Top Five Things To Look For When Hiring A Bookkeeper
When your business takes off, you suddenly have different important and interconnected tasks you’re responsible for. Among that, the most crucial area is business accounting. Accounting responsibilities can become more complex and time-consuming with time. And in such a situation, you may end up spending a lot more time focusing on accounting when you would rather concentrate on core skills and long-term business goals instead.
Partnering with an expert bookkeeper empowers you to hand off routine workloads while getting strategic insights from a trusted expert. However, finding a certified bookkeeper is not always an easy task, given that there are particular skills and attributes you need to look for.
To help navigate the task of enlisting the right professional, here’s a list of the top five things to look for when hiring a bookkeeper.
1. Client-centric services
Can the bookkeeper handle the scope of work you require? Does your bookkeeper tailor their services around your specific needs? Will they work around your timelines or location of work? Your bookkeeper needs to be flexible around your needs, not the other way around. If you would like the bookkeeper to work on your site, they should be willing to do that. If you don’t have a designated office and you want to drop off your documents or email information, that should be OK too. The work needs to be completed based on your needs, not when it’s convenient for your bookkeeper. Is your workload substantial, and do you need the work done more frequently, or do you just need the work done at specific times to stay compliant with your required filings (CRA filing deadlines)? Keep these in mind before hiring a bookkeeper.
Another common complaint about bookkeepers is that they can be slow to respond to emails and that the bookkeeping isn’t completed to a set schedule. In that case, you need to ask about what you can expect each week or month from them and what the expected response times are to your questions.
We will travel to your location or work in our office, whatever is most convenient for you. We will do your bookkeeping based on the frequency you require, weekly, bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly, quarterly, or annually. It all depends on the needs of the client!
2. Innovative and streamlines workflow
Is your bookkeeper innovative and willing to work on finding efficiencies in how your information is collected, the software that is used, and offering recommendations on streamlining workflow? A good bookkeeper is always looking for ways to improve efficiency. This will save time on a file and the costs the client will incur.
At Bean Counters Bookkeeping Ltd., we evaluate the software that is being used and make recommendations on the most efficient form of data delivery in order to streamline the process, which in the end, is more cost-efficient for our client.
3. Up-to-date technical knowledge
Is your bookkeeper up to date on the current standards regarding allowable deductions for business or employment standards when paying your employees? Know that legislation is constantly changing, and allowable expenses are also changing from time to time on what is allowable and what is not. So does your bookkeeper advise you on what is allowed and not allowed and make suggestions on processes that need to change in order to stay compliant?
Our staff stays up to date on industry standards. As we take on various industries, we will research the standards for that industry to ensure we are meeting guidelines.
4. Credentials
Is your bookkeeper qualified? Do they have certifications in the services they are offering? Check for those designations to make sure they are qualified to perform the services you are paying them for. Be sure to ask your bookkeeper what their qualifications are. While there are many home-based bookkeepers who are skilled at what they do, they are not always up-to-date on the standards. You want your bookkeeper to process your accounts accurately and on time and communicate with you in a way that doesn’t take up much of your time. You don’t want to get to the end of the financial year and have to pay your accountant to clean up a mess.
Our staff are certified as Professional Bookkeepers with CPB Canada. We also have a staff member that is a certified Payroll Compliance Practitioner with the National Payroll Institute.
5. Goes above and beyond
Does your bookkeeper just plug numbers, or do they go above and beyond to help you understand the financial literacy of your business? Consider hiring a bookkeeper who will question transactions and advise you when things may not be up to standard. Having the bookkeeper that will bring these to your attention ahead of time is beneficial, instead of finding out later.
If you’re looking for bookkeepers and business consultants in Central Alberta, reach out to Bean Counters Bookkeeping Ltd. We provide the newest technologies and innovations to our clients’ businesses in order to improve accounting and invest our resources in establishing a strong foundation for any firm. Our qualified professional bookkeepers have worked in both the private and public accounting sectors. Together we have combined experience of over forty-five years.
Our services are available to clients across Red Deer, Innisfail, Sylvan Lake, Delburne, Red Deer County, Lacombe, Eckville, Blackfalds, Olds, Rocky Mountain House, Ponoka, Caroline, Sundre, Edmonton, Calgary, Airdrie, and the surrounding areas.
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