Organized Bookkeeping Helps More Than Your Accountant
How clean bookkeeping helps every service provider you hire work faster and smarter
Bookkeepers and other service providers often help the same clients in different but connected ways.
These quotes are taken from the From DIY to Supported interviews and compiled below to help business owners visualize how a bookkeeper fits into the different systems and people involved in running a business.
How bookkeeping helps online business manager (OBM) do their work better:
“Having a bookkeeper is so fabulous as an OBM. The majority of OBMs are skilled at operations and tech, but not necessarily finances and money. Personally, I know very little about taxes, how a business should maintain their books, and the like. I actually try to avoid bookkeeping tasks because they are not amongst my strengths.
Having a bookkeeper tell me what receipts to keep, how to document expenses and payroll, and how to best collect information for a client makes sure that I gather all the correct information and have it all in place come tax season.
Then, the bookkeeper can input whatever is necessary based on the information I and the business owner send over and provide us with insights on revenue and profit.
This allows me to provide better guidance and strategy to business owners who are hoping to implement new systems or invest in something new. It allows me to better provide suggestions on what our next best move is in regards to spending, whether that be on tools or on help.”
How bookkeeping helps a sales producer do their work better:
One of the first things I do with founders is backward map their annual revenue goals to monthly, weekly and daily outbound activity goals. So, a clear view of variables like:
How much revenue do you book/client?
What is your most profitable offering?
What is your most popular offering?
Founders with bookkeepers tend to have those answers before I ask which makes it much easier to get the ball rolling.
How bookkeeping helps a graphic and web designer do their work better:
First and foremost, a client who has a bookkeeper means they are invested in understanding the ins and outs of their business. This data is incredibly helpful when it comes to design — even for things as simple as determining what services are the most important to highlight.
Knowing your numbers lets us know what’s working, what needs more support, and what avenues for growth would be reasonable to pursue. It helps us track our wins, which gives us critical data we can build off of.
How bookkeeping helps a systems strategist do their work better:
This is a funny question, because I've always gotten along very well with bookkeepers. Both of our jobs require a high level of organization and detail, so I've found we often appreciate each other and work well together if our paths do cross.
Because I'm not a financial expert, I don't really mess with the bookkeeping process, especially when a professional is already involved. I may help a client find a platform or build a habit that helps them stay organized/on top of things so they can give their bookkeeper what they need, but that's the extent of it usually. In every scenario where there are other people supporting a client in another area of their business, I do my best to understand how their process works and if either of them are experiencing challenges/frustrations that could benefit from an outsider's perspective.
