Therefore, hiring a bookkeeper is a must. But beyond that, it\u2019s not enough just to hire a bookkeeper.<\/p>\n
If you really want your business to succeed, you\u2019ll need to hire the best bookkeeper.<\/p>\n
But determining what the best bookkeeper is can be a challenge, especially since you may not know exactly what distinguishes a good one from a bad one.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why today we\u2019ll look at the ways you can find the best bookkeeper for your US small business.<\/p>\n
First, however, we\u2019ll look at why exactly you need to hire a bookkeeper in the first place.<\/p>\n
1. Why do I need a bookkeeper for my business?<\/h2>\n
The reasons why you need a bookkeeper come down to four essential aspects:<\/p>\n
- \n
- the opportunity cost<\/li>\n
- increased accuracy<\/li>\n
- no conflict of interest<\/li>\n
- cheaper to outsource<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Let\u2019s look at each one in detail.<\/p>\n
a. The opportunity cost<\/h3>\n
This basic economic concept revolves around the idea that the more time you do one thing, the less time you\u2019ll have to do something else. After all, time is a scarce resource, and you only have about 16 waking hours in a day.<\/p>\n
To add on top of that: a professional bookkeeper will be able to do the bookkeeping at a fraction of the time and energy than you could.<\/p>\n
If you were planning on using an employee to do the bookkeeping, the same applies: let that person do what he or she is best at so that you can get the best results.<\/p>\n
b. Increased accuracy<\/h3>\n
It would be a lie to say that all bookkeepers are 100% accurate 100% of the time.\u00a0 That is false.<\/p>\n
Instead, it is true to say that an experienced bookkeeper will be much more accurate than an inexperienced business owner.<\/p>\n
![\"For](\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/bookkeeper-accuracy.jpg?resize=690%2C345&ssl=1\")
For increased accuracy on your books, a bookkeeper is a must have<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Bookkeepers understand how to process your transactions, which is not only necessary for accurate books but also for pre-tax planning.<\/p>\n
c. No conflict of interest<\/h3>\n
This point applies especially to businesses where there are partners or other types of business arrangements, where multiple individuals have a stake in the business accounting.<\/p>\n
While the relationship may be great between the individuals, there can still be a lot of problems if any accusations of (intentionally) faulty bookkeeping arise.<\/p>\n
A professional bookkeeper will not have this conflict of interest because he or she will be a third party with no interest in the accounting other than doing their job.<\/p>\n
d. Cheaper to outsource<\/h3>\n
Lastly, it\u2019s much cheaper to outsource your bookkeeping than to hire someone in-house. After all, the reason why you\u2019re looking for a bookkeeper in the first place is because you need someone for a few hours per day or per week.<\/p>\n
If you need someone full-time, then you would probably do best with a full-time accountant, rather than a bookkeeper.<\/p>\n
For that reason, you can save lots of money and resources by simply outsourcing the task to an experienced professional.<\/p>\n
Great, now that we\u2019ve got the reasons out of the way, let\u2019s look at what you need to consider to find the best bookkeeper.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t \t\t<\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t7 Small Business Accounting Hacks to Ensure Your Success<\/span><\/a>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tToday let's look at the top small business accounting hacks to not only keep your small business afloat, but to make it thrive. Read here to learn more.<\/span>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tREAD MORE<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n2. Questions to ask to find the best bookkeeper<\/h2>\n
Finding the best bookkeeper for your US small business will come down to how well you can ask questions and evaluate their answers.<\/p>\n
You should ask the bookkeeper questions about their experience, knowledge, processes and payment.<\/p>\n
a. Experience and clients<\/h3>\n
The first question you need to ask is about their experience and what type of clients they\u2019ve had.<\/p>\n
The first part of that question, experience, relates to not just their general knowledge (which can be theoretical). It also asks about their practical know-how, as the real-life application of ideas often brings a lot of surprises.<\/p>\n
If they have the adequate experience, they will have been through many important, demanding situations.<\/p>\n
The second part of that question concerns their suitability for your business. Many bookkeepers are suitable, but the ones who\u2019ve worked with your industry and business size will be best.<\/p>\n
You can also ask for references and discuss the bookkeeper with their past clients to really get an idea of their value.<\/p>\n
b. Knowledge and maintenance<\/h3>\n
![\"It's](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/bookkeeper-updated.jpg?resize=690%2C345&ssl=1\")
It’s important to make sure your bookkeeper is updated on the new, important software and trends in accounting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The second question you need to ask concerns their present knowledge about particular accounting software solutions and how they stay up to date.<\/p>\n
If they are familiar with the type of accounting software that you use\u2014and have the certifications to prove it\u2014then they would be a good fit.<\/p>\n
If they don\u2019t have certifications, but they do have experience, that is fine, too. If they don\u2019t have any experience, they may not be the best bookkeeper for your business.<\/p>\n
This question also checks whether and how they stay updated on the newest trends and technologies in accounting. It doesn\u2019t meant that they need to know everything, but they should know the big important updates.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t \t\t<\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t14 Key Benefits of Adopting Accounting Software in Your Company<\/span><\/a>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAccounting software solutions can help businesses in many ways, and here are the solid reasons why you should start using it to boost your business.<\/span>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tREAD MORE<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\nc. Their bookkeeping process<\/h3>\n
This question is only concerned about what process they go through when they do the books. Is it an established process that they follow (or attempt to follow) for each situation?<\/p>\n
Or do they switch it up regularly\u2014to the point where they seem to improvise? If it\u2019s the second situation, then that would mean that the particular bookkeeper doesn\u2019t have a lot of controls in place.<\/p>\n
Normally, an experienced bookkeeper will have a checklist of items that they use regularly, even with the same clients.<\/p>\n
d. Payment information<\/h3>\n
Lastly, you\u2019ll probably need to check what the charges are for their bookkeeper services.<\/p>\n
You should always discuss fees upfront as much as possible so that there are no surprises on either end later on.<\/p>\n
![\"Finding](\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/bookkeeper-payment.jpg?resize=690%2C345&ssl=1\")
Finding out about the bookkeeper’s payment information is important<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Bookkeepers in general charge either a fixed fee, or they charge you by the hour. Many bookkeepers will also offer packages and bundles, with different pricing options for different included features, but generally you\u2019ll get per hour or fixed fee.<\/p>\n
You\u2019ll need to decide which option is best for you. Per hour charges are much more flexible, seeing as you can agree to have the bookkeeper work more or less.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, a fixed fee means you can easily plan your budget as you\u2019ll know exactly how much you\u2019ll need to pay.<\/p>\n
Finding your perfect bookkeeper<\/h2>\n
Getting this information on your new bookkeeper will be important. You want to find the one that\u2019s best for your business, who can really help you boost your finances with accurate books.<\/p>\n
With your books taken care of, you\u2019ll be able to focus on the important parts of your business and make sure it grows healthily and consistently.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s your best advice for finding a bookkeeper? Let us know in the comments below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Although there are many parts of your small business you\u2019d like to have knowledge and control of, sooner or later you realize that you will need to hire a bookkeeper. Accounting can be a difficult subject to master, and it\u2019s so important that if you make mistakes, you and your small business can face serious […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9644,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[265,480,235,58],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/feature-small-business-bookkeeper.jpg?fit=1380%2C580&ssl=1","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5m6q6-2vx","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9643"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9643"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9643\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9653,"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9643\/revisions\/9653"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9643"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}