What is light bookkeeping?

June 22, 2015 10:12 AM

I'm applying for jobs right now and some ask for experience in light bookkeeping. Hoping some of you with experience can shed some light on what they really mean?

Right now I work with the non profit version of QB. Installed on a PC if that is relevant. I generally:

- Input all donations.
- Maintain donor information.
- Send receipts for donations.
- Receive and log all bills.
- Keep track of payables and request authorization from the executive director. I print checks and he signs them.
- Maintain vendor information.
- Provide reports to executive director. I'm familiar with most of them.
- Add/use items, classes and account lists.

I do not:
- Balance accounts.
- Deal with expenses.

What in general do companies mean by light bookkeeping?
If I would be required to balance accounts/enter expenses, is that something I can teach myself using a book/online resources?
Is regular QB much different from the non-profit version?

If it helps, it's a small equipment rental/production house. They have 7 employees. They're looking for an office manager/bookkeeper and the ad mentions "invoicing/ receivables and light bookkeeping".

Thank you so much!

posted by shesbenevolent to Work & Money (8 answers total)

Best answer: From my perspective, you are already doing at least medium bookkeeping. Should you additionally be required to balance accounts, that's pretty much running a report and doing research on anything that doesn't match. Entering expenses is more or less payables, unless they have a funky process, in which case they'll teach you their funky process.

It's been a long time since I saw the NP version of QB but I think it's basically the same thing.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:22 AM on June 22, 2015 [3 favorites]

And yes, you can teach yourself anything you need to know. Always check youtube first.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:23 AM on June 22, 2015

Best answer: What in general do companies mean by light bookkeeping?

Anything from "pay the owner's credit card bills" to "be the de facto CFO."

If I would be required to balance accounts/enter expenses, is that something I can teach myself using a book/online resources?

Yes, absolutely.

The experience you listed more than qualifies as "light bookkeeping."
posted by prize bull octorok at 10:24 AM on June 22, 2015 [3 favorites]

What is light bookkeeping?

Knowing how to input general journal entries on QuickBooks, knowing how to print a balance sheet and a p&l statement on QuickBooks, knowing how to create invoices.

You're gonna be fine.
posted by phunniemee at 10:26 AM on June 22, 2015

Best answer: I mean, seriously, you're gonna be fine. I became the accountant at a multi-million dollar trading firm just by googling. I'm pretty competent on top of that, but for what I didn't know it was 80% google and 20% lying through my teeth.
posted by phunniemee at 10:28 AM on June 22, 2015 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Agree that "light bookkeeping" can mean many things, but you're certainly doing more than that. Anything else they need you to do you can learn pretty quickly.
posted by radioamy at 10:40 AM on June 22, 2015

Best answer: Agree with what's been said. Quickbooks Nonprofit is basically Quickbooks with the option of calling things donations instead of sales.

I'm sure you can do the job, and you can probably figure out most things by yourself or with google. A book I love is Quickbooks, the Missing Manual if you want to go a little deeper.
posted by natteringnabob at 1:44 PM on June 22, 2015 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thank you so much everyone! You've really made me feel a lot better and made me realize I should have perhaps applied to some positions I saw but didn't think I was qualified for.
You guys are the best as always.
posted by shesbenevolent at 5:00 PM on June 22, 2015