The data in your accounting books is important because those numbers provide you with insights about the financial health of your small business. Inputting, categorizing and other tasks related to bookkeeping require attention to detail. These are reasons hiring a bookkeeper must go through a meticulous screening process.
If you’re looking for first-rate bookkeeping for small businesses, these are some of the things you should expect.
Regular Timely Communication
The bookkeeper you hire must communicate with you regularly. Schedule a time when you will discuss your accounting books, possible errors and how to rectify them, and best practices. They should always provide updates when you ask them. Bookkeepers that fail to reply or delay a response without reason are red flags. Open communication with your bookkeeper allows you to get an overview of your company’s financial health.
Scheduled Reporting and Output
Regular reports are a must for bookkeeping; some require daily, weekly or monthly. The bookkeeper you have must provide you with a report about your accounting books on the schedule you have agreed upon. The presentation of accounts payable, categories, accounts receivable and other information allows you to assess your financial situation and make the right decisions for your company. You’ll also use the reports to allocate resources for marketing, training, payroll and projects.
Organized Accounting Data
A professional and experienced bookkeeper knows how to present bookkeeping data that their employers can understand. The reason you outsourced bookkeeping is you want to minimize the tasks you need to do. You don’t want disorganized books when tax season arrives, for payroll and for computing available cash. The easier it is to find what you’re looking for in your books, the faster you can make decisions and avoid errors.
Trust-Centered Business Relationship
You will give your accounting books to the bookkeeper you hire. You will entrust them with important and private financial data that can make or break your business. You have to build your working relationship on trust. Get referrals from colleagues, read reviews from previous customers and only choose a third-party that has a good reputation.
Professional and Quality Services
Quality is important; you should hold bookkeepers to a high level of accountability. Their work shouldn’t be sloppy and they must deliver it on time. Experience in the industry you are in is also one of the things you look for before hiring.
These are some of the expectations you set for a bookkeeper. Communicate with them so that all the details are agreed upon before hiring. If you’re looking for first-rate virtual bookkeepers, check out our services and send us an email.
