence and do it right.
Start with the basics: What is bookkeeping?
Bookkeeping is the process of tracking and organizing your financial transactions. It includes:
Recording income and expenses
Categorizing transactions
Reconciling bank and credit card accounts
Generating reports like your Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet
These tasks help you understand how your business is doing and prepare for tax time.
Choose the right software
Most DIY bookkeepers use QuickBooks Online (QBO) because it’s widely used, relatively beginner-friendly, and has plenty of educational resources.
If you're planning to use QBO, consider signing up for:
The QBO Bookkeeping Certification:
This free course is offered through QuickBooks and gives you a solid foundation in how to use the software. It's designed for beginners and teaches you the basics of how bookkeeping works inside QBO.The QBO ProAdvisor Certification:
This is a more advanced certification and is technically for accountants and bookkeepers, but it’s free to access through QuickBooks Online Accountant. If you’re serious about learning, it’s a great next step.
Practice in the sample company
QBO also offers access to a sample company, which is a mock business account you can use to practice without affecting your real books. It’s a great way to try things out, explore reports, and make mistakes without any risk.
To access the sample company, just Google “QuickBooks Online sample company” and log in with your QuickBooks account.
Other ways to learn
If you want to explore more on your own, here are a few helpful resources:
QuickBooks Tutorials: QuickBooks has free how-to videos and articles
YouTube Channels: Look for creators who focus on bookkeeping for beginners or small business owners
Blogs and Forums: Reddit and small business forums often have helpful threads about DIY bookkeeping
Knowing when to hand it off
Learning to do your own books can be empowering, especially early on. But as your business grows, you might find it makes more sense to hand it off to someone else.
If you reach a point where your books are falling behind, you're unsure about accuracy, or you’d simply rather spend that time elsewhere — that’s when a bookkeeper can step in and take it off your plate.
Final thoughts
Doing your own bookkeeping is a great way to learn about your business finances. With the right tools and resources, it’s something you can absolutely teach yourself. And if you ever decide you’re ready for support, I’m here to help.