Online Bookkeeping Course: How to Become a Bookkeeper in Hong Kong

For many Hong Kong businesses, bookkeepers are essential for managing and tracking financial transactions. Earning a recognised bookkeeping qualification can open doors to great opportunities and help you build a career with some of the region’s top businesses.

But how easy is it to become a bookkeeper? Do you need to go through years of study to be recognized as a qualified bookkeeper? And what standard of certification can you expect to obtain once the course has been completed?

We’ll answer those questions in this article, explore what a bookkeeper does on a day-to-day basis, and highlight some of the leading free online bookkeeping courses with certificates. And we’ll also cover the best ways to start your bookkeeping career once your training is finished.

What does a bookkeeper do?

Bookkeepers often have a high level of responsibility for the companies they work with. They’re tasked with maintaining the financial transparency of a business by recording all ingoing and outgoing payments. 

Their role is to make sure that the books remain balanced at all times. And if those books start to tip, one way or the other, it is the bookkeeper's responsibility to inform their clients and provide them with the necessary context and evidence to help fix the situation.

Bookkeepers are often hired to work exclusively for one company, however, it’s also common for bookkeepers to have a number of clients on their own books. In this regard, it’s a great role for someone looking to work on a remote or freelance basis.

A bookkeeper’s list of tasks is often varied. Some of the main responsibilities include:

• Auditing financial records
• Highlighting discrepancies in payments to be reconciled later
• Creating financial reports of financial transactions to be used by managers
• Receiving invoices and authorizing payments
• Processing payroll 

Bookkeeping vs accounting: What’s the difference?

There is some crossover between accountants and bookkeepers. Both are ultimately responsible for managing the financial health of a business, however, the bookkeeper is often the first stage of this process. They’ll record everything, manage cash flow, and make sure a business’ finances are ticking along nicely.

An accountant’s job is to take the raw data that a bookkeeper produces and analyze it. They are tasked with improving and refining the financial strategies of a business, and are responsible for a business’ tax compliance and obligations, which is often a complex area of financial education.

It’s helpful for a bookkeeper to have some understanding of these big-picture issues, but it isn’t part of their main role.

When you take an online accounting and bookkeeping course, you’ll learn in greater detail the main differences between the two roles.

Why take an online bookkeeping course?

Online bookkeeping courses are popular due to their flexibility and cost-effectiveness. They don’t give you all the qualifications that some accountancy roles will require, but you can still come out of a bookkeeping course with certifications that’ll be appealing to future employers.

Advantages of online learning for busy professionals

There are several positive reasons why someone might choose to take an online bookkeeping course:

High levels of flexibility

For many Hong Kong students, the opportunity to learn a practical skill while still studying is a big plus. The same is true for people looking to change careers. Learners complete their online courses around existing commitments, and can often learn at their own pace.

Easier learning curve

We’re not saying learning to become a bookkeeper is easy. You’ll still have to work hard to gain the understanding you need. However, compared to other financial roles, there is a lower point of entry to get yourself on the right path. In some cases, you’ll only need a high school diploma to access bookkeeping courses.

Job security

Many online courses are geared towards roles that are in high demand, and bookkeeping is no different. Every business, no matter the size or sector, needs them, so once you have the qualification, you should find that your services will always be required.

Strong career and salary progression

Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals of bookkeeping, you’ll be well-positioned to take those skills and apply them to other high-level financial roles, such as accounting. And if you manage to secure high-profile clients while bookkeeping, you’re likely looking at a very comfortable salary.

Top free online bookkeeping courses with certificates

So you’ve decided that bookkeeping might be the route for you. Now you’re going to need a reputable course provider that will be able to give you the necessary tools, knowledge, and expertise to begin your career in bookkeeping.

What to look out for in a certificate course

There are dozens of institutions and providers who will claim to offer the best course out there, boasting to be the secret to success and future job security. But, as with all things related to online learning, some providers are better than others.

When you’re choosing your free bookkeeping course, make sure that you’re looking out for leading accreditations. These are courses that have been recognized and guided by industry standards. Pay attention to the structure and timeline of the course to make sure that it fits in with your lifestyle. 

If you have an accounting software that you’re looking to build an understanding in, such as QuickBooks, be sure to learn whether the course offers specific training on that platform.

Below, we’ve listed five of the best free online bookkeeping courses with certificates for you to choose from.

The Open University - OpenLearn

The Open University is a well-respected provider of online learning. While they mainly deal with flexible degree courses, they do have an excellent free online bookkeeping course available for new learners.

The course covers essential numerical skills, double entry and the balance sheet, and double entry and the profit and loss account—taking about eight hours to complete.

At the end of the course, you’ll receive a Statement of Participation, indicating that you have achieved the basic levels of understanding for bookkeeping.

edX

This free Introduction to Bookkeeping course has been designed and endorsed by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). It’s more in-depth than the OpenLearn course, with study being broken down over a 6-8 week timespan. 

It covers all the necessary bookkeeping expertise you’ll need, including types of business transactions, ledger accounts, reconciliation, and the double-entry system. And it’s taught by some of the leading figures at the ACCA.

There is no direct certification available from taking the course. However, it does provide learners with all the necessary information they’ll need to take the initial ACCA exam, which is a highly-regarded certification.

Coursera

Coursera offers a free bookkeeping course provided by Intuit. As such, it’s the best course for gaining a strong understanding of how to use the QuickBooks platform and features.

The course, Bookkeeping Basics, is part of a larger series of educational resources that learners can complete to obtain the Intuit Academy Bookkeeping Professional Certification. It takes approximately 16 hours to complete, with a flexible learning schedule. It covers all of the fundamentals: numerical concepts, the double-entry method, the bookkeeper’s role, and the ethical responsibilities of a bookkeeper.

This course offers an excellent base of learning that allows users to comfortably transition to more in-depth areas of study.

Alison

The Effective Bookkeeping and Payroll course is another well-respected free bookkeeping course. It’s CPD-accredited, so it has clear links with industry-recognised bookkeeping standards. 

The course takes about 15 hours to complete, with flexible, on-demand learning available. As well as covering the expected topics that many of our other free recommendations offer, it also touches upon tax requirements and budgeting strategies. This acts as a useful bridge towards more in-depth accounting courses.

While the course itself is free, you will have to pay for a digital or physical copy of your diploma.

Corporate Finance Institute (CFI)

Our final recommendation, Accounting Fundamentals, comes from CFI. They are one of the leading providers of financial courses, with all of their courses highly-regarded and accredited by reputable standards, such as CPA and NASBA.

The course is the shortest, only taking five hours, however, you’ll still manage to cover a lot, with all the fundamentals covered. There are also several practice resources that you can master at your own pace.

You’ll receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course. The course has also been designed as a stepping stone to more in-depth courses and accreditations, including the Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA) certification.

What to expect from an accounting and bookkeeping course

Let’s delve a little deeper into the typical course content and modules you should expect to complete while taking a bookkeeping course.

A term that you will certainly come across is double-entry bookkeeping. This is the practice of recording every financial transaction twice. In one instance, you’ll record it as a debit, in the other, you’ll record it as a credit. A bank loan is a great example of this, it’ll be recorded as a loan receivable (debit) in one instance, and cash (credit) in the other.

Reconciliation is another key skill you’ll need to develop. Your job is to spot irregularities, so learning the signs of potential errors is vital. You’re also likely to complete a module on how to prepare financial statements, as this is another important task that businesses will almost certainly ask you to complete.

How to start a career in bookkeeping after training

Once you’ve finished your training and built your knowledge, it’s time to put it all into practice.

At this stage, experience is everything. But how do you land jobs that ask for experience when you’re just starting out?

Many businesses will offer junior bookkeeping roles. These will allow you to gain practical experience without taking on the full responsibility of a business’s financial management. 

For bookkeepers based in Hong Kong, one of the most important things you’ll need to do is register with the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA). This body provides key information on expected standards as well as networking and development opportunities, which might lead to job roles in the future.

When you’re a little further down the line, and you know what it takes to maintain a business’ bookkeeping, you might want to consider building your own client portfolio. You can then use this if you wish to move into a freelance position.

Conclusion: Learn, certify, and build your future in bookkeeping

It’s no surprise that bookkeeping is such a popular career choice. It gives you a recognised qualification that’s valued across industries, and it opens the door to flexible, remote work. Plus, it offers a balance of challenge and reward that many find fulfilling.

If you have bookkeeping experience, then why not consider using QuickBooks as your accounting software of choice? We’re trusted by thousands of businesses, so having a broad knowledge of our platform can open doors to many job opportunities.

Explore everything we have to offer with a free 30-day trial, available on all plans.