Your company’s finances are one thing you don’t want to get wrong. You must spend enough time getting things right and generating the reports required to make intelligent decisions.
But when there is so much to do in business, you may not have the time to do this. That’s why it’s no surprise that 37% of companies outsource accounting services.
If you’re currently picking a bookkeeping service, it pays to learn how to filter your options. The guide below covers how you can find the best bookkeeper for your needs.
Think of Your Needs
Before starting your search for a bookkeeping company, consider what your company currently needs. You may only need help with bookkeeping now. But will you need additional services in the future?
Accounting firms can also help with taxes, payroll, and other financial tasks. See if the bookkeeper you use is part of an organization with more services.
Consider Your Industry
Not every industry is the same when it comes to bookkeeping. If you have a simple business, you may not have special needs. But things are different when you work in a more regulated industry.
Take finance, for instance. You also have to work with PCI compliance laws — something not every bookkeeper may have experience with. Make sure the options for bookkeeping services you consider work in your industry.
Look at the Pricing
No, you won’t pay nearly as much for a bookkeeper as you would if you hire one full-time. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take pricing seriously.
Many bookkeepers charge vastly different prices and have different services for those costs. Get as many quotes as possible to see what your options are. Use that data when comparing bookkeeping costs to determine which option has the best value.
Verify Security
You can’t take security lightly with how many threats are on the internet today. It isn’t enough to do this with your internal operations, either. Your partners also need to put security measures in place.
Make sure the bookkeeper you hire uses best practices for handling your company’s sensitive data. You probably don’t want your company’s financial data to fall into the hands of hackers.
Read Bookkeeper Reviews
Hearing from previous bookkeeper customers is important to do before outsourcing for bookkeeping. You need to hear from a neutral source instead of only hearing positive information from your bookkeeper options.
Reading online reviews is one of the best ways to do this. Look on Google for popular bookkeeping services. Most will have reviews on Google that discuss a bookkeeper’s best and worst features.
Reputable companies like Blue Fire Accounting should have more pros than cons and no red flags that make you look for another provider.
Picking a Bookkeeping Service Takes Work
Managing your books in business isn’t always easy. You may be able to handle the job yourself when your company is small, but as you continue to grow, you’ll find that accounting tasks will take too long and need to be passed on to an accounting expert.
That’s why picking a bookkeeping service as soon as possible makes sense. Follow the advice in this guide to find a bookkeeper to handle your financials correctly.
Are you interested in learning more about finding the right help for your business? Check out more business optimization tips on the blog.