23 Sep 7 Key Things to Keep In Mind When Hiring Bookkeeping Help
A must read even if you already have a bookkeeper!
- The number of years someone has been doing something, if they have been doing it wrong, it not a real indicator of their level of skill. If the potential bookkeeper is not certified have them take a test. AIPB offers a great test for free for your potential bookkeeper.
- Check their references no matter how nice, hot, old, kind, friendly, funny they seem. Would you take a politicians word for it? Then don’t take the person with access to all your money’s word for it either.
- Define early on what you are paying for. Define a job description that you both agree upon. In a small business environment a go-getter can rapidly end up picking up all kinds of loose ends. The reality is that your bookkeeper will often be one of the better paid people on your staff. Is there time best spent answering the phone or answering your accounting questions?
- Get it all in writing. What are the expectations, rates, and other things agreed to? This isn’t a place to skimp. Go to an attorney and ask them to draft a simple service agreement if the bookkeeper doesn’t provide one of their own.
- Keep track of their time. Ask your bookkeeper for regular bills with a log of time spent, days worked, and projects tackled. You wouldn’t accept a bill from your attorney for $1500 with no explanation of what they did right?
- Don’t be cheap. You will get what you pay for. There is a big difference between a $20 tattoo and a $200 tattoo. There is also a huge difference between a $12 per hour bookkeeper and a $55 per hour bookkeeper/accountant. Value is always important but this is a time not go with the lowest bidder.
- No matter how great your bookkeeper is keep an eye on things. It isn’t their job to run your business so if the bottom line starts to slip, payroll overtime is up, your current ratio is changing you should be right on top of all of it.
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