Develop your personal money management skills. Before you can take control of others' finances, you should have control of your own. Create a household budget as a means of practicing bookkeeping skills, as well as ensuring your own financial security. To do so, monitor your spending and income and create a two-columned chart, placing income on one side and spending on the other and seek a balance between these two columns, adjusting spending as necessary.
Select a type of bookkeeping upon which to focus. Because the field of bookkeeping has many different sub-focuses, you must decide upon one type to focus your study first. Focus, for example, upon small business bookkeeping, payroll or tax preparation.
Take a course in bookkeeping. Select a course at a community college or seek an online course that focuses on bookkeeping skills. With a formal course of this type, you will gain exposure to an assortment of different bookkeeping skills.
Apprentice under a bookkeeper. Ask a working bookkeeper if you can work under her and learn her trade. Assist her in completing her bookkeeping tasks and learn from her experience. Following this path may also help you acquire a job after you study, as you will have the opportunity to network within the industry as well.
Market your bookkeeping services. If you intend to work as a private bookkeeper, you will need to sell your services to others. Advertise to those who you think may be in need of bookkeeping services and offer up your services, setting competitive rates to make yourself more attractive as a bookkeeping option.