Bookkeeping refers to the process of keeping accurate business records, including income and cash flow statements and balance sheets. Its importance goes beyond staying organised. By diligently monitoring all of the financial transactions, it can help respond to potential audits and plan for the future.
Since proper bookkeeping is essential for a business’s success, hiring the right professional to do the work for you is important. There are many factors to consider, but here are the most vital qualities you should look for when seeking out a new bookkeeper:
Knowledge
The industry is rapidly evolving, thanks to technology. For this reason, your bookkeeper must be up-to-date with the trends. For instance, up-to-date software knowledge is a must. By working with a professional familiar with using cloud-based ECommerce accounting software, you can ensure efficiency and improve business performance by automating processes.
Certification
While hiring unlicensed and uncertified professionals can save you money in the short term, doing so can expose your business to mistakes that can be costly in the long run. Keep in mind that maintaining books requires the right expertise, which is why you should hire only a fully licensed and certified bookkeeper.
Organisation
A bookkeeper’s job is to record financial records, which requires consistency and organisation. It also needs a clear system for keeping track of paperwork. If they appear disorganised or show inconsistencies with their filing system, consider looking for another professional bookkeeper since they might not be trustworthy in maintaining your business’s financial records.
Communication Skills
The person you hire must be attentive when you are discussing your business’s details. They must also keep you updated about your financial standing. This is because regular and clear communication is part of a bookkeeper’s job, and it is also necessary for a harmonious working relationship.
Unfortunately, not all bookkeepers who are excellent at keeping track of your numbers are skilled in communicating. If they fail to communicate with you, they might not be the right person for your business.
Trustworthiness
A bookkeeper has access to some of the most sensitive information about a business. Because of this, you should work with someone you trust wholeheartedly and rely on to be transparent. It’s challenging to judge a person’s character, but you can get an idea of how trustworthy they are before hiring them by asking questions regarding their best practices for safeguarding financial information.
Vision
Your bookkeeper must have incredible attention to detail. Although it’s helpful to get immersed in the details, they must remember to look up from their papers and calculators from time to time and see the bigger picture of running your business. Doing this allows them to understand the vision you are trying to turn into reality.
Conclusion
Running a business means having to deal with numbers and recording every transaction. Tracking every sale, expense, and salary payment by yourself is possible, but this process can be time-consuming and error-prone. This is why it’s a good idea to outsource this task and hire an Ecommerce bookkeeper. While there is no perfect formula for picking the right person for the job, keeping these traits in mind during your search can be tremendously helpful.
If you need ECommerce bookkeeping services, reach out to The Ecommerce Accountant. We are knowledgeable and experienced in Shopify and Xero, which is why we are capable of creating a streamlined bookkeeping solution for your business. Book a 30-minute discovery call today!
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