The road to entrepreneurship is a difficult yet rewarding one. Small business owners power America, but that doesn't mean that every endeavor is successful out of the gate. Regardless of a company's size and future, many need to find a QuickBooks ProAdvisor to manage their books.
A QuickBooks ProAdvisor is also an entrepreneur who has taken their financial future into their own hands and risked big to become their own boss. While becoming a QuickBooks bookkeeper shouldn’t be taken lightly, with a strong resolve and dedication to the research necessary to branch out into self-employment, you can increase your odds of gaining success.
To help you on your journey of how to become a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, we’ve created this guide to direct you toward success.
Before you learn how to get QuickBooks certified, it’s best to first understand what a QuickBooks accountant is and what functions they perform.
Whether you’re looking to hold face-to-face meetings or want to become a QuickBooks online ProAdvisor, the bottom line is that you’ll hold a QuickBooks ProAdvisor certification and provide accounting services using the QuickBooks product line. When potential clients search “QuickBooks consultant near me,” you will be able to offer them sound business consultation along with financial advice.
In order to become a QuickBooks consultant, you first need to earn a QuickBooks certification. Thankfully, this process has been designed to give you a streamlined test, and preparing for it is easier than ever, as you have access to various free online training resources. If you’re looking to become a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, there are a multitude of modules, webinars, and training videos that can help ensure you’re as fully prepared as you can be to take the QuickBooks certification test.
The process of becoming a QuickBooks ProAdvisor is broken down into three simple steps:
The first step is to fill out the form and create a free account on the QuickBooks Online Accountant (QBOA) site.
You will be asked to provide the standard login details, such as email address, legal name, and contact information.
After setting up your account, you’ll then be given access to all of the free resources in order to prepare for your upcoming exam. This step isn’t necessary, as you can sit for the exam immediately after creating an account. However, brushing up on your skills can never hurt.
Dedicating just a few hours a day to review the various study guides, joining live or pre-recorded webinars, and mock tests will give you the edge necessary to pass the exam. The training program is divided into seven sections, and spending about an hour a day will see you through the entire program in less than a week. If you wish to pursue advanced certification, that course is broken down into ten sections and contains around eight-hours of training material.
All of the training material can be easily found under the QuickBooks ProAdvisor tab, in the Training section.
The course work in the training section covers the various aspects of what it’s like being a QuickBooks ProAdvisor. You’ll find subjects, including:
One advantage that every working professional can take away from this course and examination is that you can also earn CPE credits, currently 8 CPE for the Basic level and 13 CPE for the Advanced.
After you’ve completed the prep work, you’ll be ready to take the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification exam. The exam can be found in the same location as the training material and is free to take. The exam consists of 75 questions broken down into seven categories. To successfully pass the exam, you need to earn at least 80 percent or higher. If you pass, you are awarded the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification. If you didn’t manage to surpass the 80 percent threshold, you will have two more attempts. If you still haven’t managed to pass the exam after all three tries, you will need to wait 60 days before you can retake the test.
Keep in mind that this is an open-book exam, but, you don’t want to spend your entire time leafing through the training material.
Earning the QuickBooks ProAdvisor certification comes with a ton of perks. First and foremost, you’ll be able to list yourself on the Find-a-ProAdvisor platform. This is an extremely popular platform that connects you with thousands of potential clients in need of your newly acquired expertise. Along with this, you’ll also receive discounts on QuickBooks products and services. And don’t forget to show off your certification badge on the various social media platforms and your professional website.
If you would like to learn more about becoming a QuickBooks ProAdvisor, Porte Brown LLC has years of experience providing financial support to our clients. With a team of QuickBooks experts and over 25 QuickBooks ProAdvisors, on staff, we are well known for helping clients select the right software for their business needs. Contact us today to learn more.