The (Non-Existent) Standards of Bookkeeping in the US -- and How This Organization Plans to Raise Them

Calling all bookkeepers!

Scaling New Heights 2016 is just a few days away, and we’re getting ready to party in paradise! But before that happens, be sure to join the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB) for a FREE bookkeeping symposium (complete with drinks and appetizers) to learn how they’re single handedly raising the standards for bookkeeping in the United States and beyond.“Right now, there really aren’t any bookkeeping standards in the US,” said Jan Haugo, CEO of ICBUSA. “We’re trying to change that.”

How does the ICB plan on changing the bookkeeping landscape?

“It’s our goal to increase recognition for bookkeeping as an integral part of the financial profession,” said Jan. In addition to being a non-profit organization that promotes high standards of bookkeeping, the ICB is currently the largest bookkeeping institute in the world. “We’re raising the standards of independent certification, and we’ve got a pretty advanced curriculum that we hold our bookkeepers to.” It’s a curriculum that covers things like core accounting and technology. “One of the biggest mistakes a bookkeeper can make in this day and age is ignoring technology -- refusing to recommend technical solutions or get involved with software companies,” said Jan. “We believe that smart bookkeepers understand how to work with technology rather than against it, so our curriculum has a focus on technical integrations.” And while education is a big part of their efforts, it’s only one piece of the puzzle. “We want our bookkeepers to walk away with their bookkeeping certification,” Jan said, “but we also want them to be able to help their clients and their community understand that there are standards we, as bookkeepers, should be held to. We want our bookkeepers to walk away with an incomparable bookkeeping education -- and we want them to use it to educate the people they work with and interact with.” And that is how the ICB plans to change the bookkeeping world -- one certification at a time.

Ready to get this party started?

“Scaling New Heights is our welcome to the US party,” said Jan. “We’re excited to spread the word about our organization and serve has many people as we can!” Don’t worry, the Bookkeeping Symposium will be done just in time for you to head over to the party in paradise with TSheets, Avalara, and Citrix ShareFile. Consider this your pre-game.