To many people, bookkeepers are all the same. They record/classify transactions and keep your accounts up to date and accurate. Mostly a data-entry type job that often got dumped on a receptionist or assistant.
While that used to be the case, the bookkeeping profession has undergone a massive shift in the past few years with the proliferation of bookkeeping softwares like QBO and Xero. Recording and classifying transactions have become more automatic and much less labor intensive.
This shift has created a new breed of bookkeepers. These professionals have expanded the idea of what the profession is and changed what our position is within the accounting industry today.
These are 3 easy ways to tell if you have a great bookkeeper or just a good one.
Analysis
The financial reports tell the story of your business. All the highs and lows are right there on paper ready to be analysed. But do you know how to interpret that data to make better business decisions?
A great bookkeeper does more than just creating the financial reports. They sit down with you and teach you how to read the data. Your business has a language and is trying to tell you what it needs in the only way that it can.
Learning to read the data and figure out what it means for your business puts you miles ahead of your competition.
Recommendations
We all have goals for our businesses. Whether it’s to open a new location, improve customer retention, or to use it as a retirement plan, there are specific steps you need to take to make sure you reach those goals.
Your bookkeeper should be a partner in your business. They need to have a deep and thorough understanding of your business and where you want to be in a year/5 year/10 years.
As a bookkeeping professional, our job is to read your financial statements and make recommendations for the best next steps on your path to whatever your goals may be.
Planning for the future
As an expert in the field and in your business, your great bookkeeper should be helping you to plan for the future. This may be a budget or a breakdown of the overarching trends of your specific industry.
Either way, it can be hard to know what the future will hold for your business and your bookkeeper can help to relieve some of that uncertainty.
The world is changing rapidly. A great bookkeeper strives to stay on the cutting edge of technology in order to help you stay ahead in your business.
Take the time to evaluate your bookkeeping to see if you are getting the service that you and your business deserve. Your business deserves the insights and confidence that a great bookkeeper can provide.
Ready to hire a bookkeeper? Contact me to schedule a consultation to see if a virtual bookkeeper is right for you.