How to Hire a Bookkeeper: Considerations + Free Job Template

A bookkeeper who has worked only with fashion retailers, for instance, may not have the knowledge and experience to do an equally good job for an air-conditioning company. In other words, the relevance of a candidate’s experience is often more important than the duration of experience. Following are some tips on how to find a good bookkeeper to help support your business — and to work remotely, if needed. For a small business with relatively straightforward finances, it’s generally more affordable than either a freelancer or a firm.

What Will a Financial Background Check Show You?

We’ll answer important questions, highlight signs that it’s time to bring in a bookkeeper, and guide you through the steps of finding the right fit. Ideally the accounting software should be cloud-based, which means it’s accessed online. Then all of you will be able to share access to the financial data for your business. Ultimately, an accountant with experience in your industry is most qualified to give you comprehensive guidance regarding tax write-offs. But many business owners only talk to their accountants during tax season. A good bookkeeper who understands your business’s needs can help you out during the rest of the year.

DIY bookkeeping takes up more time than you can afford

In their analysis, they can spot areas of revenue potential and wasteful spending. Through managing AR and AP they can help you pay and get paid faster so you dont incur debt. Well, if you want your cash flow to look like what we’ve described, you’ll consider hire a bookkeeper it. By hiring a bookkeeper, you can hand off your finances to someone who already knows all the jargon and processes. It’s important to accurately maintain your finances because they’ll help make tax time easier and give you a real insight into your business.

• You can save money by going with an online bookkeeper or a third-party bookkeeper.
• If it detects malware, it’s a sign that you either need to beef up your security measures, or hand off the burden of bookkeeping security to a pro.
• If you opt to hire a bookkeeping employee and want more in-depth tips, check out our guide to hiring employees.
• One of the greatest boons of working with pro is receiving up-to-date financial statements you can use to plan business moves or prepare your taxes.
• When you can focus on core areas of your business, doing things you are good at and passionate about, you are more productive and motivated.

Background Check Process for Bookkeepers

• Consider all the bookkeeping duties needed to be accomplished accomplish from tax compliance to the daily, weekly, or monthly updating of books.
• Moreover, a virtual bookkeeper can significantly reduce your operational costs.
• So, make sure your job description is clear about the job history and experience you need.
• That will take time and may be difficult to do, because you’ll have forgotten which client to bill for a particular expense.
• An outsourced bookkeeper is a third-party professional who’s been hired to handle your finances.
• It’s important to ask if they guarantee a certain level of quality, so the accuracy doesn’t change from person to person.

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. Bookkeeping covers many different industries, so it’s important to make sure that the person you hire is familiar with the industry your business operates https://www.bookstime.com/ in. Look into the industry-specific expertise they have to get a better idea. You may also want to see if they’ve handled bookkeeping for other businesses that are around the same size and structure as yours. This may vary depending on if the prospective bookkeeper is working solo or with a bookkeeping firm.

Bookkeepers give you more time to run your business

Look for relevant experience, educational background, and any additional skills or certifications that align with your business needs. Furthermore, organized bookkeeping facilitates strategic planning and growth. Startups can use financial data to identify opportunities for expansion, secure funding from investors or lenders, and track progress toward their goals. Once you’ve selected a bookkeeper, negotiate the terms of their employment or contract. Clearly outline their responsibilities, pay rate, and working hours.

Navigating Tax Changes in the eCommerce World

Provide them with the necessary access to financial systems and introduce them to your team. Decide whether you need an in-house bookkeeper or if outsourcing is a better option. In-house bookkeepers are great for ongoing, hands-on tasks, while outsourced bookkeepers can be more cost-effective for periodic work.

• Choose from multiple payment options – hourly, task-based, or recurring – and work the way you want.
• You want to make sure you get your job posting in front of as many qualified applicants as possible.
• They can also offer day-to-day support for small business owners.
• If your business uses specific or specialized software, our recruiting team can source virtual bookkeepers who have the exact skills and experience you need.
• Not only do you cut down on the time spent managing books, but you are also freed to do other business duties.

If you are looking to hire a bookkeeper, you need to know that there are a lot of skilled accountants who can do bookkeeping from home. You can recruit their online freelance services based on their experience profiles and your specific requirements. An online bookkeeping solution uses cloud-based software to connect you with a team of bookkeepers, who do your books for you (like Bench). It’s similar to a bookkeeping firm, except more affordable, since automation cuts the bulk of manual work. This is a great choice for most small businesses that don’t have cash-heavy transactions.

You don’t have strong bookkeeping skills

Why hire a bookkeeper when you may experience the full benefits because your generated sales aren’t high enough? Instead, you can do it yourself at the start and learn these things as you go. There are tons of software, tools, and resources available to help you but it may take away a significant amount of your time.

Solo bookkeeping vs bookkeeping firm