How to Hire the Best Bookkeeper for Your Business

If you own a small business, hiring the right bookkeeper like this The Bas Agents can be tricky. After all, your bookkeeping is one of the most important functions in your business. So how do you know who to hire? Here are some tips for finding and hiring the best bookkeeper for your company:

Clearly state the job expectations and responsibilities

Before you begin the interview process, it’s important to clearly state what you expect from a bookkeeper and what the bookkeeper will be responsible for. Also, make sure to include any special requirements, such as certifications or experience with specific programs.

What do you want your bookkeeper to know about your business?
What are their responsibilities?

How many hours per week do they need to work?

Talk about what you like

As the saying goes, “You get what you pay for.” If you hire a professional who doesn’t meet your expectations as an employee, then it’s likely that she won’t have the work ethic that a good busser or bartender should. You want to make sure that your staff is invested in their job and cares about pleasing both customers and management, so it’s important that they like the people they work with.

Have them talk about themselves by asking questions like:

What kind of experience do they have?
How many years have they been doing this?
Are there any special skills or training requirements for their field?

Set a clear timeline

Make sure you have a clear timeline for the project. How long will it take? What are the deliverables? When do they need to be completed, and what happens if they aren’t? Is there a penalty if an item is delayed or not completed on time? The better you communicate these details, the more your broker can plan out their schedule and deliver on time without needing constant supervision from you (and without losing your business).

Make sure your proposal is easy to understand and navigate

Before you start looking for a booker, it’s important to know exactly what you need from them. Are you looking for someone to help with social media? Do you want someone who will write blog posts and articles? Or do you need help with your website design or development?

Once you’ve figured out what type of work your booker will be doing, it’s time to create a proposal. A good proposal should be clear, concise, and easy to follow. It should include:

A description of the work that needs to be done (including links)
A timeline for completion of work (and when clients can expect delivery)
Deliverables/outputs/results of each project (such as how many posts per week or month)

Be clear about what you are offering

When you’re hiring a booker, make sure to be clear about what you are offering. Be specific about the services your business will provide, how long they will take and how much money you are willing to pay. If possible, offer a timeline for each step of the process so that both parties know where they stand on any given project.

Here’s an example of how this could work: A client wants to hire me as their event planner for their upcoming wedding because I recently curated an amazing event that has gotten rave reviews on social media (and in real life!). The bride sends me her budget along with a list of things she’d like included in her day-of plan (like which photos she wants to be taken during family portraits). We agree on what needs to be done next and set up meetings via email or phone, so everyone is always on the same page!

Ask for examples of their past work

Asking for examples of their past work is a good way to get a feel for how the booker will approach your business. It also shows them that you’re serious about hiring them, which is always nice. However, if they can’t show you samples of their work and references from previous clients, then it’s probably time to move on.

You should also ask if they’d be willing to do a test run with your company; this could mean doing an audit or financial statements or even just reviewing some dates and figures with them so they can get familiar with your business model before starting full-fledged booking duties.

Ask for referrals from previous clients

A great way to find the right bookkeeper is through referrals. If you know anyone who has used a bookkeeper before, ask them who they used and why they liked them. You can also get recommendations from other business owners in your area or industry.

Because these people have worked with your potential bookkeepers, they’ll be able to give you an honest appraisal of their strengths and weaknesses. In addition, the person will likely be able to tell you about any extra services that may come in handy for your particular business needs—especially if he or she had any bad experiences with certain accountants in the past! This type of information can help you determine whether a particular professional would be a good fit for your company before making any final decisions about hiring him or her as a personal accountant for yourself (or possibly even another co-owner).

You can always be sure that a bookkeeper has a bookkeeping license by verifying it on the National Association of Bookkeepers website

You can always be sure that a bookkeeper has a bookkeeping license by verifying it on the National Association of Bookkeepers website.

You can also verify a license on the National Association of Bookkeepers website. It’s easy to search for someone who is already in your area or who might be willing to travel there, providing you with more options than you’d otherwise have.

Look at how they plan to learn the skills to do the job well

It’s important to ask questions about how a booker will learn the skills to do the job well. Do they have previous experience? Have they taken any training classes or certification exams? What do their references say about them? How much experience do they have with your company, industry, or type of event?

These questions can help you understand if this person is someone who knows what’s required of them and is ready for the task at hand. It may also give you an idea of whether or not this person has any gaps in their knowledge that could prove problematic in executing their responsibilities.

A good bookkeeper can help your business, but you need to make sure they’re the right fit before you hire them

Now that you know the qualities of a good bookkeeper, it’s time to start looking. Before that, you will want to make sure they’re the right fit for your business.

First and foremost: know what you want before looking for a bookkeeper. If it’s too early in their careers or they don’t have enough experience in your field, this may not work out well for either party involved. Also, consider what type of personality would be best suited for working with yours—you’ll have better luck finding someone who fits into both categories than someone who fits only one or the other!

When interviewing potential candidates, ask references about their previous experiences with clients (if possible). You should also see if there are any trial periods available so that you can test whether or not these people are worth hiring long-term!

Conclusion

It can be easy to think that anyone who can do arithmetic and keep track of numbers would make a good bookkeeper. But, as we’ve discussed here, there is a lot more to this job than just being able to count money. If you want your business to thrive, you must find someone with the right skills who will work well with everyone on your team. Make sure you take the time needed for careful consideration when hiring someone new for this position—it could save you lots of headaches down the road!

You may also like: Importance Of Bookkeeping For Businesses

Image source: Shutterstock.com