Really Good Bookkeepers are few and far between
When a business owner decides the time is right to hire the services of a bookkeeper; where do they start? It is such an important decision to make and there are a lot people out there claiming to be bookkeepers. Also, do they ask the bookkeeper to work onsite or offsite and what software is best? So many decisions to make and all the company owner really wants to do is grow their business.
Bookkeeping is such an integral part of any business so it’s essential that an expert looks after the financial affairs no matter how big or small the 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 person for your business: –
- 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 the payroll too which will quite often save the business money. Remember, choosing the right bookkeeper for any business is an extremely important decision and not one that should be made without thorough research.
