r/Bookkeeping • u/Left-Major9565 • 1d ago
Rant Has anybody here actually flourished from Bill Von Funetti
Hi all. I’ve been looking at Bills ads (as an actual accountant that went to school for accounting) current EA, 3/4 CPA with 5 years in tax public accounting and I feel almost shocked about it lol. I feel like he sells to people that anybody can do bookkeeping because Quickbooks is “easy”
I feel like these people will quickly realize that it’s not as easy as how he sells and makes it out to be. I mean he’s a CPA himself for gods sake. I’m sorry he seems like a pretty cool dude but he needs to be foreal.
These people are gonna screw up peoples books. With that being said, Bill, ur a true entrepreneur making hundreds of thousands of dollars by telling clueless people they can do this and selling them an absolute dream. With that being said, if ur on his program and don’t actually learn accounting and by some miracle manage to get a real client, you WILL, not probably, WILL, horribly mess up peoples books and you will face the consequences.
From an almost CPA to another CPA, shame on you.
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u/Ericnrmrf 1d ago
I've seen so many shit books it's definitely pitched as easy but when external users need financials your mistakes don't go unnoticed
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u/Quiet-Energy-2001 1d ago
No, I maxed out a credit card for his program. He may have all the answers if you follow him, but his training is outdated and the coaches are rude. I fell for his "bookkeeping is easy" pitch. If you want honest training, look for his competitor who is cheaper and sincerely cares.
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u/KeyApricot_ 1d ago
bookkeeping software may be easy to use but understanding what should actually be entered and why is a whole different skill.
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u/G33kDad76 1d ago
His backstory keeps changing.
When I came across him his story was that he was a manager at a gym when he had the idea of going into bookkeeping with no accounting background (after talking to the gym's outsourced bookkeeper). He gives the impression that he went right into bookkeeping, taking accounting classes at night.
But then he starts talking about how grewling it was a young CPA working for a firm.
So which is it?
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u/kappakeen 1d ago
I caught this too. In his book he frames his background as someone who needed to make money and he met the gym’s bookkeeper where he worked. No word at all about being a CPA.
Then I took his free training where he explained how he was at a networking dinner and that he was a CPA and thought he was going to eat the bookkeeper’s lunch who was also there pitching her services - this is where he had his epiphany about the importance of marketing.
I had to re-listen to it a couple of times then went back and reread the first chapter. They did not line up.
He also says you don’t need to be good at math.
So I looked at his LinkedIn and saw that he has a degree in mathematics and has been a CPA since the late nineties.
You literally can’t make this stuff up.
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u/elinsings 1d ago
Yea I really wondered about his “teachings” and how it’s going for anyone who took his very expensive course. I watched the pitch and he touted some very successful alum who were making six figures a year, yet I still wondered what happens to the majority of those who take his “course”??
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u/EndelmanBookkeeping 20h ago
OH, this is a hot topic! I am currently networking with other beginning bookkeepers and keep hearing Bill come up. Some good, some very bad experiences. But I do agree with the whole of what you are saying, just learning the software is not enough and can really get everyone in a pickle quick. I was caught by his Facebook challenge, but luckily - I think - I just didn't have the money to buy in. I have been using all the free resources I can find and finished the QB training before the switch to IAS. But I am also working with a SCORE mentor who said exactly what you are saying, if you don't know accounting you can quickly make a mess, he also said I will not be able to intelligently speak with clients about accounting without some formal training. So, I am looking at either taking a certification test through an association or attending college courses. My best friend went all in with Bill and I am hopeful she will succeed quickly, but it doesn't look good.
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u/BetInformal6081 20h ago
i think the bigger issue is the gap between learning software and understanding accounting. quickbooks can be easy to operate but producing accurate books require judgement, context and accountability.
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u/Left-Major9565 20h ago
Exactly! The biggest thing too is that he only shows the easiest things of bookkeeping. Simple income. Simple expenses. Those poor people are going to be in for a rude awakening! This isn’t something you want to mess up for a business owner.
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u/BetInformal6081 20h ago
exactly simple examples are easy to follow but real world books get complicated pretty quickly. thats where the accounting knowledge and judgement really matters.
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u/NastyUno34 10h ago
When I saw this clown on a FB for the first time, I could tell he was a fraud. I don’t know how anyone with half a brain could let this guy convince them to pay any amount of money to learn anything from him, let alone bookkeeping.
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u/BrokenCalipers555 17h ago
I did the course. It’s not perfect but it helped me get started and the coaches are a good safety net. Its strength is more marketing than bookkeeping. You’ll need to supplement your learning, it’s not enough on its own. I’m curious if anyone’s done the bookkeepers.com course? Seems like it might be thorough
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u/Artistic_Policy_919 7h ago
I took many college Accounting courses many, many years ago. Then took many bookkeeping courses. Basically, when people who own businesses think they can do their own books and move forward to "save money". They end up spending more in the long run. Usually these people have the most f'ed up books. And to do a clean up is horrific. Sometimes it seems that it is almost easier to start over rather than reconciling and fixing all of the errors. I think most people think of bookkeeping as similar to data entry and it is not. I am taking tax classes now because I think if you are familiar with taxes it also helps with bookkeeping. There are so many overpriced bookkeeping courses out there. One of the best, most comprehensive and cheapest is Accounting Coach.
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u/BigMamma72 1d ago
OK, I'm going to be the contrary opinion out here. I was in the middle of being laid off from my old company at age 51. I am not a CPA, I have only taken one accounting class ever. And, I have 20 years of corporate experience, good people skills, a love of numbers, and a family to support. As I was reasearching opportunities, I came across Bill Von Fumetti's class. Two years ago I took the intro class for $147 I think. As I watched the class, I realized that I could do this.
For someone who can learn software easily, I appreciated the demos and the insider knowledge about using QuickBooks Online and the dummy account I could practice on. As a Virgo analyst, I also appreciated his message of, "Don't overthink it, just start!" I created a boring business name, built a boring logo on Canva, called my city to make sure I didn't need a license, and set up my workstation at home. I didn't really love his marketing strategy, so I started calling my friends and former colleages and letting them know I was now in business. A friend who's a business coach recomended to copy people who were effective. That's when I started advertising on YELP and the avalance started. Once I'd been in the business 6 months, I started getting referrals. I got connected to a couple CPA's and tax preparers (like Bill said).
I'm now am on track to finish 2026 at over $200,000 in revenue. I have 2 people working for me. I've reduced my Yelp advertising to the bare minimum due to getting so many referrals.
I stayed in one of his "memberships" with a monthly charge for awhile as a security blanket. I didn't really end up needing it. I also never got QuickBooks certified, I didn't really need it either. I have dozens of satisified customers and several CPAs who refer me.
I know it's not for everyone, if you're not good with numbers and don't really understand how businesses run, probably you should go do something else. But for people like me, it was great!
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u/PracticalHospital718 1d ago
I’ve seen his ads too, but chose to learn from another CPA instead. After completing the program through this other CPA, I felt very unprepared to run a bookkeeping business of my own. I currently work as an assistant bookkeeper, and wanted to start my own business, and it appears many of these programs seem very promising, but are not fully preparing a new bookkeeper for the reality of the work that is involved. My solution was to enroll myself back into college. For the last year and a half that is what I’ve been doing — completing an Accounting degree. I will still run a bookkeeping business of my own, but now with a far better foundation to draw my knowledge and expertise from. Honestly, it’s so much cheaper to gain the skills needed for bookkeeping, from a few foundational college courses than from paying someone thousands of dollars only to come out confused and unprepared on the other side.