Can You Become a Self-Taught Bookkeeper as an Ecommerce Merchant?
Self-taught ecommerce bookkeeping can be difficult, but it is possible. Learn about the difficulties of learning bookkeeping for ecommerce here.


Updated February 10, 2023
Many shy away from learning bookkeeping as it is associated with mathematics. Although, while there’s some adding and subtracting, bookkeeping is not the algebra class that kept you up all night studying. Bookkeeping is a learnable process and business owners should have knowledge of these concepts for various purposes, but it can be extremely difficult to do so without the necessary tools or understanding.
Difficulties of Learning Ecommerce Bookkeeping
Small business bookkeeping requires understanding the expense and revenue categories that will record transactions and then using the results of those transactions to report the financial status of your company.
Like putting together puzzles—every transaction fits to create the entire picture or, in this case, the financial statements. Ecommerce accounting requires understanding the various aspects of inventory, appropriate categorization of costs, and, most importantly, managing cash flow. For most ecommerce sellers, this is either too difficult or time-consuming to understand, and so bookkeeping errors are imminent.
Is It Possible to Teach Yourself Bookkeeping?
Teaching yourself bookkeeping is more than possible, and there are valuable resources on the web that will guide you through the processes of bookkeeping. Accuracy and timeliness are key to success in e-commerce businesses, and to start, you will need to choose a trusted and proven accounting software for e-commerce businesses.
If teaching yourself bookkeeping using these resources is too difficult, then you'll be pleased to know that there are educational institutes offering certificates that can be earned in as little as six to eight months.
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