When you decide the time is right to hire the services of a bookkeeper; where do you start? It is such an important decision to make and there are a lot people out there claiming to be bookkeepers. Also, will they work at your premises or remotely and what software is best? So many decisions to make and all you really want to do is grow their business. Bookkeeping is such an integral part of your infrastructure so it’s essential that an expert looks after your financial affairs no matter how big or small your company is.
Although price is always important it shouldn’t be the main factor; quite often the cheapest option becomes the dearest. It is also worth considering that a really good bookkeeper will take less time to complete an amount of work than someone else who is cheaper.
It is wise to ask around and speak to local business owners, accountants, banks and solicitors to see if they know of a reliable and efficient bookkeeping service.
Here are some pointers when deciding on the right bookkeeper for you: –
- Check that they are registered with a professional body such as the (ICB) Institute of Certified Bookkeepers or the (IAB) International Associate of Bookkeepers.
- They should also be compliant with the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) rules and regulations so ask to see their certificate of compliance.
- Always, always ask them for at least two but preferably three references.
- A bookkeeper will post sales invoices and receipts, supplier invoices and payments, bank transactions and reconcile the bank account(s) and produce the usual monthly financial reports.
- An experienced bookkeeper should also be able to produce detailed management accounts which are an essential tool when needing to make financial business decisions.
- They should, where possible, be able to offer support when a business owner needs to ask accounting questions.
- A monthly or quarterly one to one review of the financials is also a very important rather than having to wait until the end of the financial year.
- Good bookkeepers should also be able to process your payroll too which will quite often save you money.
To find out more about our bookkeeping services, workshops and training, please call Cain & Co on [eeb_content]020 8087 1341[/eeb_content], or email us at takecontrol@cainandco.co.uk.
