The Future Looks Busy for Bookkeepers
– says professional body
The bookkeeping community must brace itself to play an even greater role in New Zealand business – says the New Zealand
Bookkeeping Association Inc (NZBAI).
The announcement, made at the industry body’s recent ‘Future of Bookkeeping’ conference in Auckland, says the fast pace
of new financial technology and the changing perception of the bookkeeping profession will propel Bookkeepers into
‘trusted advisor’ roles – particularly within the SME market.
NZBAI President, Di Crawford-Errington explains: “Traditionally Bookkeepers have been data-entry operators, looking
after the numbers but not necessarily interpreting the information for business owners. The financial software
revolution and the advent of the ‘cloud’ changed all this. Systems like Xero empowered Bookkeepers by enabling them to
see the bigger financial picture – putting Bookkeepers in a position where they can now assess financial risk on a
day-to-day basis.”
At the conference, which took place from Friday 30th June to Saturday 1st July – Ms Crawford-Errington told over 150
delegates that as financial technology continues to advance, so more and more SME business owners will look to their
Bookkeeper for first-hand information. She added that business owners are also becoming more savvy about the bookkeeping
profession and are now seeing a qualified bookkeeper as integral to the success of their company.
“As these trends continue, so Bookkeepers will start to take on a greater role in the every day running of a business.
To prepare for this, the bookkeeping community needs to start encouraging all bookkeepers – those in large organisations
as well as those who work from the benchtop at home – to increase their knowledge, upskill and become certified.”
The NZBAI is the bookkeeping industry’s professional body. Founded in 2010 to provide a forum where bookkeepers
nationwide could find help, guidance and support, its key functions include setting industry standards and encouraging
bookkeeping certification. The organisation now has over 650 members. The recent conference, the organisation’s fifth,
was opened by Hon. Jacqui Dean, Minister for Small Business.
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