5 Things To Look For In A Bookkeeper

Let's face it. No one wants to spend their hard-earned profits on a bookkeeper. After all, you'll eventually get around to all your paperwork, right? When you do finally decide to take the necessary leap and choose a bookkeeper for your small business, keep these things in mind:

• Free consultation. Any bookkeeper should be willing to meet with you initially free of charge. This is your opportunity to meet and develop a rapport with me. I always try to get to know my prospective client's needs and expectations during this meeting. It saves time and misunderstanding in the future.
• Personality. This is HUGE. Be sure you can work with me. I also need to believe that I can work with you. I will get to know the ins and outs of your business' financial situation. What you forget to tell me, I will eventually learn. We have to have a certain level of trust with each other. The first accountant you meet with may not be the right person for you and your small business situation. This should be a long term relationship, not a "do business now and we are done" relationship.
• Services. Do the services I provide mesh with what you are looking for in a bookkeeper? What are the accounting needs of the client? Can I provide what the client is looking for? I'm not going to tell you I can do something for you that is out of my realm. Some bookkeepers may do just that to land the client.
• Timeliness. Some small business bookkeepers may be too busy to get your work done in a timely manner. Do you have monthly tax deadlines? Payroll that must be sent in so employees are paid? Does it really help you to know your profit for March in July? How do you make the necessary changes to manage your business around adversity or the market conditions and grow if the information you are getting is 3 or 4 months behind?
• Follow-Through. Does your bookkeeper do as s/he says? I never make a promise I can't keep. It is so important to keep my clients happy and be honest with them. If I say I will be somewhere at a certain time, I do what it takes to be there. If I will be late due to traffic or some other unforeseen circumstance, I call and let the client know I am running late and how much. Then I offer to reschedule if that is necessary. The same rules apply for a telephone conference.