Seven Questions To Ask Your Bookkeeper

Here are our suggestions for questions to ask your bookkeeper. Making sure your new bookkeeper is a good fit for your business is so important. But do you know what questions to ask your bookkeeper prior to using their services? The first place you will probably start is doing an Internet search and checking out a bookkeeper’s website is a great way to discover more about them. Here you can check out the services they offer. The site will also be a good indication of how professional and experienced they are and it may answer some of your questions straightaway.

Questions to ask your bookkeeper before you hire them

 

1. How professional and experienced are they?
2. What is the scope of their bookkeeping work?
3. Who will be responsible for your account?
4. What is their availability and how will they keep in touch with you?
5. What accounting software packages do they use?
6. Can they help your business grow?
7. How much do they charge?

 

1. How professional and experienced is the bookkeeping practice?

 

This is one of the first questions to ask your bookkeeper and to determine this, we have broken it down into a few more enquiries you can make.

 

• How long have you been in business?
• Are you registered and qualified?
• Do you have experience in my type of business?
• Can you provide me with examples of satisfied clients?
• How will you protect my confidential data?

 

2. What is the scope of their bookkeeping work?

 

First things first, make a list of services you are expecting your bookkeeper to offer. For example, do you want them to run your payroll and prepare your VAT returns? Now you are ready to ask what services they offer, as these differ between bookkeeping practices. Some bookkeeper’s skills are limited to data entry whereas others provide a more comprehensive package and can mange your accounts and analyse your financial statements.

3. Who will be responsible for my account?

 

One of the key questions to ask your bookkeeper is whether you will have somebody personally responsible for your accounts? It’s always good to have a dedicated person who knows your business. However, you will also want to know what happens when that person is on holiday or sick. Backup is usually easier within a bigger bookkeeping firm.

 

4. What is your availability and how will you communicate/keep in touch with us?

 

Ask about their availability and discover if they only work during normal office hours, Monday to Friday from nine to five. You will also want to know their policy for replying to emails and returning phone calls. And with communication, how will they expect to receive your information, such as bank statements and invoices.

 

5. What accounting software packages do you use?

 

Check which ones they use as if they use several, they will be able to advise you on the software package that is best for your business. Some of the most popular are Xero, QuickBooks and Sage. If you feel that you would be able to do this aspect in house, check if they offer training and support packages.

 

6. Can you help to grow my business?

 

A bookkeeper will help you to see the big picture of your business finances and give you that extra pair of eyes to check your cash flow and offer advice. Also, by having a bookkeeper on board, you won’t be doing your own accounts and will have more time to spend on doing what you do well and that’s running your business. They can maximise your income and perhaps help with the costs you can cut.

 

7. How much do you charge?

 

This is one of the most important questions to ask your bookkeeper, as you must make sure you know what you will be paying. Will you be invoiced by the hour, monthly, or is there a package price? If it’s the latter, be aware of what is included and what isn’t. And don’t forget to ask if there are any extra charges. Also, when will they expect payment? Knowing this will help you to budget and of course it will impact your cash flow.

 

How can team4 help you with bookkeeping for your company?

We hope you have found questions to ask your bookkeeper helpful. team4 have been in business for over 30 years with a team that has been steadily growing over the years to offer you everything you need as an outsourced bookkeeping department. A free consultation is available, so you can meet us either via a video link or in our East Sussex office in Uckfield. This is a great opportunity to ask those questions and to discover if we would be a good fit for your business for an efficient and smooth relationship with your new bookkeeper. To find out more, call team4 on 01825 763378 or email info@team4bookkeeping.co.uk. Now is a great opportunity to read through our brand new site and see what team4 has to offer.