As a result, many accounting professionals start their careers in a bookkeeping role to build the experience they need for more senior positions. Many companies have a background check policy to run a criminal background check on all new hires. Both bookkeepers and accountants are integral to a company’s financial management, but they have distinct roles and responsibilities.

QuickBooks

If you find someone who is a good fit for your business needs, it doesn’t matter if they are in California while you work from New York. You’ll want to create a contract that outlines details, such as deadlines, rates and expectations so that everyone is on the same page. While they seem similar at first glance, bookkeeping and accounting are two very different mediums. Bookkeeping serves as more of a preliminary function through the straightforward recording and organizing of financial information.

Both credentials require you to complete a four-part exam, but the scope varies. For example, the CPB exam tests you on bookkeeping, payroll, QuickBooks, and accounting. The CB exam tests you on adjustments and error correction, payroll and depreciation, inventory, and internal controls and fraud prevention. You should consult your own professional advisors for advice directly relating to your business or before taking action in relation to any of the content provided.

If you’re worried about not having someone you can count on everyday, and don’t mind paying a bit more, a bookkeeping firm is a smart choice. That’s why it’s in a bank reconciliation what happens to the outstanding checks important to find a bookkeeper who knows what they’re doing. However, expertise is not only measured by years of operation, or by third-party certifications. A freelancer may or may not have experience working directly with CPAs.

Just look for a bookkeeper with high reviews from other customers like you. If your revenue is on the rise but your bottom line won’t move, it means you need to increase your profit margins. Tax-ready financial statements from a bookkeeper can help you recognize where you need to cut costs in order to make your business more profitable. Part of a bookkeeper’s job is to take every business expense you incur and categorize it properly. In the process of doing so, they’re able to spot obvious deductible expenses such as mileage. You can also ask friends or colleagues who have utilized bookkeepers for their businesses.

Why Is Bookkeeping Important?

1. If you’re interested in hiring a contract bookkeeper, consider Bench, a virtual accounting service provider.
2. Since some bookkeeping firms also employ accountants, they may be able to handle your tax filing—and other accountant duties—in-house.
3. As stated, it’s dependent on your company’s needs and how you plan to grow your business.
4. Bookkeepers help business owners manage their finances by documenting transactions, paying and issuing invoices, generating reports, and recording accurate financial data.
5. All your hard work bringing in new business and keeping customers happy counts for nothing if you’re not making more money.

Then categorize your expenses into different categories, start estimating your expected revenue for the upcoming period, and allocate your expenses accordingly. Below, we highlight the two most common pathways to becoming a bookkeeper. Access Xero features for 30 inventory audits days, then decide which plan best suits your business.

What you need to set up small business bookkeeping

Generally, if your assets are greater than your liabilities, your business is financially stable. Note that certain companies, such as those in service-based industries, may not have a lot of equity or may have negative equity. A lot goes into it—from managing payables and receivables to balancing books. But what might seem like an overwhelming task isn’t so bad when you break it down to the bookkeeping basics. Looking 9 ways to finance a business for a job can be intimidating, but there are numerous resources at your fingertips.

Perform Journal Entries to Debit and Credit Accounts

You could contact one directly, or you could ask if your business partners or clients have any recommendations. Use one of our recommended background check companies to make the process easier. Using your job board of choice, you can scan for bookkeepers in your area with the experience you seek. Most bookkeepers should have at least some experience with Microsoft Excel.

This involves keeping track of all the money that comes in and out of a business. A master’s degree in accounting, for example, may help you pursue leadership positions in your field or organization. A graduate degree can also help prepare you for the certified public accountant (CPA) credential from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). According to AICPA, CPAs earn 10%-15% more than the average starting salary for accountants. As we’ve covered in this guide, a bookkeeper is highly valuable to a small business and can provide more services than just financial recording and compliance. Often a bookkeeper will specialize in a particular industry, so it pays to ask them about this so that they can add even more value.