Choosing a bookkeeper is easy. Choosing one you will still be glad about in three years takes slightly more care. These are the five questions we would ask anyone, including us.
1. How current will my numbers be?
Books that are reconciled monthly tell you what happened. Books that are kept accurate continuously tell you what is happening. Ask a potential partner how old your numbers will typically be when you look at them, and whether they would bet on their own answer.
2. What exactly does the price include?
Hourly billing rewards slow work. Fixed packages reward doing as little as possible inside them. We think transaction-based pricing is the honest middle: you pay for the work your business actually generates, agreed up front as one fixed monthly fee. Whatever model you choose, get the inclusions in writing.
3. Who actually does the work, and where?
Some firms sell locally and process elsewhere. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but you should know, and you should know who to call when something needs fixing today. Ask to meet the people who will touch your books.
4. What happens when someone goes on holiday?
A one-person bookkeeper is a single point of failure with a nice manner. A team means your books do not stop for annual leave, sickness or resignation. Ask what happens to your ledger in August.
5. Will my accountant thank me or curse me?
Your bookkeeper’s real customer is partly your accountant: clean, accurate, current records make year-end accounts and tax advice faster and cheaper. Ask your accountant what they think of the partner you are considering. If your bookkeeper makes your accountant’s life harder, you are paying twice.
Want to see how we answer these questions ourselves? Book a discovery call, it is a conversation, not a pitch.