Every business needs to maintain accurate financial records, but business owners donโt always want to do the bookkeeping themselves. And that creates a massive demand for bookkeepers.
Today, you donโt need to work in an office to be a bookkeeper. There are ample opportunities for freelance, part-time and full-time remote bookkeepers โ and sometimes, no certification is required to get started.
This article lists the best places to find that work. If you came here looking for information about how to become an online bookkeeper, check out our complete beginner’s guide to remote bookkeeping, which goes over everything you need to know to get started in the field.
Our Top Picks
You can jump directly to our review of each top pick by clicking the links below.
- Best for beginning bookkeepers: Upwork.
- Best for certified bookkeepers: Day2Day Books.
- Best for full-time work: Accounting Prose.
- Best for part-time work: Backyard Bookkeeper.
Additionally, the list below is broken down into three categories and you can jump to the one that best-fits what you’re looking for.
- Jobs with no experience or certification required.
- Jobs that require experience and/or certification.
- Staffing agencies and job boards.
Online Bookkeeping Jobs With No Experience or Certification Required
As a freelance bookkeeper, you donโt need any formal experience or certification to get started. Those credentials come into play when youโre looking for an employee type of role with a firm. But as a freelancer for small businesses, most clients care more about your ability to do the work than your background and certifications.
That said, completing a bookkeeping course can help you land those first few clients much faster and give you more confidence when working with those clients.
If youโre interested in taking a course, we recommend Ben Robinsonโs Bookkeeper Business Academy.
To find freelance bookkeeping gigs that donโt require experience, try freelance marketplaces like Upwork and Fiverr. Clients on these platforms arenโt always looking for world-class talent to keep their books, making them excellent places to start a bookkeeping career from scratch or just find some side work.
Firms like Belay that offer remote work in various fields can also connect you to remote bookkeeping opportunities. Belay, in particular, offers both freelancing and corporate openings for its clients. The company prefers but doesnโt require bachelor’s degrees, but they ask for some past experience.
That said, theyโre known to be a bit more relaxed when it comes to experience. You may be able to land work with Belay if you take a course and familiarize yourself with software like Quickbooks.
If you’re not sure whether freelancing is for you, check out our article “How to Get Started as a Freelancer” to learn more.
Online Bookkeeping Jobs That Require Experience and/or Certification
Today, there are plenty of bookkeeping-specific firms that operate at least partially online. Moreover, many of these firms are nearly always hiring more bookkeepers since they can serve clients anywhere in the world.
Each of these firms may require varying levels of experience to get hired. Check out our guide to the best bookkeeping certifications to learn how to get the credentials you need.
Note: the companies below are listed in alphabetical order.
#1. Accounting Prose
Credentials required: Accounting Prose doesnโt state specific education requirements. The firm generally requires a few years of experience and knowledge of and experience with common accounting software and other business tools.
Approximate pay: $48,000 to $50,000 per year.
Accounting Prose is a Denver-based bookkeeping firm that serves clients in health and wellness, professional services and tech. The firm performs various bookkeeping tasks, handles payroll, assists with financial statements, calculates tax payments and helps businesses move from Quickbooks to Xero.
Accounting Prose hires bookkeepers and accountants for both contract and full-time opportunities.
#2. AIS Solutions
Credentials required: Varies by role, but in general, at least one year of bookkeeping and Quickbooks Online experience. Quickbooks Online certification may be required. AIS Solutions also administers in-house written and practical exams on which you must score at least 80%.
Approximate pay: Not stated.
Based in Canada, AIS Solutions is a 100% remote bookkeeping firm. It primarily offers bookkeeping services to accounting firms, e-commerce stores, health and wellness companies and home service businesses. Additionally, it helps its clients set up their accounting software and move to Quickbooks. They even provide Quickbooks training and support.
AIS generally hires full-time bookkeepers, but they are flexible if you need to take time off. The two most common open roles are junior and senior bookkeepers. The former is more suited to newer bookkeepers with a bit of experience, while the latter seeks a much more experienced candidate.
All roles are 100% remote since AIS Solutions is a fully cloud-based firm.
#3. Backyard Bookkeeper
Credentials required: 1 year of full-charge bookkeeping experience.
Approximate pay: $16 to $24 per hour.
Backyard Bookkeeper is a cloud-based bookkeeping firm serving a variety of industries, although it places an emphasis on law firms.
The company primarily helps businesses clean up their books and handles the entire bookkeeping process going forward. It also offers add-on payroll services and assists its clients with 1099 filings.
Backyard Bookkeeper offers part-time W2 roles and asks for at least a year of full-charge bookkeeping experience. It has a separate application for payroll jobs, too. Unfortunately, only Utah residents will be considered for openings at the time of writing.
#4. Blue Fox Agile Accounting
Credentials required: Bachelorโs degree and at least five years of general bookkeeping experience. QuickBooks ProAdvisor Certification (basic) required. Must be U.S.-based.
Approximate pay: $17 to 20 per hour (preferred pay range, may differ depending on skill).
Blue Fox Agile Accounting is a cloud-based bookkeeping firm providing customized financial and back-office services to nonprofits and social enterprises. Bookkeeping is one of its main services, but the firm also does:
- Coaching and consulting.
- Fractional CFO services.
- Payroll.
- Taxes (for individuals, independent contractors, sole proprietors, nonprofits and small businesses)
Blue Fox hires bookkeepers as contractors. With Blue Fox, youโll perform the following:
- Daily/weekly Quickbooks Online expense and income entries.
- Weekly accounts payable/bill pay processing with Bill.com.
- Monthly bank and credit card reconciliations.
- Monthly financial reports.
- Data manipulation via Excel.
Long-term contractors will take on additional journal entry tasks, provide client support, and work on process improvement for each client served.
Youโre expected to work 5 to 15 hours per week on average. Itโs remote, but you must be available for occasional phone calls.
#5. Day2Day Books
Credentials required: Professional bookkeeper certification (equivalent to Level 3 or 4 Institute of Professional Bookkeepers of Canada). Experience with payroll, GST and WCB.
Approximate pay: $16 to $27.50 per hour depending on certification level.
Day2Day Books provides clients in Alberta and British Columbia (Canada) with a range of services, including:
- Bookkeeping.
- Consulting.
- Human resources.
- Information technology services.
- Payroll.
- Quickbooks Online training.
Bookkeepers working for Day2Day perform a range of tasks, but theyโre also responsible for payroll and any ad-hoc duties assigned to them.
The firm generally hires full-time employees instead of contractors. Full-time hours are 30 per week, which you are generally expected to work. That said, your hours are flexible as long as you get things done on time.
#6. Empowered Profit
Credentials required: Two years of small business bookkeeping experience and Quickbooks knowledge.
Approximate pay: Not stated.
Empowered Profit is a bookkeeping firm that mainly serves online businesses. Alongside bookkeeping, it offers related services like cash flow strategy and tax support.
Empowered Profit hires its bookkeepers as employees, either on a part-time or full-time basis. They make it clear they donโt want individuals simply seeking a side hustle, though.
If Empowered Profits hires you, youโll perform an array of bookkeeping tasks for the firmโs clients, such as:
- Financial projections.
- Financial reporting.
- Month-end closes.
- Monthly client bookkeeping update calls.
- Quickbooks (updating books, troubleshooting technical errors, etc.).
You also must use tools like Asana and Slack to update projects and communicate with clients and other team members. Plus, youโll need to be available for team video calls and check-ins.
#7. Bookkeeper.com
Credentials required: Not stated.
Approximate pay: Not stated.
Founded in 1987, Bookkeeper.com provides a range of accounting, financial planning and tax services to individuals and small businesses.
As a bookkeeper with the company, youโll perform or assist with tasks such as journal entries, monthly closes and financial reporting. You may also get to test the waters in other areas, given the wide range of services the firm offers.
Bookkeeper.com isnโt clear about work arrangements, beyond the fact that their bookkeeping positions are remote. That said, some of the language indicates these are employee roles rather than contractor opportunities.
#8. Reconciled
Credentials required: Associate degree in accounting or business, or an accounting/bookkeeping certification. One year of experience doing bookkeeping for multiple clients.
Approximate pay: $39,000 per year.
Reconciled is a cloud accounting firm offering several accounting and finance services, such as bookkeeping, outsourced CFO, payroll, tax and advisory.
Reconciled’s bookkeepers interface with clients regularly via phone, email and video conferencing software. Additionally, they use Quickbooks, Bill.com and other tools to perform several core bookkeeping tasks. Bookkeepers are expected to work most of their hours between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to respond to client requests, though some flexibility may be available.
The job is remote, and only full-time positions are available.
Note that Reconciled asks you to visit their headquarters in Burlington, VT once a year for their staff meeting. (The firm covers your travel and lodging, though.)
#9. Supporting Strategies
Credentials required: Bachelorโs degree in accounting or related discipline. At least five years of accounting or bookkeeping experience.
Approximate pay: $37,000 per year.
Founded in 2004, Supporting Strategies provides outsourced bookkeeping and back-office services to businesses across many industries.
Supporting Strategies hires all team members as a โfinancial operations associate.โ FOAs serve as anything from a bookkeeper to a controller (the head of an accounting department). This is why the firm asks for a degree and significant experience even for bookkeeping roles.
If Supporting Strategies hires you and places you in a bookkeeper role, youโll be responsible for tasks such as accounts receivables and payables, month-end closes and financial reporting.
Supporting Strategies offers part-time employment to candidates with fairly flexible hours. To help you get started, the firm provides you a laptop with the tools you need, training on the latest bookkeeping software solutions, the opportunity to earn the Quickbooks Online ProAdvisor certification and more.
#10. Two Roads
Credentials required: Associate degree in accounting or bookkeeping. At least four years of accounting or bookkeeping experience.
Approximate pay: $37,000 per year.
Two Roads is a firm offering bookkeeping and CFO advisory services to a variety of small businesses. This firm hires bookkeepers remotely with relatively flexible hours. You can get work done on your schedule, but you must be available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST to respond to clients and teammates.
As a Two Roads bookkeeper, youโll help small businesses with bookkeeper tasks like financial statement reviews, journal entries, reconciliations, sales taxes and more.
Remote Bookkeeping Firms With Periodic Openings
Many bookkeeping firms solely offer bookkeeping services. However, there are full-service accounting firms โ meaning they provide other services like tax prep and IRS audit defense โ that hire remote bookkeepers.
These firms donโt have bookkeeping spots open as frequently as the companies listed above, since their services are more diverse. However, they do have openings every so often that tend to be (but arenโt always) W2 roles.
#11. 1-800Accountant
Credentials required: At least three years of bookkeeping experience. Experience with online accounting platforms like Gusto, Quickbooks or Xero.
Approximate pay: Not stated.
1-800Accountant is one of the largest cloud-based accounting and tax firms in the United States. It provides several services to small businesses, including:
- Bookkeeping.
- Entity formation/legal structure.
- IRS audit defense.
- Payroll.
- Taxes (personal income, small business).
Many of the firmโs roles are in-person, but there are remote bookkeeping openings every so often. These remote bookkeeping roles are generally contractor positions. The hours are a bit flexible, but 1-800Accountant requires at least 30 hours a week (with more hours required during tax season).
Alongside standard bookkeeping tasks like creating journal entries and generating financial statements, youโll be responsible for building relationships with clients and completing ad hoc work as needed.
#12. AccountingDepartment.com
Credentials required: At least three years of experience performing full-charge bookkeeping. Strong knowledge of accrual accounting.
Approximate pay: $17 to $21 per hour.
AccountingDepartment.com is a remote but 100% U.S.-based cloud accounting firm. It provides each client a team of accounting professionals, including bookkeepers, an accounting software specialist and an accounting manager or controller. Additionally, the firm provides clients with recommendations for third-party software that could enhance their operations.
The company hires โvirtual accounting specialists,โ but they appear to have the same general set of responsibilities as bookkeepers at other firms. Positions are all full-time W2 roles with accompanying benefits.
If hired, youโll be responsible for juggling multiple clients as you perform your bookkeeping tasks. Youโll likely work as a member of a team with an accounting technology specialist and controller to help each client.
At this time, AccountingDepartment.com virtual accounting specialist positions are only available to U.S. citizens residing in the country.
#13. Acuity
Credentials required: None stated beyond โformal accounting education.โ
Approximate pay: $19 to $24 per hour.
Acuity is an Atlanta-based remote accounting firm specializing in bookkeeping, CFO services, and tax matters. The firm primarily serves digital-savvy clients and puts emphasis on fostering a positive company culture.
Bookkeepers at Acuity perform several tasks โ mostly bookkeeping, but some adjacent work as well. Beyond tasks like reconciliations, accounts payable, and financial reporting, you might be asked to do some payroll-related work.
Scheduling is relatively flexible โ you pick your hours as long as they fall within normal business hours. You must attend one team meeting per week, but you get to choose which one. If youโd like to work in an office and are in the Atlanta area, you also have access to Acuityโs office.
Acuity employees have the opportunity to attend Acuityโs yearly paid retreat, AcuityCon, to meet and network with team members and further their relevant skills and abilities.
#14. Bookminders
Credentials required: Four-year degree. At least five years of accounting experience. Experience with general ledger accounting software.
Approximate pay: $20 to $31 per hour.
Bookminders is an accounting firm that primarily hires educated and experienced accounting professionals. It offers comprehensive accounting and bookkeeping services to small business and nonprofit clients on either a weekly or monthly basis but also provides one-off support services. This firm is unique in that it sells a toolkit called Practiceminders to other bookkeepers looking to launch their own firms.
If hired, you’ll perform many typical bookkeeping tasks for their small business clients. If you work with nonprofit clients, youโll also track grants, programs, donations, restricted funds and perform comprehensive board reporting.
Bookminders accountants can work a flexible schedule, but must make themselves available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST for meetings and training. Additionally, you must attend orientation and occasional in-office training. According to the firm, about two-thirds of your work is done from home.
Accountants at Bookminders also have access to AICPA-accredited continuing education resources.
Interested candidates must live within 45 miles of one of Bookminders’ offices, located throughout Maryland and Pennsylvania. They also must have a suitable office space in their home, a computer, a high-speed internet connection and a vehicle for local travel.
#15. Envolta
Credentials required: For the associate role, you must have post-secondary courses in accounting and/or bookkeeping. At least one year of experience in full-cycle bookkeeping. QuickBooks Advanced accreditation.
Approximate pay: $42,000 per year.
Envolta is an Ottawa, Canada-based firm offering an array of accounting and business services, including:
- Accounts payable.
- Bookkeeping.
- Payroll.
- Systems implementation.
- Tax planning.
- Tax returns (corporate and individual).
- Virtual CFO services.
Envolta offers positions for entry-level and experienced bookkeepers. With an entry-level role, youโll work on the full accounting cycle for the firmโs clients. Youโll also manage and maintain documentation and report to your manager and team.
Experienced bookkeepers can step into a lead bookkeeper role and work on more advanced tasks for clients for a higher salary.
In both cases, the positions are full-time and entirely remote.
Envolta requires bookkeepers to have a laptop or desktop computer with a webcam, a second monitor, a phone you can use for work and a strong Internet connection.
#16. Fusion CPA
Credentials required: Not stated.
Approximate pay: Not stated.
Fusion CPA is a CPA firm providing business advisory, accounting, software integration, and tax services to a wide variety of clients, from e-commerce stores to law firms to staffing agencies and more.
Roles are generally remote. Per the name, Fusion CPA does not offer many bookkeeping jobs. They hire more experienced accountants for a broader range of tasks.
#17. inDinero
Credentials required: Not stated.
Approximate pay: Not stated.
InDinero is a California-based firm (with offices in Indiana and Oregon as well) that provides an outsourced accounting and finance department to businesses of all sizes. It offers the following services:
- Accounting.
- Business tax.
- CFO.
- Technology and business intelligence.
Bookkeepers will likely stay within the accounting function when it comes to daily tasks. That could involve AP/AR, transaction entry, reconciliations, financial reporting and interacting with clients or other team members.
As for work arrangements, the majority of their openings are remote. Most jobs are full-time employee roles, although occasionally, the firm may hire on a contract basis.
#18. Ledger Gurus
Credentials required: Not stated.
Approximate pay: Not stated.
Ledger Gurus is a Utah-based remote accounting firm specializing in accounting and sales tax for small and medium-sized e-commerce businesses. The firm works with stores selling on Amazon and Shopify, but they also help multi-channel, high-volume sellers.
Ledger Gurus offers these companies full-service accounting services, but as a bookkeeper, youโll likely only stick to bookkeeping tasks like journal entries and financial reporting.
Ledger Gurus hires all its bookkeepers remotely and as employees, with some scheduling flexibility permitted.
#19. Pilot Bookkeeping
Credentials required: None stated.
Approximate pay: Not stated.
Pilot Bookkeeping provides consumer goods businesses, professional services firms and startups with bookkeeping, CFO and tax services.
Bookkeepers at Pilot generally stay in the bookkeeping arena, but depending on your skills and experience, you may be able to branch into CFO or tax services.
Bookkeepers at Pilot work remotely and are generally hired as employees.
#20. ProLedge Bookkeeping Services
Credentials required: One year of bookkeeping experience and existing client base (for references). Quickbooks experience.
Approximate pay: $16 to $30 per hour depending on level (staff or senior) and location.
ProLedge Bookkeeping Services is a Texas-based firm providing bookkeeping services to clients across the country.
ProLedge hires its bookkeepers on a part-time basis. Some positions may require you to live in one of the Texas cities they serve so that you can drive to client locations if necessary. (Travel time is paid.) However, they sometimes have openings that allow you to work from anywhere.
As a ProLedge bookkeeper, youโll perform a wide range of bookkeeping tasks on a relatively independent basis. The company prefers bookkeepers who already have experience managing their own client bases.
#21. Stride Services
Credentials required: Not stated.
Approximate pay: Not stated.
Stride Services is a remote firm primarily working with professional services businesses.
Stride offers several services:
- Accounting.
- Advisory.
- Bookkeeping.
- Cash flow and profitability strategy.
- Data analytics.
- Payroll.
Stride hires most bookkeepers on a full-time basis. As a Stride bookkeeper, youโll likely focus on the bookkeeping and accounting side of things. You might also be able to branch into other areas.
The firm hires in both the U.S and the Philippines. To be considered for a position, you must apply on the website and leave them a voicemail informing them why youโre a good fit for the position.
#22. Streamline Bookkeeping
Credentials required: Not stated.
Approximate pay: Not stated.
Streamline Bookkeeping is a small remote bookkeeping firm serving small businesses with between one and 10 employees โ primarily professional services firms, real estate investors and nonprofits.
Bookkeepers at Streamline do several tasks for clients, including:
- Financial reporting.
- Reconciliations.
- Transaction entry.
They also frequently use Quickbooks Online to perform these services for clients.
The firm has offices in Oakland, Los Angeles and New York City, but bookkeeper jobs are remote. Most openings are part-time.
Staffing Agencies and Job Boards for Finding Online Bookkeeping Jobs
Staffing agencies donโt hire bookkeepers directly. Instead, theyโre a middle party that connects candidates seeking bookkeeping work with companies that need bookkeepers (the staffing agencyโs clients).
Staffing agencies can be a great way to find remote bookkeeping work with less effort on your part. The agency generally interviews you and gets your resume, then sends you potential opportunities that fit your background and desired position.
Additionally, you can find bookkeeping jobs on online job boards. Some are bookkeeping-specific, others are centered around remote work, and still others are more general-purpose job boards.
#23. Accountingfly
Accountingfly is a staffing agency specifically for accounting and bookkeeping work โ mostly remote roles, but some may involve being in an office part-time or full-time. Freelance opportunities and permanent positions are available.
In general, Accountingfly offers positions for experienced professionals rather than beginners. Many of the open positions at the time of writing are for roles like โTax Seniorโ or โRemote Senior Accountant.โ Youโll likely need a bachelor’s degree in accounting and relevant experience to land one of these roles.
However, if you have this background, Accountingfly can be a good resource for finding remote work. It offers custom job alerts so you can be the first to know about new opportunities.
#24. Beech Valley
Beech Valley is a staffing marketplace, making it a mix of a job board and a staffing agency. It connects organizations in need of accounting and finance talent to capable professionals. Full-time and contract opportunities are available. Compensation information is often listed, too, helping you weigh your options.
Many of the jobs on Beech Valley are for highly-experienced professionals in these fields, such as managers and senior associates. However, there are often remote bookkeeping roles open. Education and experience requirements can vary; based on our research, many of them require some previous work experience.
All that said, the pay ranges youโll find here tend to be pretty good.
#25. Flex Professionals
Flex Professionals is a remote job board focused on connecting seasoned professionals searching for part-time work with the companies and organizations that need them. They primarily serve Boston and Washington DC, but remote positions are available for professionals who live elsewhere.
Flex Professionals offers a range of job types, from HR to marketing to bookkeeping. Much of their focus is on finding part-time work for professionals in these areas, but full-time opportunities are also available.
If you canโt find the types of work youโd like to pursue, Flex Professionals allows you to submit your resume to the site. Theyโll keep it on file and alert you to any opportunities that fit your resume.
#26. FlexJobs
FlexJobs is a premium (meaning paid) job board centered around remote work in various industries, including accounting and bookkeeping. You can find full-time, part-time and freelance opportunities on the site. Additionally, positions can be in-office or hybrid if you want a location-based role.
By charging money for access to jobs, FlexJobs can screen for only the best opportunities. Many large employers as well as smaller businesses regularly post accounting and bookkeeping work on the board.
To find work, you can simply type in the job title or keyword youโre looking for โ in this case, bookkeeping. You can also choose a location if youโd like.
On top of all this, FlexJobs provides an extensive library of articles, job search resources and career advice if you need it.
You can learn more about how the site works in our FlexJob review.
#27. Robert Half Talent Solutions
Robert Half Talent Solutions is a staffing agency that also maintains an online job board. It connects job seekers to roles in the following areas:
- Finance.
- Human resources.
- IT.
- Marketing.
- Operations support.
There are jobs for all experience levels, so you may be able to find bookkeeping work whether or not youโve been in the field before.
You can seek work in two broad ways:
- Corporate careers.
- Salaried professional.
If you go the corporate careers path, Robert Half helps you find traditional roles, like many other agencies.
If you opt for the salaried professional option, youโre considered a Robert Half employee as you work for the firmโs clients. Robert Half continually finds you work opportunities tailored to help you grow your skills and advance your career.
#28. Indeed
Indeed is a free job board for nearly any kind of professional work, including bookkeeping. You can search for bookkeeping jobs by keyword and location, or, on the latter point, you can enter โremoteโ to find 100% remote jobs. You can make a profile and upload your resume for easy application to open positions.
On Indeed, youโll find openings at accounting or bookkeeping firms as well as in-house positions with companies outside the bookkeeping space. You can sort and filter by experience level, date posted, salary and many more variables to find the perfect role for you.
As for work arrangements, full-time and part-time roles are the most common. However, you can find freelance roles as well, or you may be able to negotiate with individual companies for freelance arrangements.
Indeed has a unique messaging feature for setting yourself apart if you have little education or experience in the field too. You can message employers directly after applying to provide them more information that could help your chances of landing work.
Additionally, many roles let you apply directly on the site using โeasy apply.โ Some posting may require you to apply on the companyโs site, though.
#29. Kforce
Kforce is a staffing agency and job board specializing in connecting accounting, finance and technology professionals to companies across several industries. You can seek remote or hybrid roles, and work arrangements include contracting and permanent positions.
As with many staffing agencies, you can send Kforce your resume so they can alert you to potential opportunities that fit your skills and tastes.
#30. Remote.co
Remote.co is a general job board centered around remote work. On the board, you can find work for any experience level, from entry-level to professional CPA or CFA.
Accounting firms and non-accounting companies of various sizes are on this board looking for people to fill full-time, freelance and part-time remote bookkeeping and related roles. To find these, you can click the Remote Accounting & Finance category, but you can also find jobs with the search bar.
To apply for a role, you click the posting, click the โApply For Jobโ button, and finish your application on the companyโs website.
#31. SimplyHired
SimplyHired isnโt just a job board; it aggregates listings from websites and job boards across the web. It doesnโt focus on specific job types, but you can run searches for remote bookkeeping work using the search bar, then search and filter with various criteria.
Like other general job boards, SimplyHired lets you create an account and build or upload your resume for quicker applications and to let recruiters come to you.
SimplyHired also offers tools and resources to help its users find better jobs and maximize their chances of landing work.
Remote Bookkeeping Jobs: Summary
You have plenty of options for becoming a remote bookkeeper on the side or as a full-time career. Whether you have substantial experience in the field or are brand new, there is a lot of work out there for the taking.
Try some of the above places based on your education and experience to get started.
WOW! Very insightful piece. I have always wanted to work as a remote bookkeeper, but I had no idea where to start. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Accounts and I am a CPA with seven years of experience. This article has just shown me the way forward. Thanks!!