How do you choose the right bookkeeper? The answer to this question depends on a number of factors, most importantly being your needs. Below is a short article on how to select a bookkeeper that fits your needs.

Finding a bookkeeper can be almost as hard a process as selecting one. There are three main ways to find a bookkeeper: referral from a friend or collegue, media (classified ads), or a referral from an accountant.

If you are looking for a bookkeeper, a referral from someone you know, especially if they are in a similar industry, is probably your best first step. Next, there are usually a large number of bookkeeper ads on online classifieds such as Kijiji, which might give you a few selections. Lastly, if you have a good relationship with your accountant, you should be able to rely on them to provide you with at least a couple of names to look at.

What do you look at when choosing your bookkeeper? There are a number of factors to consider: experience, rate, availability, knowledge/common sense, professionalism, and references.

Experience - This one is only as good as the bookkeeper's references. Anyone can say they have 20 years bookkeeping experience, but what does this really mean? Experience in AR/AP, payroll, do they have experience with ROEs and dealing with CRA? Have they taken a Quickbooks course last month and are now ready to go? "Experience" is difficult to define as it is not just tenure, but also exposure. When speaking to a potential candidate, don't be afraid to ask some indept questions.

Rate - Rate is one of the trickiest. In my experience, I have seen rates from as low as $15/hour to $55/hour for the exact same job. Rate should equal experience, so this a good place to start. Again, what are your needs? Are you a small, newly formed company and you just need someone who can balance your bank statements before it goes to the accountant? A low rate, low experience bookkeeper might fit perfectly. A key factor when looking at rate, is also time. It is better to pay someone $35/hour for 10 hours work, than it is $25/hour for 30 hours of work. A qualified, experienced bookkeeper should be able to look at the workload and give you a time estimate.

Availability - Good bookkeepers, like any profession, will be in demand. A red flag to watch out for is someone who is "experienced", charges a higher fee, but is able to meet at an hour's notice. Alternatively, someone who can't find the time to meet you within a few days may not have the time to focus on you in the future. A bookkeeper running their own business will understand the need to be available and flexible to match your schedule when needed.

Knowledge/common sense - This is hard to gauge from a first meeting, but asking some specific questions about their experience, about your industry, or about some of the challenges you face now that you need help with may open the doors to some interesting conversation.

Professionalism - By this, I do not mean how they dress or talk (though any professional should understand both first impressions and how to dress appropriately to an industry). If your needs are beyond simple data entry, you likely want to look for a bookkeeper who is running a full time business. Does the bookkeeper have a webpage? Do they have business cards? Are they certified in any programs? Are they licensed with the city to do business (don't be afraid to ask for evidence of this, they have to be licensed just like you)? No to any of these could be red flags and worth some follow up questions.

References - I cannot stress enough the importance of meeting with more than just one potential bookkeeper and asking for references. Even if they were refered to you, a second opion can go a long way to alleviating any doubts you may have.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me any time.

Chris

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Please contact me anytime to set up a free consultation! I look forward to hearing from you.

Chris Marker

chris@markersolutions.com

780-686-5364