Choosing a professional bookkeeping service is one of the easiest ways to help your small business focus and grow! Every company, regardless of size, must accurately track and report the money flowing in and out of its accounts including sales, expenses, and salaries, but many entrepreneurs and small business owners lack the knowledge, experience or time necessary 
to make this happen.
First, proper bookkeeping management is essential for complying with state and federal laws and tax regulations. Second, it’s the only way to fully understand your business operations so you can make wise financial decisions.
Poor accounting continues to be one of the most common causes of business failure – but it’s also completely avoidable. So, how do you choose the right bookkeeper for your small business?
Choosing the Right Bookkeeper for Your Small Business
The internet has made starting a small business easier than ever, so it’s not surprising that
many of today’s busy entrepreneurs eventually hear claims about how bookkeeping systems make accounting so easy. We’ve seen may companies that attempt to do bookkeeping themselves need to re-do a year or more of bookkeeping – losing time and money.
The reasons for accounting failures include:
• The entries are inaccurate and contain re-occurring recording errors
• The technology and software is more complex than it appears
• The bookkeeper is remote or does not have business management experience
• The people or processes are inefficient
• The accounting tasks are significantly behind schedule
• The owner gets distracted with other critical areas of the business
• The errors accumulate and impact the company’s financial performance
As an investment in long-term success, entrusting your finances to a reputable bookkeeping service is crucial — and the accompanying professional attributes are mandatory.
Here are six fundamental attributes you should seek when choosing a bookkeeper.
1. Local, Stable & Reliable
Make sure you hire a local bookkeeper who can help you with business management. Invite them to your office and meet them face-to-face. Don’t hire a virtual bookkeeper unless your know them well and they already understand your business intricacies.
It goes without saying that a quality bookkeeping firm will have all the right skills, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee stability and reliability. Look for a bookkeeper with a long-standing presence (10+ years in your local area) that consistently demonstrates their integrity, and ask them to point to current clients who can provide honest opinions on the timeliness, efficiency, and confidentiality of their services. Don’t be afraid to ask a potential bookkeeper how they would handle a financial situation specific to your business.
2. Organized & Efficient
Don’t assume that every bookkeeper is efficient at using modern bookkeeping software,
organized around that efficiently and has the insights to be detail-oriented! Although it tends to go with the territory, experience plays a huge role in the efficient interpretation, reporting, and retrieval of financial data – especially when there are multiple clients involved. Ask about review policies to avoid errors, and remember that the more streamlined your bookkeeping service’s operations are, the more positive an impact it will have on your company’s bottom line.
3. Good Communicator & Flexible Approach
Some bookkeepers are much better with numbers than they are with people, but the right bookkeeping service for your business must be adept at dealing with both. Make sure your bookkeeper listens well, and explains things in a way that makes sense to you. When you meet the bookkeeper at your local office, ensure the communication feels comfortable for you.
Your business is unique in the way you run it and the direction you take it. A bookkeeper who adopts a one-size-fits-all approach to communication will be unlikely to meet your needs or expectations. Find someone with a track record of tailoring to individual needs including providing other vital services, like business planning, financial forecasting and back-office services. While conducting your in-person interview, ask how the firm has tailored its services to the unique needs of its clients.
4. Well-Informed & Up-to-date Knowledge
Every professional bookkeeper should understand the significance of your company’s
income, expenses, assets, liabilities, and equity, but they should also be able to:
• provide real-time, customized financial reporting and analysis,
• offer insight into your financial progress as it relates to your goals, and
• up-to-date with the latest developments in accounting software and on-line technology
Some professionals are guilty of earning their credentials and never looking back. And while most bookkeepers make the effort to stay abreast issues that could affect your company, it shouldn’t end there. Look for a firm whose skills, business services, and technological depth are continually being updated to keep you at the forefront of your industry, and ahead of the competition.
5. Understands Your Industry & Sees the Big Picture
Beyond the day-to-day management of your company’s accounting activities, your outsourced bookkeeper should have a solid understanding of the industry you’re in, and how 
it relates to your specific financial situation. The more familiar they are with industry trends and operations, the more likely a bookkeeping company is to spot oversights and patterns in your data. And that can prevent reporting errors, and help you to capitalize on potential tax savings.
In addition to suggesting valuable, money-saving strategies, a bookkeeping service that demonstrates big picture thinking can dramatically improve your long-term profitability. Remember, your success hinges on knowing the true costs of running your business. Choose a bookkeeper with the expertise necessary to guide you along the way and can help you with effective planning for the stability, maintenance and growth of your business.
6. Focuses on You
At the end of the day, you need an experienced, local bookkeeper who’s willing to be on-site, flexible and to work hard for you. Ensure your bookkeeper will meet with you regularly at your office, as needed. You will need to have critical discussion so your focus is aligned.
Making your business a priority means being respectful of your time, maintaining a proactive approach to communication, and demonstrating the capacity to understand your professional objectives. Taking some time to investigate their customer service habits and client relations will ensure you choose the small business bookkeeper most likely to help you meet your financial goals.
Focus on what you do best
YourBizManager can help! You can start the process by sending us an e-mail to info@YourBizManager.com or by texting or calling 424-246-6006.
Receive a FREE consultation and 50% off
Click here or contact us to receive your free consultation and 50% off your first four (4) hours of service. Just mention this post.
About Doris Cristiano & YourBizManager
As an independent bookkeeper, Doris Cristiano has been providing flexible business services on the west-side of Los Angeles since 1997. To support business needs and growth, YourBizManager tailors its services to each unique situation and works closely with its Clients’ at their business or home office. More About Us
