The Most Important Questions to Ask a Bookkeeper

bookkeepers

When your business has entered that stage where small business bookkeeping solutions are required by a professional, you will want to be sure that the bookkeepers you choose are the right fit for your business.

You want to trust that both your business financials are safe and that they hold the right qualifications for the job, and all respected bookkeeping services will be eager to provide you with all of the relevant information.

Their website will certainly display what services they offer and help you determine if they have the right experience to be able to offer advice, complete company accounts and point you in the right direction.

Additional Requirements

Bookkeepers not only utilise accounting software when working with you, but they also offer training on them. If your bookkeeping services in Manchester offer this then their experience will be quite high.

They may offer several different software packages such as Xero, Quickbooks and Clearbooks and they will be knowledgeable about which software is the best fit for your business. Enquiring which accounting software package they use opens up a lot about the skillset of your bookkeeper.

References

The best way to get a sense of a bookkeeper’s work is to ask about references, and a good bookkeeper will be happy to provide you with a few glowing testimonials they have received from clients upon request.

When you are put in touch with the references, be sure to ask about specific services that the bookkeeper provided and what their overall experience was working with them. This gives you a better idea of what to expect upon hiring them. Every client that a bookkeeper has will have different needs and works in different ways, but if past clients recommend a bookkeeper then it is a good sign that they will fit for your business.

Price for Service

For some reason, there is always a hesitation in asking someone how much they charge. Maybe it is because we like them and want them to provide their service to us, but we fear that the rate may be too high – so we hold off on asking.

Asking a bookkeepers upfront about their hourly rates, flat fees or any other applicable charges is not something to be afraid of asking right out of the gate. Budgeting in their services may be a case of you just needing them once, quarterly or at regular intervals – and the bookkeeper will be able to best determine which one benefits you more. Remember, if you are not saving money then the job is not being done correctly.

Contact the team at Pebbles Bookkeeping today to freely ask the questions of a bookkeeper that gives answers with your business in mind.

What our clients say…

I just wanted to thank you both for the help you’ve given me thus far in setting up my new cloud-based bookkeeping system ‘Clearbooks’.

Having used Microsoft Excel for more years than I care to admit, I had more than a few reservations when considering changing the way I managed my books, yet understood that I had to make the change sooner or later.

After an intense training session with Sean, (where I probably asked 101 questions), my fears quickly dissipated and I can honestly say that although it’s likely to take me a little while to really get to grips with the new interface, I’ve no doubt that this simple system will save me so much time and hassle in future.

And less time spent doing my books, almost certainly means more time with the family and an end to rushing around like a mad woman at quarter-end!

Thanks again and I’m looking forward to working with you again soon.

Anne-Marie Armstrong, Amberry Marketing

“Pebbles Bookkeeping have been doing our bookkeeping for the past 2 years. Our Accountant recommended them to us and they are very professional, approachable and knowledgeble in the work they do. We send them our paperwork electronically and manually and they process it all efficiently in a timely manner.

I would not hesitate to recommend Sean and the team at Pebbles Bookkeeping – they do a fantastic job.”
Mark Gray, Taylor Made Finance Ltd

Diane has been providing her services to my company for approximately 6 months now and I can honestly say that due to her assistance, my company is running a lot more smoothly than it has at any time over the previous 30 years that it has existed.

I would just like to say that I would recommend her services to any business, whatever the size, as I can only see that her services would be beneficial to any company that may choose to employ her services.

Wayne Dinning, Managing Director, SD Waste Paper Limited

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