Once completion of the online registration is fulfilled, a confirmation will be sent via email that the registration has been received along with any payments made by credit card.  Please check Junk Mail folder as spam filters may have sent the messages there.

The initial process for membership may take up to 6 weeks depending on how quickly the references get back to us and a note to students applying, we need to have received enrollment confirmation/lesson plans for the bookkeeping courses.  These documents must have your name on them.

Once the references and payment have been confirmed, then the CBA will send the Logo and an invite to the CBA forum via email.  Once again, please check Junk Mail Folder.  Your specific information will also be listed on the website under Member Services/Membership Directory.

The CBA is currently reviewing a new membership software package that will speed up the process.

Welcome to the CBA!

The conference is fastly approaching and if you have not registered yet, there is still time to take advantage of a discounted price.  Registration is available online.    We are very excited about having your attendance at this fabulous event.  This event is a very affordable, informative, learning experience and most of all FUN!!!!.    Where else can you go to have everyone there UNDERSTAND completely what you are actually talking about!!!!

To put into perspective the economic value of this conference at around $395, here is the price for the CMA (Certified Management Accountants) conference in BC for TWO days only!- Early bird – $625-$695, Actual conference rates $725-$795.  This includes breakfast and lunch, just like the CBA, however, their Gala Dinner is a separate cost.

Wednesday September 21, 2011 is check in day.  We have a “kick-off” reception so you can put faces to names from the forum.  Student and Junior members can meet an Intermediate and/or Senior Member to become a mentor.    You will also have a great opportunity to meet most of the sponsors and exhibitors.    This will assist you in planning your weekend workshops  of which their are 17 available.  Some are doubles so if you miss one you might be able to attend the second.

There are 5 keynote speakers throughout the weekend to give you the best of their experiences in business, bookkeeping/accounting/payroll education and more.

Thursday night is our awards Gala night which includes special award presentations for the membership.  Some of these awards are: Best Promoter, Most Enthusiastic, and the list goes on, you will have to be there to get the rest.  The members who receive these awards are voted on by you, the members, and also a fabulous dinner for all attendees and sponsors/exhibitors.

You will have great networking opportunities with sponsors/exhibitors from your home province and perhaps some from other provinces!

Make sure you make the time to further your bookkeeping experience.  This event will enhance your skill sets and you will gain more knowledge to add to your already extensive knowledge base!

One last item, this conference is OPEN to all bookkeepers.  Members and non-members.  Come one come all and enjoy!!!

Looking forward to seeing you all in Regina!!!!

Matching the company’s needs with the applicant’s skills and experience will greatly improve the success of the hiring process.

Applicants are identified through various sources, including referrals from employees, customers, suppliers, and business associates; unsolicited applications; employment agencies; advertisements; professional organizations and the Internet. The sources used depend on how quickly the position must be filled and the company’s past success in attracting applicants.

Once applicants have been screened and interviewed, their past experience and skills, as presented on their resumes and disclosed during the interview process, should be verified. Two common techniques for verifying and evaluating skill levels include:

• Reference checking.
• Pre-employment testing.

The CBA would recommend, if you are in need of a “professional bookkeeper” vs a “data entry clerk”, that the Pre-employment Testing be a must on your check list for new hires.

Canadian Bookkeepers Association is excited to announce that a new E&O Insurance policy is now available to all CBA members through AXA Insurance and Marsh Canada.

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Why Errors & Omissions?
Errors & Omissions Insurance provides you, the business owner, with protection & peace of mind in the event of a conflict arising because of an unhappy client. We are all human and we all do make mistakes from time to time…E&O coverage can protect a business from winding up in a situation where he or she can’t cover legal
expenses or damages due to a conflict. Like vehicle insurance, E&O insurance should be something that every CBA member should have and as a member, you can have a fantastic policy at an affordable price.

Click here for the application form.

These statistics make starting a professional bookkeeping business very attractive.  The accounting software for small business has come a long way since the early days of self employment.  The bookkeeping packages are more versatile to business owners requirements and enable the professional bookkeeper more flexibility with time management and reporting.

Question:  How do you start a professional bookkeeping business in today’s market? 

Answer:  There are many resources in each province in Canada and also with the Canada Revenue Agency that will guide any new entrepreneur through the “process” of getting any small business started. 

1. Before you even contemplate starting your own professional bookkeeping business, you will need current written references about your work as a professional bookkeeper and you should have at least three years direct professional bookkeeping experience, with education, in a Canadian environment.  Being a member of a professional organization will also assist with getting your business up and running.

2. Ensure your business idea is valid for the marketplace.  In this case bookkeeping/accounting will always be a service that is needed.

3.  Write a business plan.   I like to call this your “architectural plan for your business”.   The purpose of the business plan is to guide you through the first stages of building your business and act as a bench marker for your business goals.   Suggest starting with a six month plan, first, and refer to it often.  If you are going off track it will guide you back.

That should get you started.   Having your own professional bookkeeping business is very hard work.  It is also very rewarding work when you assist a small business owner in achieving their goals. 

Lastly, a reminder that you are a “professional” bookkeeper.  That is what differentiates you.

Almost everyone has to pay the GST/HST on purchases of taxable supplies of property and services.  A limited number of sales or supplies are exempt from GST/HST or zero rated.

CRAs Bulletin # 103 (http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/gm/b-103/b-103-e.pdf) goes into a 53 page detail on the “Place of Supply” rules for GST/HST. 

The following is a short interpretation of those Rules. 

If the supply is made through a permanent estabishment in the province of purchase, such as a movie pass that is only applicable in Ontario, then Ontario will be the “Place of Supply” and the 13% HST will be used. 

On the other hand, if a supplier, in Ontario, supplies software by way of licence to a company in Nova Scotia for use by its employees at its offices in Nova Scotia (HST rate 15%) and New Brunswick (HST rate 13%) and, in the ordinary course of business, the supplier (in Ontario) obtains the business address of the recipient  in Nova Scotia which is also the billing address for the supply of products/services, “The Place of Supply”.  Therefore, the supply is deemed to be made in Nova Scotia and is subject to the 15% HST. 

If this same supplier, in Ontario (HST rate 13%), supplied software to a business in Alberta for use by its employees in offices in Alberta (GST 5%) and British Columbia (HST rate 12%), with the business billing address in Alberta, “The Place of Supply”,  then the Ontario supplier would only charge the 5% GST rate with NO HST.

For more information on this, go to the link provided.

1.Doing the bookkeeping themselves. 2. Not saving receipts less than $50.  3. Forgetting to track reimburseable expenses.  4. Not properly classifying employees.  5. Lack of communication with the professional bookkeeper.  6. Not reconciling the bank statements and cc statements monthly.  7 No back ups (we all know what happens here).  8 Retailers forgeting to deduct sales tax or deducting the wrong rate of tax.  9. Petty cash nonchalance (every company should have a petty cash account).  10 Miscategorization or overcategorization.  Expenses need to be categorized properly. 

There are many more bookkeeping mistakes that Small Business owners make.  This list is the most popular of the bunch.