"A bookkeeper records the financial transactions of an organization and takes care of day-to-day functions such as recording sales and invoices, paying bills and processing payroll," Stephens said. "Accountants take the financial data and analyze it to help organizations make financial decisions."

Keeping track of which account each transaction goes into will be very important. Another part of accounts activity is maintaining records and files. You will have receipts, invoices, reports, and other documents that get filed away. It may be a physical filing system, or you will scan and file them electronically.

Self-taught bookkeepers use a variety of courses, seminars, books, and other online resources to learn about bookkeeping and accounting. You can also learn how to use accounting software, like QuickBooks, which can teach you about the basics of bookkeeping as well as the technology used by many businesses.