5 Ways to Avoid Making Your Bookkeeper Cranky!
A professional bookkeeper who listens to you and works hard to ensure your books are accurate is a great asset. But even the most patient of bookkeepers can get a bit frustrated at bad business practices!
Here are some ways to avoid making your bookkeeper cranky.
- Producing paperwork lacking in detail
Many a bookkeeper has experienced the client who produces wads of faded receipts from their back pocket, or that brings in boxes full of receipts with not much idea what they were for.
Your bookkeeper can’t be expected to make guesses all the time, and you can’t be always relying on your memory. So make sure when you get a receipt to jot down any relevant details about the purchase before you forget!
Note: your bookkeeper will let you know what details they need regarding your receipts.
- Worse still – producing no paperwork
Mystery transactions from your bank account or credit card with no backup documents (paper or electronic) are really not a good look!
When running a business, you really need to be able to explain every transaction as much as possible.
See our previous article on records you must keep for the ATO for a more detailed explanation.
- Poor communications
Your bookkeeper needs to know what you need from them, so make sure to communicate this clearly rather than expecting them to read your mind.
It’s also important to get back to your bookkeeper regarding queries or questions they may have as soon as you’re able to.
Your bookkeeper really just wants to make sure things are right and that you don’t get in trouble – so please don’t fob them off!
- Muddling business and personal spending
It can be easy as a busy business owner to use the same account or credit for everything – both business and personal.
But the trouble is it then leads to your bookkeeper having to untangle which transactions are for what when reconciling your accounts.
A far better way is to keep separate accounts for business and personal expenses, especially if you find it hard to explain what various withdrawals were for.
- Dodgy practices
Some examples of this include using money out of the till to pay workers or make purchases, claiming personal expenses through the business, or asking the bookkeeper to fudge a figure somewhere.
These types of practices can get you (and your bookkeeper) into trouble – so please don’t go there!
Some of these practices are understandable for a new business, or where the business owner has not yet grasped the importance of good record keeping. But an owner that wants to keep their bookkeeper on side needs to listen to their advice, and to change any bad habits they may have picked up.
It’s also better for business as well. Why? Because if your bookkeeper always has to constantly come back to you with questions it will all take more time – which ends up costing more money.
Partnering with the professionals
The above highlights the importance of forming a good relationship with your bookkeeper. To partner with a professional bookkeeping service that’s available 52 weeks of the year, and loves accuracy, getting things right and lodging everything on time, feel free to get in touch with our team!