When selecting a bookkeeping style, business owners have several options. Learn how QuickBooks Live Expert Assisted can help you streamline your bookkeeping and free up time spent on finances. There are key differences between bookkeepers and accountants that you want to know before hiring a financial professional. Discussing the bookkeeper’s approach to handling sensitive financial information and the measures they have in place to ensure data security is essential for building trust. Bookkeepers may handle payroll processing, including calculating employee wages, withholding taxes, and issuing paychecks or direct deposits. They ensure compliance with tax laws and regulations related to employee compensation.

You could use a specialized staffing agency to find skilled candidates who would be a solid match for your company until you’re ready for a full-time hire. You can usually ask for references of customers similar to you, so you can get an honest picture of what it’s like working with that firm. In both cases, if you use dedicated bookkeeping software, you should ensure that your bookkeeper uses the same brand. They may be able to import expenses remotely, cutting out email threads or trips to the office.

Freelance, firm, and remote bookkeeping

Not having strong bookkeeping skills can also allow errors to occur. Hiring a bookkeeper can reduce the chances of errors in your books and give you more peace of mind. Robert Half recruiters look for bookkeeping candidates who are self-starters with solid communication, organizational and customer service skills. Technology expertise typically includes experience and proficiency with applications such as Microsoft Excel or QuickBooks. A talented bookkeeper can save you time, provide useful business reports, share insights and alert you to red flags, and help you manage your cash flow.

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Compare your “salary” as your own bookkeeper against the price of professional bookkeeping. Once you treat the time you spend bookkeeping as an actual expense in cash, you’ll have a better idea of whether you should keep doing it. If you’re suffering from any of the following symptoms, it’s probably time to hire a bookkeeper.

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This may vary depending on if the prospective bookkeeper is working solo or with a bookkeeping firm. Knowing this gives helpful insight into what they can handle so you can take full advantage of their services. You might also want to think about what you really need as a business to see if their services are in line with your needs. After you’ve figured out what type of bookkeeper you need, determine what bookkeeping process best suits your company. Paper-based bookkeeping means gathering your physical papers and records and reviewing them in person.

How can you identify the best bookkeeper candidates?

1. It’s important to ask if they guarantee a certain level of quality, so the accuracy doesn’t change from person to person.
2. The time a bookkeeper puts into your business is determined by how many transactions you process per month, whether you have employees, and how complex your industry is.
3. A firm may employ a range of bookkeepers, from beginners to experts.
4. On average, freelance bookkeepers charge lower rates than firms do, since they have less overhead.
5. Bookkeepers can also deliver reports on your business’s financial standing.

They keep good records so that if someone quickbooks online journal entry needs to check, like during an audit, everything is in order. To see if their communication style is in line with your own, you can ask if they prefer email or phone calls and how often they typically touch base with their clients. Bookkeepers in the United States are not legally required to obtain a license, but they can participate in several voluntary certification programs. Other options may include having a someone from the firm come by your business to pick up paperwork, or dropping off paperwork at the firm’s office yourself. Learn more about Bench, our mission, and the dedicated team behind your financial success.

Some bookkeepers do provide tax preparation services, but usually, they’ll be doing it from their own experience, as not all bookkeepers are professional tax advisors. You may know that payments will come from your clients or whomever you’re working with, but you don’t have a clear idea of when or how much it will be. Hiring a bookkeeper will allow you to become more organized with your cash flow statements to get a better view of your financial situation. Maybe you’re not feeling confident enough with your bookkeeping skills and are unsure of where to begin—after all, you can’t be an expert on everything!