Bookkeeping Tutorials & Courses
A total of twelve free accounting and bookkeeping tutorials and courses are offered on my Bean Counter website. Ten of the courses were designed and written by yours truly Dave Marshall the bean counter. Like the ole Beatles song I got a little help from a friend (not actually a friend) Professor Alldredge for two courses Cost Accounting Basics and Financial Accounting Basics. I've also provided links to other sites providing free accounting and bookkeeping help.
So, you want to learn Bookkeeping! Tutorials Series
- Computer Accounting Tutorial
Just like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, we don't want too much information or too little. We want just the right amount. That's what I aim to do ! No,in this course you won't learn how to assemble or repair a computer or how to write computer programs. What you will learn is what's involved in setting up and using a computerized accounting system. We'll use a car as an analogy. You don't need to know what makes a car run; but, you do need to learn how to drive it. The same applies to accounting software. You don't need to know how it works; but, you do need to learn how to use it.
What will I learn ?
Learning Objectives:
After completing this course, you should know or be able to perform the following:
- How the computer has evolved and became a tool in our lives
- What is a computerized accounting and bookkeeping system
- Why computerized Accounting and Bookkeeping is a good choice
- A basic knowledge of computers and computerized accounting software
- The "ingredients" such as menus and forms that make a computerized system work
- Basic skills needed for entering accounting information into a computerized accounting system
- An understanding of accounting and business records and reports
- A working knowledge of The Manager Accounting Software
- So,you want to learn Bookkeeping ! Tutorial
My free So, you want to learn Bookkeeping! Introductory Bookkeeping Course introduces you to beginning bookkeeping. This online bookkeeping course is designed for beginners (newbies) and provides an introduction into the world of accounting. This tutorial can also be used as a quick bookkeeping refresher course for those wanting to brush up on their bookkeeping basics.
What will I learn ?
Learning Objectives:
After completing this course, you should know or be able to perform the following:
Understand what accounting and bookkeeping is, why it’s important, and the key terms needed to discuss and properly use financial information.
Understand what makes bookkeeping “work”:
- Accounts/Chart Of Accounts
- Accounting Equation(s)
- Double Entry Accounting System
- Debits and Credits
- Rules
- Formal Records and Documents
How to analyze and record transactions using the formal financial records such as Journals and the General Ledger.
What Financial Statements are and how they are prepared and used.
- Financial Statement Analysis Tutorial
The objective of this tutorial is not to teach you how to prepare financial statements and analyses; but, tell you what they look like, what they tell you, and how to use the information presented in the statements and analyses for managing your business. if you know how great; but, if not your bookkeeper or accountant should prepare them for you.
Preparing Financial Statements and information is only half the battle. You need to use them ! This tutorial will show you how.
What will I learn ?
Learning Objectives:
After completing this course, you should know the following:
- General understanding of the types of business organizations, activities, bookkeeping systems, rules of the game, and who uses financial information.
- Definitions of at least the major accounting and bookkeeping terms.
- What the accounting equation represents.
- What financial statements are and how to read, understand, and use the financial information provided by these statements:
Balance Sheets
Income Statement
Capital Statement
Cash Flow Statement
- What horizontal, vertical, and common size analysis of financial statements are, what they tell us, and how they're used to analyze financial statements.
- What ratios are, what they tell us, and how they're used to analyze financial statements.
- What aging reports, cash forecasts, and budgets are, what they tell us, and how they're used
- Chart Of Accounts Tutorial
The chart of accounts tutorial and course defines, explains, and discusses what the chart of accounts is, how it's organized by major account types, balance sheet and income statement accounts, and its purpose. In addition, codes are introduced and defined.
What will I learn ?
Learning Objectives:
After completing this course, you should know or be able to perform the following:
- What the chart of accounts is.
- A chart of accounts can range from very simple to very complex.
- What codes are and how they're used to assign information and build a Chart Of Accounts.
- What to consider and think about when setting up a chart of accounts.
- How the chart of accounts is closely related to the Balance Sheet and Income Statement.
- Where to find samples and additional help.
- If nothing else, the importance of setting up a good chart of accounts for your business !!!!!
- Special Journals Tutorial
The special journals tutorial and course introduces and explains what records are required to properly record and classify business transactions. Records discussed and explained include the General Ledger, Control Accounts, Special Journals, and Subsidiary Ledgers.
What will I learn ?
Learning Objectives:
After completing this course, you should know or be able to perform the following:
- What Special Journal to use to record transactions.
- How to analyze and record transactions using the formal financial records such as Special Journals, General Ledger and Control Accounts, and Subsidiary Ledgers.
- Understand Adjusting and Closing Entries and how to prepare the formal adjusting and closing entries.
- How to prepare the formal Financial Statements using Trial Balance Worksheets.
- Cash Tutorial
The cash tutorial and course discusses and reviews the different journals, records, documents, and forms used to record and keep up with the cash coming in and going out of a business. Sample journals, records, and forms are illustrated and discussed to show you what journals, records, and forms to use and how to use them. Additional topics include bank reconciliations, cash controls, and cash forecast projections and budgets.
What will I learn ?
Learning Objectives:
After completing this course, you should know or be able to perform the following:
- How not only profits but also cash flow are critical elements to the success of a business.
- Some ways to consider and implement to improve your cash flow.
- The importance of maintaining good cash records and what the records are.
- What a petty cash fund is and how to use one.
- How by establishing some common sense rules and procedures you can help safeguard your business's Cash.
- The importance of preparing a monthly bank reconciliation and how to prepare one.
- Why a Cash Forecast is an excellent tool for a business to use and how to prepare one.
- Inventory Tutorial
The inventory tutorial and course provides an overview of inventories and their importance, and the special journals and records used to record and control this key asset. In addition inventory methods, perpetual and periodic, and costing methods and procedures are discussed and illustrated.
What will I learn ?
Learning Objectives
After completing this course, you should know the following:
After completing this course, you should know the following:
- The methods of accounting for inventories are the Periodic and Perpetual methods-what they are and how they're used.
- Inventory amounts are normally stated at cost.
- Various methods such as FIFO, LIFO, Average Cost, and Specific Identification are used to assign costs to the inventory quantities-what they are and how they're used.
- Aware that circumstances at times may require you to estimate inventories using a method such as the Gross Profit Method or Retail Inventory Method.
- At times market conditions may require you to value your inventory at less than cost using a rule called the Lower Of Cost Or Market Rule.
- Some costing methods may require IRS approval.
- The types of records needed to properly record and control inventory quantities and amounts and how to use them.
- Payroll Tutorial
The payroll tutorial and course provides an introduction and overview of payroll and the laws, rules, regulations, forms, records, and calculations that small business owners and/or their employees responsible for payroll need to be familiar with.
What will I learn ?
Learning Objectives
After completing this course, you should know or be at least familiar with the following:
- Various forms needed for managing your payroll and complying with government laws.
- How to classify your employees.
- The various methods you can use to calculate your employee's earnings.
- Why fringe benefits (perks) help with the hiring of excellent employees.
- The types of required Payroll Taxes and how they are calculated.
- The records needed for managing your payroll system.
- Familiarity with the federal and state laws, rules, and regulations that you as a business owner or manager need to be aware of.
No, you wont be a payroll expert; but, at least you should have a working knowledge of what's required of a Payroll System.
Other Courses
- Bookkeeping Explained Course
This course is presented on my "sister" site Bookkeeping Explained.
Five free Bookkeeping Tutorials explain and illustrate what's involved in "keeping the books". While accounting and bookkeeping software have made the task of recording and summarizing financial information easier and faster, it's still good to know what's actually being done "behind the scenes" by the software. These five tutorials do not teach bookkeeping; but, rather explain and illustrate what's involved in bookkeeping using the "ole fashion" manual bookkeeping system and procedures. These same tasks are now commonly performed using computers and accounting software; but, bookkeepers still need to know how a manual system works in order to properly use accounting and bookkeeping software.
Like explaining what makes a car run (the engine), this course is designed to show you what makes bookkeeping "run". The accounting course is made up of an Introduction to Bookkeeping Video along with four videos that explain basic accounting and bookkeeping concepts and the accompanying PDF Versions that you can download and follow along with the bookkeeping videos.You can download the PDF version for each Section or download the Complete PDF Textbook. In addition, you can also download the "Power Point" Slideshows to view with Microsoft Office if you have this software or you can download the free Libre Office to view the Slideshows.
What will I learn ?
Learning Objectives:
After completing this course, you should know or be able to perform the following:
Understand what accounting and bookkeeping is, why it’s important, and the key terms needed to discuss and properly use financial information.
Understand what makes bookkeeping “work”:
- Accounts/Chart Of Accounts
- Accounting Equation(s)
- Double Entry Accounting System
- Debits and Credits
- Rules
- Formal Records and Documents
- Accounting Cycle
How to analyze and record transactions using the formal financial records such as Journals and the General Ledger.
What Financial Statements are and how they are prepared and used.
Bookkeeping Basics Course
This course is also presented on one of my "sister" sites Double-Entry-Accounting.
Double Entry Accounting provides small businesses and individuals wanting to learn the basics of bookkeeping and accounting. Notice I said basics. The site is designed for those that don't want or need time consuming drawn out accounting and bookkeeping courses or tutorials and just want or need to become familiar with bookkeeping and accounting. In other words, a working knowledge. Don't worry, I didn't forget those needing more than the basics. I've provided links to my sister bookkeeping sites that have more in depth free accounting courses, tutorials, and tests.
What will I learn ?
Learning Objectives:
After completing this course, you should know or be able to perform the following:
Have a basic knowledge (foundation) of the bookkeeping terminology and concepts used to properly perform the bookkeeping process.
Financial Accounting Basics Course
This basic financial accounting course is composed of 22 classroom video accounting lectures. My cartoon representative Professor Bean Counter introduces each lecture. A written transcript or summary of each of the video lectures is also included as a review.
What will I learn ?
Learning Objectives:
After completing this course, you should know or be able to perform the following:
Understand what accounting and bookkeeping is, why it’s important, and the key terms needed to discuss and properly use financial information.
Understand what makes bookkeeping “work”:
- Accounts/Chart Of Accounts
- Accounting Equation(s)
- Double Entry Accounting System
- Debits and Credits
- Rules
- Formal Records and Documents
- Accounting Cycle
How to analyze and record transactions using the formal financial records such as Journals and the General Ledger.
What Financial Statements are and how they are prepared and used.
Cost Accounting Basics Course
This basic cost accounting course is composed of 17 classroom video accounting lectures. A written transcript or summary of each of the video lectures is also included as a review.
What will I learn ?
Learning Objectives:
After completing this course, you should know or be able to perform the following:
Understand what cost accounting is, why it’s important, and the key terms needed to discuss and properly use costing information.
Understand what makes cost accounting “work”:
- What Job Order and Process Costing are and when they are used.
- What costs materials, labor, and overhead are charged to Jobs and Processes.
- Cost Accounting Special Inventory Accounts - Raw Materials, Work-In-Process, and Finished Goods.
- The journal entries used to record the costs charged to jobs and processes.
- Cost accounting terms such as direct costs, overhead, variable costs, fixed costs, equivalent units, product costs, period costs, etc.
Free Courses and Help Provided By Others
Another one of my "sister" sites Free Bookkeeping Help provides free help to aid students, owners, managers, and anyone needing or wanting to learn about accounting and bookkeeping. Finding good accounting and bookkeeping training, courses, help, and assistance can be quite a task. Nowadays, bookkeepers or anyone can update their skills or learn about accounting and bookkeeping by pursuing free online accounting and bookkeeping courses. Ranging from beginning to advanced courses of accounting, the Internet offers many sources for completing free accounting and bookkeeping courses.
I've tried to provide you with a site that provides you with links to some excellent free accounting and bookkeeping training. Hopefully, by being selective and providing quality links to accounting and bookkeeping tutorials, books, courses, and lectures, you won't have to waste your time searching for accounting and bookkeeping help.