Free, and paid directly
Joining costs nothing. You agree your own rate with the company and they pay you — SUM Finance takes no commission and handles no money for it.
Applications open
Work with businesses that already keep proper books.
The SUM Finance Accountant Network verifies you, trains you on the system, and introduces you to companies who need an accountant. You choose which engagements to take, and you are paid directly by the company.
- Free to join
- No commission
- You choose the work
What this is, plainly
SUM Finance is an ERP used by businesses to keep their accounts — a real double-entry ledger, multi-company, with role-based access down to the individual action. Some of those businesses do not have an accountant, and ask us for one.
The network is how we answer that. We verify accountants ourselves, train them on the system so they are useful from the first day, and introduce them to the companies whose needs match.
It is not a job board and it is not an agency. We do not take a cut, we do not employ you, and we do not promise you work — we make the introduction, and both sides decide.
How it works
Six steps, and you can stop at any of them. Nothing is committed until you accept an engagement.
- Step 1
Apply
about 10 minutes
Four short steps: who you are, what you do, when you are free, and your CV. Everything except your sign-in address can be changed afterwards.
- Step 2
We verify
about 5 working days
A reviewer checks your qualifications against the issuing body and speaks to a referee. If something is missing we ask you through your account rather than turning you down for it.
- Step 3
The Academy
about 2 hours
Three short tracks on how the SUM Finance ERP is actually used — the ledger, the close, and what an engagement involves. Each ends in a short assessment.
- Step 4
Certified
valid 24 months
Passing every required track earns your certificate. That is what makes you visible to companies looking for an accountant.
- Step 5
Matched
when work comes up
Companies describe what they need and the system ranks accountants against it — skills, industry, availability, time zone. You see your own score and the reasons behind it.
- Step 6
You choose
always
You see exactly which books an engagement covers before you accept. Nothing opens until you do, and declining costs you nothing.
What we look for
We check these before anyone is accepted, so it is worth being straight about them now.
- A recognised accounting qualification, or a licence we can verify
- Real experience keeping books — not only studying them
- A referee we can reach
- Enough English to work with a customer, plus whatever else you speak
- Time you can actually commit, however little
You do not need to have used SUM Finance before. Teaching you that is what the Academy is for.
What we ask of you
Short, and all of it enforced by the system rather than by goodwill.
- Keep your availability honest — being matched and then unavailable wastes the customer’s time
- Treat what you see in a customer’s books as theirs
- Say no to anything you should not be asked to do, and tell us
- Everything you do in a customer’s books is recorded under your name
What you get
Your details stay yours
Until a company shortlists you they see a card: your first name and last initial, skills, experience and availability. No email, no phone, no CV. Your referees are never shown to a company at all.
Scoped access, nothing more
An engagement names the exact companies it covers. You will not see a customer’s other books, and one customer never learns who else you work for.
Questions worth asking
- Does this guarantee me work?
- No. The network verifies you, trains you and puts you in front of companies looking for an accountant with your skills — but a customer decides who they hire, and so do you. We would rather say that here than let you find out after the Academy.
- What does it cost?
- Nothing. There is no joining fee, no subscription and no commission. You are paid directly by the company you work with.
- Is the certificate a professional qualification?
- No, and it does not replace one. It says you can run the SUM Finance ERP competently, and it is valid for 24 months. Your own qualifications are what say you are an accountant — we verify those separately, and you need them to be accepted at all.
- Who sees my CV?
- SUM Finance reviewers, while your application is being checked. A company sees it only once they have shortlisted you for their own request, and never afterwards. It is never public and never sold.
- Can I keep my own clients?
- Yes. Nothing here is exclusive. You set how many engagements you are willing to hold at once, up to 10, and you can mark yourself unavailable whenever you need to without affecting work you already have.
- What if my application is turned down?
- You are told the reasons and the date you may apply again — we ask for 90 days, so there is time for whatever was missing to change. A qualification finished, or a referee we can reach, is usually the difference.
Ready when you are.
The application takes about ten minutes and you can stop and come back to it. We will tell you where it stands, and we will tell you the reasons either way.