What you should look for when finding a bookkeeper
When it comes to your business bookkeeping, you want assurance on 2 things:
- That it’s being done right and is ATO compliant
- That you can trust your bookkeeper
Your business needs to have a clean financial record, with all your accounts in order – invoices being raised and tax compliant, expenses being paid and reconciled, bank accounts being balanced, etc.
But as a small business owner, you’re unlikely to be a trained bookkeeper. You probably don’t even have time to do your books correctly. It’s just another one of those chores…
That’s why all the business experts highly recommend you get a bookkeeper on your team.
What you need to look for to find a great bookkeeper
1. An insane level of attention for details
You don’t want a bookkeeper who is alright with details. You want one who is like a hawk, picking up on all the little nitty-gritty details to make sure your books are balanced. And, you want to make sure your books aren’t leaking money.
2. Process crazy
An outstanding bookkeeper will love processes (just as much as they love numbers). It’s all about logic. A great bookkeeper will be able to help you organise your financial systems. You’ll get a good indication of how well organised a bookkeeper is from the moment you contact them. Take note of how they respond to you and their sign-up process (a great way to see how they operate).
3. Isn’t full of jargon
Once you’ve worked up the courage to use a bookkeeper and trust them with your business finances, you want to make sure they communicate clearly. You want to know what your books are saying, so you need to find a bookkeeper who gets that you may not understand money terms and explains your books in words you understand.Shows confidence.
If you’ve let your books get a little out of control, or they’re a little tricky, a great bookkeeper won’t bat an eyelid. They’ll make you feel at ease, explaining to you what it’ll take to get your books back in order.
4. Shows confidence
If you’ve let your books get a little out of control, or they’re a little tricky, a great bookkeeper won’t bat an eyelid. They’ll make you feel at ease, explaining to you what it’ll take to get your books back in order.
5. Talks numbers with your accountant
In business, it’s important to have an accountant as well as a bookkeeper. Although they have similar roles, an accountant will go into more detail about your finances with you. Your accountant will rely on your bookkeeper to make sure your books are accurate, so ultimately, they’ll work together and communicate with each other.
6. Is training to be (or is) a BAS agent
With many small businesses being registered for GST, a great bookkeeper will either be a BAS agent, be training to become a BAS agent or work with a BAS agent. And although you may not be registered for GST just yet, you’ll want to make sure your bookkeeper is a BAS agent in case you reach that point. Once you’ve found an amazing bookkeeper you trust, you want them to be with you as your business grows.
7. Doesn’t shut you out
You want clear lines of communication with your bookkeeper. You’ve put your trust in them, and you’ve given them financial insight into your business. The last thing you want when you hand over your books is radio silence. You’d think – what the heck are they doing with my books, why haven’t I heard anything? A great bookkeeper will keep you informed about your financial situation.
8. Is qualified
This may seem like a given, but please make sure your bookkeeper is qualified. In a virtual world, people have been known to offer this service without the correct qualifications. You should look out for qualifications such as Cert IV in Financial Services or a Diploma of Accounting.
9. Hangs out in all the right circles
Ask your bookkeeper what industry associations and networks they belong to. When people are specialists (no matter what field they’re in), they tend to join reputable organisations, so they create their little network of contacts. They also have oodles of information that will help with the tricky questions.
Have you found a great bookkeeper for your business?
A bookkeeper should be a part of your business team – no matter how big or small you are. But you need to be 100% comfortable with your bookkeeper. You’re going to show them your intimate bits, and you want them to know what they’re doing. I’d love to hear about what you look for in a bookkeeper. Or if you haven’t found a bookkeeper, what’s stopping you? Please comment below.
Want to chat about your books?
If you haven’t found your perfect bookkeeper yet, I’d love to have a chat to see if we’re a good fit. Feel free to get in touch on 03 9982 9757.
Love the Article about OBM as well as combining BAS into your assisting.
Let’s chat
Thanks Jason!
Looking forward to chatting to you this afternoon 🙂
Leanne
I need a bookkeeper for my small business. Thanks for sharing this article. I will use this as a guide for choosing the right bookkeeper for my business.
Glad it was useful to you!
Best of luck on your search 🙂
Yes, I totally agree with what you said. I think that it is very necessary that the person you will hire the bookkeeping is qualified and has a diploma. We have to be very careful now to keep our business safe. Thanks for sharing these article.
Thanks for sharing these very helpful tips. I believe that it is important that business owner hire a trust worthy bookkeeper. I also believe that he or she should be approachable so that the other worker can communicate to him or her like the accountants.
I totally agree with what you said. I believe that a it is really important and a must to have a bookkeeper for the business. I think that when we have a bookkeeper accounting will be easy and we can manage the business properly. Thanks for sharing this article.
A bookkeeper is essential for all businesses, no matter their size. By having a bookkeeper, your business will have a clean financial record with all your accounts in order which is definitely something every business must invest in.