When googling this very question, the first result that comes back is:
“A professional association is a group that consists of members who are all part of the same industry or career field. These associations provide valuable industry insights, news, learning, and networking opportunities for their members.”
While everyone knows the CPA (certified professional accountant), the CPB (certified professional bookkeepers) is a bit unfamiliar. While the CPA has about 220,000+ members, the CPB only has 2000. I am one of the Certified Professional Bookkeepers of Canada Association’s 2000 members, and have been since 2018, and here’s why.
Back in 2018, Day2Day Books was still fairly small and as an independent bookkeeper, I felt like I was less exposed to different view points and wanted to stay on top of new legislation and industry standards. Besides that, the CPB also provided great networking opportunities.
Reasons why it’s important to be part of a professional association
#1 – Online and in-person networking opportunities
During my first CPB Conference in Calgary back in 2018 when I wrote my CPB Exam, I met some of the people I had already connected with via online forums, social media groups etc. It was great to meet people face to face and I still stay in touch. Sometimes for fun and sometimes to ask a quick industry question!
The annual conference is called “Ignite” and is hosted once a year on either the East Coast or the West. Obviously, during COVID, the event was online only but last year it was so fun to go in person again!
#2 – Professional development
The CPB has a great team that puts together a great variety of different relevant courses/webinars. They invite trainers from the CRA, CPA, app partners or experienced bookkeepers to share their knowledge. In order to maintain your status as a “Certified Bookkeeper”, you need to collect 20 Continued-Education points annually. So it’s a good motivator to stay up to date!
#3 – Resume builder
This one might not apply to myself directly, but I would love to see resumes coming into my mailbox of applicants who have already taken the initiative to be a CBP member. It proves that the candidate knows the industry, and is driven and committed to keeping their knowledge and skills up to date.
#4 – Career opportunities
Even though I wasn’t looking for a new job, the relationships built during these networking events have resulted in some long-term working relationships.
#5 – Discounts
Who doesn’t like a good discount? Besides a discounted rate on the webinars and conferences, the CPB also provides discounts at BestBuy, Staples and Telus to name a few.
#6 – Other benefits include:
Membership-only resources, support systems, and volunteer opportunities.
But why become a member of an association that only has 2000 members? Well, everything started off somewhere small. I truly believe that this organization has the potential to become the go-to organization for bookkeepers. No matter if you’re an independent bookkeeper or part of a team, the power of sharing knowledge and showing your clients that you’re being kept accountable about your knowledge, will benefit everyone.
When you’re passionate about something you want to share that with others as much as possible. For people who know me well know I am a very passionate person and I love what I do, bookkeeping! Being part of the CPB, surrounded by like-minded peers is just a no-brainer.
This year, I have been a volunteer as a Regional Network Chair for the CPB in the Kootenays. Next month, I am hosting my first networking event in Golden, BC on Thursday, May 4th. Since this is the first event in this region, we are welcoming members and non-members.
Click here to register for the event: https://cpbcan.ca/events-learning/regional-meetings/index.html/event-info/details/id/263
