Thursday, October 18, 2012

Finding a Great Bookkeeper

Over the past few months I have met a lot of people in my area who are looking for a reliable and honest bookkeeper.  I have heard almost all of them state that they had a hard time finding a "good" bookkeeper.  Some of them had even been burned by there previous bookkeeper.  Here are some tips to help you find a bookkeeper that is right for you:


1.  Finding a Reliable Bookkeeper:  When hiring an outsourced bookkeeper there are a few "red flags" to watch out for.  First, ask the bookkeeper if they have a full or part-time job outside of their bookkeeping business.  Some bookkeepers are employed and decided to start a bookkeeping business to earn some extra cash.  Be wary of this situation.  You want to make sure that your bookkeeper's first priority is his or her clients.  If your bookkeeper has an employer, chances are that their job will always be their first priority and you may have a hard time reaching them when you need to.  The other "red flag" to watch out for is stability.  You want someone who is local and has roots in their community, someone who isn't planning on moving any time soon.  Ask the bookkeeper how long they've lived in the area and how long they've been in business.  Make sure that your bookkeeper has a healthy and successful business, otherwise they may choose to close up shop and decide to get a full-time job down the road.

2.  Finding an Honest Bookkeeper:  When hiring a new bookkeeper, always ask for references.  Make sure the references are current client's of the bookkeeper and make sure you can find these businesses on the Internet.  I have reviewed other bookkeeper's websites and have checked out their list of references.  I was surprised to see that many of the business references they listed did not have websites (or any other web listings for that matter).  This makes you wonder if these are actual businesses. 

3.  Find a Knowledgeable Bookkeeper:  One of the complaints I have heard most often is that some bookkeepers overcharge their clients.  This happens when a bookkeeper performs a task that should only take an hour or two but ends up billing the client for several hours of work.  The cause of this could be that the bookkeeper is dishonest or the bookkeeper is just slow.  Maybe the bookkeeper is slow because they are new to bookkeeping and are learning in the process or maybe they are slow in nature.  Either way, you shouldn't have to pay for your bookkeeper's short comings.  When hiring a new bookkeeper ask them how long it usually takes them to reconcile a monthly bank statement or set up a new company file and chart of accounts in QuickBooks.  Every client is different so it can be hard to tell a new client how long it will take to reconcile their accounts but the bookkeeper should have an average amount of time from their other clients.  I also recommend asking the bookkeeper several questions to test their skill level.  If you aren't sure what to ask go on the Internet and search "questions to ask a bookkeeper'.  You will be directed to several sites with lists of questions to ask.


Conclusion:  When hiring a new bookkeeper you want to make sure that you hire someone who is knowledgeable, reliable, and honest.  Don't settle for an "okay" bookkeeper.  Most counties have dozens of bookkeepers in the area.  Find a "great" bookkeeper, someone that is good match for you and your company. 

48 comments:

  1. One of the elementary tasks that keep many businesses running is the ability to keep records of all financial transactions and any other necessity. Bookkeeping is imperative if there is a reputed bookkeeper. Looking for the best bookkeeper in the competitive market is not an easy task. It can be demanding and overwhelming, but it is a must for the growth of a venture. There are many of these professionals, but to find the best you need to be familiar with the market and also have enough knowledge on how to opt for the best. It is a great decision and indeed an achievement to get the best bookkeeper for your venture not only because you want to succeed in the industry, but also if you wish to do well financially. Here are few things to keep in mind in order to find the best bookkeeper. You can also look for bookkeeping online service in the internet that will help you in your business

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    1. Nice post! This is a very nice blog that I will definitively come back to more times this year! Thanks for informative post. Cayman Islands BookKeeping Services

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  2. These are good points. A potential bookkeeper should be highly knowledgeable in different accounting processes and issues. And just like in any other field, he/she should have passion for the job – having the devotion to do the work can equate to great results. Anyway, another option for businesses is to choose a software that is in line with their accountant’s capabilities and their business’ needs.

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  3. These are really great tips for discovering a group with good bookkeeping services.

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  4. You will find out a lot about your bookkeeper in the first few months. Bookkeepers are like plug and play, IMO. What we have learned from businesses in Columbus, OH bookkeeping services industry is that they knew if they had found a good bookkeeper it would happen in the first few months, or it was time to move on.

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  6. Hey there! Keep it up! This is a good read. I will be looking forward to visit your page again and for your other posts as well. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about bookkeeping services in your area. I am glad to stop by your site and know more about bookkeeping services.
    As a partial check that the posting process was done correctly, a working document called an unadjusted trial balance is created. In its simplest form, this is a three column list. The first column contains the names of those accounts in the ledger which have a non-zero balance. If an account has a debit balance, the balance amount is copied into column two (the debit column). If an account has a credit balance, the amount is copied into column three (the credit column). The debit column is then totalled and then the credit column is totalled. The two totals must agree – this agreement is not by chance – because under the double-entry rules, whenever there is a posting, the debits of the posting equal the credits of the posting. If the two totals do not agree, an error has been made either in the journals or during the posting process. The error must be located and rectified and the totals of debit column and credit column recalculated to check for agreement before any further processing can take place.
    Do you really have the time to run your business and keep your records in order and up to date at the same time? In today’s climate, you need to do both. You have to find someone with the right bookkeeping skills and they have to work well with you and others. There are payroll taxes and other expenses -and extra reporting required, too!

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    Do you really have the time to run your business and keep your records in order and up to date at the same time? In today’s climate, you need to do both. You have to find someone with the right bookkeeping skills and they have to work well with you and others. There are payroll taxes and other expenses -and extra reporting required, too!





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