How to hire a bookkeeper and tips

This means actively improving your skills by undergoing wheres my refund training regularly. You also need to keep yourself updated on the latest industry standards to ensure you provide the best service to your clients. Bookkeeper Launch equips you with comprehensive bookkeeping and business skills so that you can succeed in this career path. I only wished my high school guidance counselor would have forced me to take this class.

How to hire a bookkeeper: Tips and key considerations to find the best fit

Bookkeepers also deposit money, cash checks, and ensure correct credit card transactions. Bookkeepers play a vital role in the business accounting cycle by collecting and inputting data. As a detail-oriented professional, you would play a crucial role in the organization what is distressed debt investing and growth of companies from small businesses to major corporations.

1. Some accountants don’t perform bookkeeping tasks, in which case you may want to hire a bookkeeper.
2. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median salary for bookkeepers in the US is $45,860 per year as of 2021 1.
3. These include certifications in bookkeeping, payroll, QuickBooks Online and accounting.

How to hire a bookkeeper

Accountants are usually more skilled and in a more advanced position than bookkeepers. Being an accountant usually involves a higher level of interpreting and forecasting numbers than bookkeepers, who mainly just keep the records. Communication styles are sure to vary between bookkeepers, so consider looking into how they interact with their current clients. A good bookkeeper should keep honest and open lines of communication at all times—this ensures that their clients are in the loop and on the same page. This may vary depending on if the prospective bookkeeper is working solo or with a bookkeeping firm.

If you’re racing to get your books prepared for tax season and you feel generally behind on your taxes, you may want 7 best church accounting software 2020 to hire a bookkeeper to handle that for you. If you don’t have your books clean and your financial records organized, you’ll have a harder time filing your taxes. As more people move to working from home, freelancing, or starting their own businesses, you may want to learn how to become a virtual bookkeeper. A virtual bookkeeper must meet the same educational requirements as an in-house or in-person bookkeeper.

considerations for hiring the right bookkeeper

However, more knowledge is always an asset, and a bookkeeping certificate can make your resume look more attractive, potentially helping you to gain clients. These exams test your knowledge of analyzing business transactions, payroll taxes, financial statements, and more. Once you’ve had some bookkeeping training, you’re ready for real-world bookkeeping jobs or experience. This is a great way to gain real-world experience as you become a bookkeeper and, potentially, a bookkeeping business owner.

Look for potential clients on career websites that cater to remote bookkeeping jobs. Freelance marketplace websites also exist where you can find short- and long-term projects you can apply for. Financial statements (Balance Sheet, Income Statement, and Statement of Cash Flows) are the scoreboard for business. If a business owners doesn’t have up-to-date, accurate and custom financial statements, they’re operating in the dark.

QuickBooks Support

These include certifications in bookkeeping, payroll, QuickBooks Online and accounting. NACPB estimates seven to 13 weeks per class, but you may finish earlier if you dedicate more time to studying. A certification includes a pre-assessment test, the course itself, a post-assessment test and a certification exam. Aside from learning the essential concepts and how-to’s of bookkeeping, you also need to familiarize yourself with accounting software. You can study the basics through online tutorials or get hands-on training from professional bookkeepers. If your accountant also does your bookkeeping, you don’t need to hire a bookkeeper.

The median annual salary for accountants was $79,880 in May 2023, over $30,000 higher than that for bookkeepers. Since bookkeepers have no mandatory education or experience requirements, you can take several pathways into the profession. However, you may have access to more and better opportunities with stronger qualifications and credentials. You may handle payroll functions as a bookkeeper, keep tax withholding records, and issue paychecks or send information to a contracted payroll service.

Find out more on bookkeeping accounting skills, how to earn accounting degrees and bookkeeping certifications, getting jobs, salary expectations, and more. Bookkeepers help business owners manage their finances by documenting transactions, paying and issuing invoices, generating reports, and recording accurate financial data. Bookkeepers can also deliver reports on your business’s financial standing. But what do all of these figures mean, and where do you go from there? Being attentive to your business as it’s growing is crucial when it comes to reaching your goals.