A quick search in your local area is sure to turn up quite a few book keepers and most of them will claim to be the “best in the business”. While this is good news for small business owners, you need to keep in mind that all bookkeeping services are not created equal. Just because someone has a nice website or a piece of paper stating they have completed a certain course doesn’t mean they are actually a good bookkeeper.

To save yourself time and money, your best bet is to find a local bookkeeper and ask them a few simple questions such as:

• What experience do you have?
• How long have you been working as a bookkeeper?
• Can I contact some of your previous employers?

A good bookkeeper should be able to answer all of these questions immediately and provide you with all the information you need to consider before making a decision. Obviously, the best bookkeepers are those who have been working with small businesses for many years. They may have a higher price than a brand new bookkeeper but you are paying for experience, accuracy, and your own piece of mind. Experienced bookkeepers will be able to prepare your reports and handle your paperwork quickly and accurately. You can’t afford to have someone that might make a mistake because in this business even a decimal point entered into a form incorrectly can bring about great trouble.

Good book keepers should also have a number of quality tasks you should be able to identify easily. They are very detail oriented and superb organisers, have a natural talent for working with numbers, are able to use effective time management practices, and be up to date with technology. All of these traits go hand in hand because bookkeepers constantly have to adjust their style as technology changes and that puts a high demand on their ability to use that technology and be able to prioritise their tasks.

Something a good bookkeeper will do is come to your business to handle the paperwork, It can be irritating to have to deal with a bookkeeper by mail and can lead to documents being lost or misplaced. A good service will be able to accommodate all of your needs and have the experience to to ensure your financial work is in good hands.