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Follow the Money: How to Hire a Bookkeeper

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Some business owners hire a bookkeeper because they loathe even the thought of diving into financial waters.  Their strengths are  “front of the house”  sales and marketing and not “back of the house”  accounting and finance.

While it is  smart to outsource what you know you won’t do and thus make sure that what must be done will be  done,  ignorance of business financial management  is unwise.  You may hate it,  but little by little you must learn to understand those docs and interpret what they reveal about how to effectively manage your business.

Another practical  way to keep tabs on business finances  (and make sure that your bookkeeper is honest)  is to do a monthly bank reconciliation.  Does the record of deposits and withdrawals make sense to you? Are the signatures on checks and withdrawal slips correct and authorized? Some businesses hire a separate bookkeeper to perform this function,  so that an unbiased  pair of eyes can scrutinize the financials and will be unafraid to question anything that looks questionable.

That said,  an expert bookkeeper will save you money and aggravation,  keep you out of tax and legal trouble and contribute to the profitability of your business.  It is imperative that this person is chosen carefully.  A dose of good luck is also very helpful! Here is what you can do to find the best bookkeeper for your business:

  • Learn the types of businesses that he/she has worked with.  It is useful to hire a bookkeeper who has worked with clients in your industry (but not direct competitors) or with clients of a similar profile (e.g. Freelancers).  An understanding of expectations and common practices,  typical problems and good solutions will then be brought to the table.
  • Ask  about your candidate’s  education,  certifications and professional society memberships.  Education and associations reflect the level of professionalism and priority that the candidate places on his/her career.  This quality will  likely be demonstrated in work done for clients.  See also the candidate’s web site and/or LinkedIn page.
  • Inquire about the candidate’s  employment history prior to going into business independently.  Previous employment in corporate finance is a big plus.  Especially if  this person will take charge of your books,  you’ll want someone who knows how to analyze the financials and make smart recommendations.  You want more than a data entry clerk.
  • Tell the prospective bookkeeper what you need managed.  Do you need payroll and payroll tax services,  handling of accounts payable and receivable,  financial statements and tax prep for the accountant (data into QuickBooks),  or complete management of your books?
  • Confirm the fee schedule.  Depending on your location and the services requested, expect to pay $50-$100/hour.  The more services you need,  the more per hour you will pay.
  • Find out your candidate’s availability.  Many bookkeepers have a full or part time job, or a second business.  Make sure your candidate can be there when needed.
  • Ask for references and follow up.

Best of luck and thanks for reading,

Kim

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When to Hire a Bookkeeper

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Occasionally,  I am asked to refer a bookkeeper.  The one time I was able to make such a referral,  the whole thing blew up in my face.  I introduced a former  student in the business plan course that I sometimes teach to a restaurant owner friend.  Unfortunately,  Ms. bookkeeper  flaked out and never came through.  The restaurant owner and I are still pals, thank goodness.  The bookkeeper’s contact info has been deleted from my files.

A couple of months ago,  a member of one of the CEO forums that I lead hired a bookkeeper whom I’ve known for 20 years (the referral was not mine).  Because my colleague is a smart cookie,  she decided to review the financial statements that were generated by her new bookkeeper.  Right away,  there was a problem.  A significant data entry error was made— yet somehow the bookkeeper managed to make the numbers balance.  Fortunately,  my colleague  was able to recognize the problem and call  it to the bookkeeper’s attention.

The interesting thing is,  her now former bookkeeper is highly regarded by many.  She has a sub-specialty in forensic  bookkeeping and regularly testifies in court proceedings.  So I guess that’s where she learned all the tricks! My colleague was mortified.  Thank God that was not my referral.

I deduce from these incidents that a  reliable bookkeeper may be difficult to find.  A sharp and trustworthy bookkeeper is a hugely valuable  asset for your business.  They can spot and resolve  money drains  and alert you to money saving practices  that you never knew existed.  A good bookkeeper is worth their weight in gold.

Like many Freelancers,  I keep my own books.  I  invoice,  make  deposits,  pay bills,  record transactions in Excel,  receive the 1099s and pay the taxes.  June 15 is fast approaching, quarterly tax time folks!  I manage to stay on top of things.

Nevertheless,  at some point it may become too expensive to perform certain administrative tasks.  Working and looking for work are the primary focus of the self-employed.  Our time and energy are best applied to making sales calls,  networking,  prospecting,  staying visible and generating income through our projects.  When administrative tasks encroach upon the time available to make money,  it then becomes  cost  effective to outsource those functions.

It is the responsibility of every business owner to develop a basic understanding of the  financial statements.  Our ability to make sound business decisions depends upon it.  A good bookkeeper (and accountant) will further analyze the data and provide more sophisticated advice for you.

Because they possess intimate knowledge of your financial history and flow of business capital,  bookkeepers know where you are most vulnerable and know  where the bodies are buried.  A dishonest or sloppy bookkeeper can really hurt you.  The best way to protect yourself  is to know what’s  going on,  so that like my colleague,  you can read  financial  statements and periodically review your bookkeeper’s  work.  You’ll  have a fairly good idea of what the numbers  should  look  like and know what questions to ask  if  things don’t quite add up.

To get started on the path to understanding financial docs,  I recommend  that  you  first examine the Pro Forma Cash Flow statement.  It’s like  a  household budget and is easy to read.  Pro Forma Cash Flow gives  reasonable  estimates of expected business income and expenses  for  a given month.  Go next to the Cash Flow Statement,  which might be generated either monthly or quarterly.  This document shows what was actually spent on business expenses and how much money was actually paid to you.

From those statements,  move on  to the Profit and Loss.  It’s  not much different from the Cash Flow Statement.  Notice that several categories on the P & L are also found on the  Schedule C tax form,  Profit or Loss  From a Business.  Lastly,  take a look at the Balance Sheet and notice it’s resemblance to a bank statement.  The Balance Sheet records your net worth at a given time,  the tally of business assets and liabilities,  and is usually generated quarterly.

Next week,  learn what you can do to make sure that the bookkeeper you hire is both a top drawer professional and appropriate for your business needs.

Have a good week,

Kim