Bookkeepers will always play an essential role in any business, whether you have a large corporation or a small business enterprise that is just starting. In fact, as soon as you begin your business endeavour, you will already be dealing with numbers – and all the financial experts are fully aware of this. No matter how small your business is, you need to keep a record of all your financial transactions, and this will always include expenses, sales, salaries, and every other aspect that involves the flow of money. And although it is possible to take care of bookkeeping yourself, remember that you aren’t completely trained for it – so it’s either you train and go through bookkeeping courses, or you hire a bookkeeper for your business. If you don’t have time to take courses, your best option would indeed be to hire a bookkeeper. But how can you select the best one? Here’s how you can choose the best bookkeeper for your business.
- Know what you require
First of all, know what you require. Ask yourself what kind or type of business you have – for instance, is your business involved in manufacturing, or is it a retail business? Different kinds of businesses will often have different requirements in regard to bookkeeping, so keep this in mind. You also have to figure out the number of transactions you make per day, per week, or per month, so you can determine the amount of time a bookkeeper will have to spend on your business.
Another factor to consider is your accounting software; if you have online software, this is usually better so your bookkeeper can easily and safely share data with you at all times. Think about your other requirements as well – do you need credit control, debt collection, and payroll services? Certain bookkeeping services can handle more diverse tasks, so make sure you know and specify what you need before making a decision.
You also need to determine your key or most important dates – examples of crucial or important dates include payroll dates, meetings with an accountant, deadlines for tax returns, and so on. On these dates, you want to make sure your accounts are as accurate as possible.
- Think about location and experience
Of course, with online software, you can already share various data with your bookkeeper without having to meet them face to face. But you may still want to see your bookkeeper once in a while, so you have to determine how important this is for you so you can do your search with this in mind.
But more than the location comes the experience, and numerous business owners are keener on bookkeepers with experience than finding a nearby bookkeeper. And while you don’t need a bookkeeper to have a professional qualification before they can do work legally, it’s still better to find one with the right certification. You can also check if the bookkeeper is a member of any professional body so they can provide you with a higher standard of service. Also, look for a bookkeeper who has the right amount of experience and who can give you references from past and present clients, especially those who are in the same or similar industry as yours.
