Bookkeeping & Accounting Courses
Bookkeeping fundamentals plus the two packages small businesses actually run on — QuickBooks and Sage, in separate Canadian and US versions.
There are two different problems here and they need different courses. One is not knowing bookkeeping — what a trial balance is, why the balance sheet has to balance, how GST/HST gets tracked and remitted. The other is knowing bookkeeping perfectly well and fighting the software.
Bookkeeping Fundamentals ($349) is for the first. It is the accounting itself, taught for people who are running or about to run a real set of books rather than sitting an exam. Start here if the vocabulary is not yet automatic — learning QuickBooks without it means learning which buttons to press without knowing what they do to the accounts.
The software courses are for the second. QuickBooks Online Part 1 and Part 2, and Sage Accounting Part 1 and Part 2, are $619 each and run in sequence. Part 1 covers setup and day-to-day transactions; Part 2 covers the period-end work — reconciliations, adjustments, payroll and the reports your accountant asks for.
The one thing to get right before you book is which version you need. These courses run separately for Canada and the US, because the tax and payroll content is genuinely different: the Canadian runs cover GST, HST and PST, provincial payroll and the CRA remittance cycle, and the US runs cover US sales tax and payroll. Everything else — the software, the workflow, the reports — is the same course. The prices and course descriptions on this page are the Canadian runs; the live schedule shows both.
That distinction sounds like a detail and is not. Sales-tax handling is the single place where following instructions written for the other country produces a set of books that has to be redone — so book the run that matches the jurisdiction your books are filed in.
Dates, prices and registration for Accounting are handled in our booking system, which is always current. See the schedule and register. Prefer to talk it through? Contact us and we will help you pick the right level.
The Accounting courses
| Course | Level | Next dates | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping FundamentalsDouble-entry basics · Trial balance · GST/HST fundamentals | Introductory | Live schedule | $349 | Register |
| Sage Accounting Part 1Company file setup · Chart of accounts · Customers and suppliers | Introductory | Live schedule | $619 | Register |
| Sage Accounting Part 2Bank reconciliation · Adjusting entries · Payroll | Intermediate | Live schedule | $619 | Register |
No course in this category matches that. Clear the filters, or browse every course category.
Where each course sits
Learn the bookkeeping first if it is new, then the package your business runs on. The two software tracks are alternatives, not a sequence.
Scroll the diagram sideways to see the full path.
If you are not sure which of these you are ready for, the skill assessment asks eight questions about what you already do and recommends one. It takes about five minutes and asks for nothing in return.
Who teaches this
Florence Ward — Bookkeeper
Teaches Basic Bookkeeping, Sage, QuickBooks Desktop, QuickBooks Online. Read the full bio and meet the other instructors, including how the CAFE method structures a class.
What comes with the course
- 90 days of video-library access, with the exercise files from class.
- A free retake for one year — the same course again, at no charge.
- No more than 10 people in a public class.
- In person or live online, with the same hands-on format either way.
Training several people at once? Corporate training is scoped to your team's skill mix and built around your own files, which for a group is almost always the better format.
Accounting training questions
Should I learn QuickBooks or Sage?
Whichever your business already runs, and if you are choosing fresh, the honest answer depends on the business rather than on which is better. Our guide comparing Sage 50 and QuickBooks Online covers the trade-offs without picking a winner for you.
Do I need Bookkeeping Fundamentals before the software courses?
Not formally, and plenty of people go straight to the software. But if terms like accrual, trial balance and reconciliation are not yet second nature, doing the fundamentals first means you are learning what the software is doing rather than which buttons to press.
Do you teach the US or the Canadian version?
Both, as separate courses. The Canadian runs cover GST, HST, PST, provincial payroll and the CRA remittance cycle; the US runs cover US sales tax and payroll. Everything else — the software itself, the workflow, the reports — is the same. Check which run you are booking on the live schedule, because this is the one difference that matters and it is not obvious from the course name.
How much do the accounting courses cost?
Bookkeeping Fundamentals is $349. QuickBooks Online Part 1 and 2 and Sage Accounting Part 1 and 2 are $619 each. Confirm current pricing on the live schedule when you register.
How long is the free retake on accounting courses?
One year, the same as every other course in the catalog. Within that year you can retake the same course at no charge — useful here because period-end only comes round a few times before it is familiar.
How big are the classes?
Public classes are capped at 10 participants. That cap is the reason the instructor can work with your file rather than only the sample file, and it is deliberate rather than a scheduling accident.
Is remote training the same course as in person?
The same course, the same instructor and the same exercise files. For remote delivery we use software that lets the instructor see every participant’s screen, so when you get stuck the instructor sees it rather than waiting for you to describe it.