Doing the books on your own can be challenging, and hiring a good one just doesn’t cut it anymore. Nowadays, if you want to be ahead of the curve, you need to work with a great bookkeeper. The question then becomes what makes a bookkeeper great?

It’s healthy to be wary of who you’re going to hire. After all, there are many bookkeepers ready to take the job, but not all of them will fit your business and your personality. Imagine working with someone you don’t particularly match with, or someone whose values are not aligned with your business. At best, that sounds… flat. Bookkeeping can then become a tedious chore and important information can be lost among the sea of numbers that flow through your business daily.

If I could tell you all the stories I know of businesses who’ve lost money because they didn’t hire a great bookkeeper, I’d probably talk your ear off and I’ll make you worry unnecessarily. And that’s not cool. The bottom line is, finding the right bookkeeper is worth investing your time in. It’s okay to be choosy!

How can you set great bookkeepers apart from the rest of the pack? Here are fundamental traits you need to expect from your bookkeeper if you want your business to be successful:

• They are not afraid to ask a lot of questions
Think of it this way, you can’t be accurate if you just keep on making assumptions and guesses right? Great bookkeepers won’t hesitate to ask the necessary questions if it means they’ll understand your business better.

Plus, through these questions, you might discover something crucial that you’ve missed or have accounting irregularities that need to be addressed. So the next time your bookkeeper rings you up and ask a shit-ton of questions, it’s a sign that accuracy is his or her top priority.

• They want to understand your work process
Every great bookkeeper must strive to understand how their clients operate and how work flows within the business. This is essential if you want your business to run like a well-oiled machine. Your bookkeeper can make things far easier and efficient for you, plus bring to attention processes that can be improved.

• They are not afraid to acknowledge what they don’t know
Bookkeepers have a range of skills, but it doesn’t mean they know everything. Who does anyway? Of course there are still some people who can’t seem to admit this upfront because they don’t want their clients to think less of them. That’s just ridiculous. Instead, your bookkeeper should point you to the right person to ask. This is particularly significant if there are some legal issues involved, and you need to talk with a different expert instead.

• They work hard to stay up to date
Businesses constantly change, and bookkeepers should be willing to keep up with the demands these new changes bring. As industries evolve, great bookkeepers keep their fingers on the pulse so that they can revise the processes they are using accordingly. Are there new procedures or new requirements? Have new laws been passed that would affect their clients’ businesses?

Not only that, hire someone who’s going to consider developments in accounting and technology too. Work with someone who’s going to encourage you to adopt new but effective approaches that he or she has learned so that your business can save some time and money.

• They will actively help you promote your business
Having a great bookkeeper means you have someone who’s as invested in your business’ success as you. This means he or she is willing to promote your business whether it’s through referrals, connections or networking. This kind of service isn’t usually offered by everyone, but you’re lucky if you’ll find someone who’s willing to help you achieve your goals.

The list may seem overwhelming to some but hey, you and your business deserve the best. As I’ve mentioned before, there are many bookkeepers to choose from, so just remain persistent and keep this traits in mind.

If you’re serious about taking your business to the next level and you need a great bookkeeper you can trust and be comfortable with, give Tradie Bookkeeping Solutions a call today… let’s have a chat and discuss how we can help you.