How much to charge for book keeping?

this is just managing individuals and maybe start up businesses and people that have bad credit and improve the credit. and do I need a certificate of any kind (i want to free lance)

For hourly professionals there is a formula to figure out how much you should charge.

Most hourly professionals can bill about a maximum of 20-25 hours of work per week. So that means for a person who wants to make a full time income as a professional who bills by the hour - they have to make their entire income based on that number of hours (20-25) - because you're spending the rest of your time on operations, marketing - to keep your business going.

Most bookkeepers I've met get a client and then keep doing that client's work month after month - often for years - so the marketing costs might be a little less. So you might be able to bill 30 hours weekly.

You have to factor in not just that you can only bill limited hours - you also have to factor in that your hourly rate must cover your operating costs and marketing costs to have a viable business.

For most people if you figure an hourly rate that results in the kind of income you want to make on a full time basis - for example $20 per hour full time (40 hours per week) equals $40k per year. $25 per hour full time equals $50k per year.

So decide the hourly rate you need to create an annual salary and then multiply it times 2.5 or 3 to cover the considerations and costs above.

I've seen bookkeepers who charge from $40-95 per hour for their time. Obviously where you live (cost of living), your experience and reputation also factor in.

All the best,

Denise Michaels, Author
"Testosterone-Free Marketing"
A Business Bestseller at http://www.tfmbook.com