| Bookkeeping for your small business is an important, | | | | know how often they will update your books. Will it be |
| often overlooked, piece to your business success. | | | | daily, weekly or monthly? What would you prefer? |
| Sooner or later small business owners realize that they | | | | Question #3- How is your data protected? |
| need to get better financial controls in their business | | | | This is an often overlooked piece to hiring a |
| and they set out to look for services that can improve | | | | bookkeeping service. I have talked with several |
| their business finances. | | | | business owners who lost critical financial data for their |
| Small business owners can tell you some horror | | | | business simply because their bookkeeper didn't find it |
| stories about hiring the wrong bookkeeping service for | | | | necessary to back up their work. You can't afford a |
| their business. From incorrect numbers that lead to tax | | | | mistake like this so make sure you find out how your |
| issues to slow reporting and even fraud, the cost of | | | | information is secured and stored. |
| getting your books done incorrectly can be | | | | Question #4- Do they have a back up plan? |
| devastating. | | | | What if you hire a bookkeeper and they are injured |
| The great news is that there are great bookkeeping | | | | and out of work for a significant period of time? Even |
| services available to you, provided that you ask the | | | | more, I am sure your bookkeeper will need a vacation |
| right questions. If you are thinking about putting a | | | | at some point. What will you do then? Does your |
| bookkeeping service in place for your small business, | | | | bookkeeper have the ability to work remotely? All of |
| here are 5 questions to ask (in no particular order). | | | | these questions must be answered before your |
| Question #1- What kind of experience does the | | | | proceed with a bookkeeping service. You are too |
| potential bookkeeper or bookkeeping service have? | | | | busy to look for someone in the spur of the moment. |
| This is as much a question of how long the | | | | Question #5- What type of reporting is available for |
| bookkeeping service has been doing bookkeeping as | | | | your business? |
| much as what kind of knowledge and qualifications | | | | Some bookkeepers will do your books and leave it at |
| they have. Make sure you are able to assess their | | | | that. Is that going to be good enough for your |
| knowledge as well as the ability to verify the | | | | business? We talked about frequency in question 2 |
| certifications that they have. | | | | but that is an irrelevant question if they don't report at |
| Question #2- How often will they be able to report? | | | | all. Make sure you know if your bookkeeping service |
| In today's business environment, you need reporting at | | | | provides reports and if so, what type of reports they |
| the tip of your fingers to be able to make quick and | | | | provide. |
| informed decisions. With a bookkeeper, you need to | | | | |