Is it possible to be passionate about accounting?

One of the first rules to assure success when starting a new business is to work at something you are passionate about. This seems pretty simple. Make your business about something you love. Actors love acting. Painters adore painting. Scientists are enamored by science, and so on. So when I decided to start Virtual Accounting Haven I had to ask myself: Is it possible to be passionate about accounting? Many would scoff at the idea. Even those who might say yes are slow to admit it. After all there is the stigma of being considered a nerd, a geek, or just really boring. But I do think it is possible. Is it an obsession with numbers? No, not as far as I am concerned. Is it money worship? No, money is fun but I�m not in love with it. For me accounting is about reconciling facts and discovering truths. It�s about muddling through the paperwork and getting to the heart of the matter. It�s about solving problems. In this way accountants are very much like detectives. Detectives decipher puzzling evidence, make observations, and find clues. If things fall into place the case or the crime is ultimately solved. Accountants take jumbled bits of information and numbers and turn them into balanced accounts and financial statements that make sense. We analyze. We �dig in�. It�s easy to imagine someone being passionate about being a detective. After all, they have been glorified in books, movies and television. And I have to admit that it would be hard to translate what accountants do into entertainment for the masses. But for those of us who have made this our life�s work, who experience sheer joy and satisfaction when accounts are finally balanced and everything is clear, it is a passion.