Post: #51

1. Did you secure a remote position or transitioned into remote role?

Transitioned. Was going to leave in December, asked for a massive raise, they said yes, so I stayed. Started working from home full time this week. Might as well use the leverage while I have it (my boss says they're having a rough time replacing me). Also, I've known the team for five years-ish now, and they fully support me sticking it to the brass so it's not like I'm fucking over any teammates.

2. If you do freelance accounting work, did you build your own client base from scratch or did you take clients with you from your office job?

I'm not an accountant, but I have friends who are. One of them is building his client base from upwork.

3. Even if you don’t have a CPA, have you heard of freelancers/folks working as remote CPAs? I see blog posts and mentions here and there.

I don't know any CPAs working remotely as W-2s. The ones I do know have their own book of clients. They probably exist, but I don't know any.

4. Any unique accounting/finance related specific challenges? Have to show up at the office for Audits? Due diligence in an M&A?

Yup, that's the reason why I said I somewhat fit the bill. I'm not fully remote. I haven't been in the office all week, but I also can't piss off to Thailand for a month in case something comes up that needs a face-to-face chat.

Sounds like a good plan you got there. Yeah, I wouldn't quit just yet either for your stated reasons. Just take it easy and do enough to not get fired/don't take initiative. That's what I'm doing right now.

What's a 1br in the best locations rent for in Boston?

(03-09-2017 12:54 PM)BostonBMW Wrote:  

(03-08-2017 08:36 PM)Peregrine Wrote:  

(03-08-2017 12:08 PM)BostonBMW Wrote:  Anyone working remotely in an accounting/finance related role? I would love to learn about your experiences.

I need to find the time to get the CPA licensing sorted out. I feel like it'll put me in a better position to work remotely in the future.

I somewhat fit this bill. Can try to answer questions.

Thanks. Please feel free to not respond to any questions that you consider to be sensitive/confidential.\

1. Did you secure a remote position or transitioned into remote role?
2. If you do freelance accounting work, did you build your own client base from scratch or did you take clients with you from your office job?
3. Even if you don’t have a CPA, have you heard of freelancers/folks working as remote CPAs? I see blog posts and mentions here and there.
4. Any unique accounting/finance related specific challenges? Have to show up at the office for Audits? Due diligence in an M&A?

I have a growing Real Estate business, however I really like to have a steady cash flow. After plotting my escape from the day job every year and turning back (fear of loss of income, W-2 wages come in handy for mortgages/bank financing), my game plan is now:

1. Start taking the CPA exams.
2. Work on a business plan (go freelance vs. work for a company).
3. Execute.

Obviously, this is a simplified version of what I expect to be a very time consuming process (prepping and taking the CPA exams, finding a remote position or going freelance).

Ultimately, what I am looking for is experiences of other finance and accounting professionals who have been able to make the jump to remote.

My ideal scenario would be to make decent money working remotely so that I can continue to focus on Real Estate investing and living in lower cost/warmer locales (Boston is painfully expensive).

Post: #52

^

Peregrine, you are truly a wealth of information. I wish I could rep you again. Let me respond to your comments:

1. Transitioned. Was going to leave in December, asked for a massive raise, they said yes, so I stayed. Started working from home full time this week. Might as well use the leverage while I have it (my boss says they're having a rough time replacing me). Also, I've known the team for five years-ish now, and they fully support me sticking it to the brass so it's not like I'm fucking over any teammates.

BBMW: Nice! I have been with my firm for 5+ years as well. I work in a trader type environment so I won't be able to ask to work remotely and they can't agree to it, either. There are days were I am very much on my A game, while other days, I am looking at RE listings, typing up a game plan for the next acquisition.

I'm not an accountant, but I have friends who are. One of them is building his client base from upwork.

BBMW: Me neither. I am an FP&A guy (corp finance) who has transition to my current role. Almost doing the accounting thing backward (taking classes, studying for the CPA etc.). Unlike many people, I am into accounting (maybe because I have not done the big 4 grind) and see it (+ CPA) as a pathway to working remotely/independently/in a relatively recession proof career.

I don't know any CPAs working remotely as W-2s. The ones I do know have their own book of clients. They probably exist, but I don't know any.

BBMW: Agreed. I am seeing the same situation. Not too many on W-2s.

Yup, that's the reason why I said I somewhat fit the bill. I'm not fully remote. I haven't been in the office all week, but I also can't piss off to Thailand for a month in case something comes up that needs a face-to-face chat.

BBMW: I hear you. Right now not having to go to the office could allow me to go to the property that I am flipping in Rhode Island or fly out for a 3 day weekend to look at houses in Michigan. At the office, I have worked like a mad man, any measure of flexibility would be amazing.

Sounds like a good plan you got there. Yeah, I wouldn't quit just yet either for your stated reasons. Just take it easy and do enough to not get fired/don't take initiative. That's what I'm doing right now.

BBMW: I am trying to do exactly what you described. If I can keep up the Real Estate and get a few CPA exams under my belt, I won't mind the job: Steady paycheck, know my stuff, decent rapport with co-workers.


What's a 1br in the best locations rent for in Boston?

BBMW: $2200-$2500/month in places like Back Bay, Seaport etc.

Post: #53

Update on my remote problem and my current status as well as lessons learned.

1. Remote work is overrated. I thought i would get so much extra time and flexibility to perhaps focus on my health and help start a side business. The result is abysmal, the work was the same and instead of siting in an office i was sitting at home. Very few benefits, ya la traffic sux and i guess you can work while you are not wearing pants.

2. People get jealous of your status, the fact they have to come in and you don't creates a rift between you and other employees.

3. When you get remote status as a benefit earned by threatening to take another job there is swift retaliation. Executives are in constant suspicion that you are leaving and they need seek answers elsewhere in the company in order to reduce your leverage

4. You get squeezed out of important decisions and when mixed with retaliation it becomes a difficult situation.

Now i have decided to bounce and will be in full job search mode before my leverage in the company is obsolete. My direct manager is putting in his notice and will be leaving due to unhappiness caused by shitty decisions from above. This means the strongest ally i had will be soon gone. I learned some important lessons throughout all this: go with your first instict, if you smell something fish and want to bounce, don't let them buy you with money because that will be temporary. If they throw a 15% raise and a couple of bonuses, it sounds great, how much of it will you actually receive. You will be there when the 2nd or 3rd bonus is timed for distribution? When you are holding the cards, a company will be extremely gracious but in the back of their head they are thinking "All we gotta do now, is get him to say yes, then roll out the plan to zero his leverage."

Post: #54

(04-13-2017 04:05 AM)8ball Wrote:  Update on my remote problem and my current status as well as lessons learned.

1. Remote work is overrated. I thought i would get so much extra time and flexibility to perhaps focus on my health and help start a side business. The result is abysmal, the work was the same and instead of siting in an office i was sitting at home. Very few benefits, ya la traffic sux and i guess you can work while you are not wearing pants.

True, remote work is definitely overrated. The main benefit is if you can get a day's work done in 2 hours and have the rest of the time for yourself (while keeping an eye on your email for new developments).

Quote:2. People get jealous of your status, the fact they have to come in and you don't creates a rift between you and other employees.

Couldn't agree more.

Quote:3. When you get remote status as a benefit earned by threatening to take another job there is swift retaliation. Executives are in constant suspicion that you are leaving and they need seek answers elsewhere in the company in order to reduce your leverage

4. You get squeezed out of important decisions and when mixed with retaliation it becomes a difficult situation.

Now i have decided to bounce and will be in full job search mode before my leverage in the company is obsolete. My direct manager is putting in his notice and will be leaving due to unhappiness caused by shitty decisions from above. This means the strongest ally i had will be soon gone. I learned some important lessons throughout all this: go with your first instict, if you smell something fish and want to bounce, don't let them buy you with money because that will be temporary. If they throw a 15% raise and a couple of bonuses, it sounds great, how much of it will you actually receive. You will be there when the 2nd or 3rd bonus is timed for distribution? When you are holding the cards, a company will be extremely gracious but in the back of their head they are thinking "All we gotta do now, is get him to say yes, then roll out the plan to zero his leverage."

Yes and yes. I only recommend people work remote if you don't care about your political standing and are merely trading time for money.

Post: #55

Since 99% of the people in my field are outright SJWs or normal fairly-hardcore lefties, I figure I'm probably less likely to get shitcanned and will do better politically if I stay away from an office environment. I'm not very good at the chameleon game.

There're lots of reasons I prefer working remotely. But the networking problem is real. Not networking properly is fucking me now, so as soon as I'm back on my feet I'm going to start making an effort to make it to conferences and events and whatnot.