Your bookkeeper is one of the most important people in your business.
They keep track of your cash flow, help your staff get paid, make sure your invoices and bills are sorted, and keep tabs on all your financial data on a day to day basis.
When you think about it, that’s a lot of responsibility to hand over!
If you outsource your bookkeeping, you may be wondering ‘do I need to meet my bookkeeper in person’? Luckily, the answer is no.
Technology allows you to have an excellent working relationship with your bookkeeper without having to meet them face to face.
Let’s talk about why this is good news for your business and how it all works.
Do I Need To Meet My Bookkeeper In Person?
Why Outsourcing Your Bookkeeping Is Such A Great Idea
There are multitudes of reasons why outsourcing your bookkeeping is the best option for your business. Perhaps you don’t have the expertise in-house for such a task or would rather spend your time on other jobs than painstakingly poring over rows of figures.
Or maybe you live in an area where there’s only one local bookkeeper and they are a bit average. No worries, simply jump online and pick the best of the best from anywhere in the world!
Hiring a bookkeeper online allows you to pick someone specialised in your industry without being limited by location (although you may need to take differing time zones into consideration.)
Thanks to cloud accounting software, video calling, email, instant messaging, and the multitude of team management and communication options available online, you will have your bookkeeper up-to-date and on hand just as if they were in the office next door.
Dropping them an email to ask a question or scheduling a quick chat via Zoom is a piece of cake. Far more accessible than trying to juggle both your schedules to find time to meet in person.
How To Find A Good Bookkeeper
Technology makes this task much simpler than it once was. Before you even get to the interview stage, you can scan various websites, read online customer reviews, and come up with a shortlist.
Then, it’s a simple matter of shooting off a few emails and jumping on the phone (or a video call) to suss out if they are the right fit for you. There is no need for the hassle and inconvenience of in-person interviews.
Here’s what you should be looking at:
- Would you prefer to hire a solo freelancer or an agency?
- Do they have positive reviews from a range of clients?
- What qualifications or accreditation do they have, if any – i.e. do they belong to a legitimate bookkeeping association?
- How much experience do they have?
- Are they familiar with the specific requirements of your industry?
- Are they in a similar timezone as you so you can contact them during business hours?
- Are they experienced with the software you prefer to use?
Tips For Communicating With Your Outsourced Bookkeeper
Whether your bookkeeper is located in the office next door or at the other end of the country, communication is the key to a successful working relationship.
Make sure you both agree on your preferred methods of communication, whether it’s email, phone call, video call, or another platform.
Set reasonable expectations for communication. Such as any emails will be responded to within 24 hours. Also, decide on the best method for getting in touch for urgent matters, should they arise.
Be clear on reporting requirements and deadlines so everyone knows when tasks should be completed.
The beauty of hiring a bookkeeper is that you have a highly experienced person handling your financial data. That means you can get on with the things you need to. Thanks to the beauty of technology, you never have to ask the question of ‘do I need to meet my bookkeeper in person’ again!
In fact, they don’t even have to be in the same room as you, let alone the same town. You can get the best expertise for your business no matter where you are.
Here at Admin Army, we work with businesses of all sizes nationwide. If you would like to know more about how we can take the pressure of bookkeeping off your hands, then drop us a line today!