How to hire a bookkeeper
A bookkeeper keeps a small business's books current — categorising transactions, reconciling accounts and producing the reports that make tax season and lending possible.
Can be done online. Many bookkeepers work over video, so you are not limited to who is nearby. On Region Beacon, pick Online when you post a request and it reaches online businesses anywhere. All services
What the job usually involves
- Transaction categorisation and reconciliation.
- Accounts payable and receivable.
- Payroll processing or coordination.
- Monthly financial statements.
- Cleanup of books that have fallen behind.
What to ask before you agree to anything
- Which software do you work in, and will I own the file and the login?
- Is this monthly, quarterly, or a one-off cleanup?
- What reports do I get, and how soon after month end?
- Do you handle payroll and sales tax, or coordinate with someone who does?
- Do you work with my tax preparer at year end?
- How is access to my bank data set up?
Warning signs
- Books kept in a file or account you do not own or cannot access.
- No monthly reporting, so you only find out at tax time.
- Bank login credentials requested rather than read-only or bank-feed access.
- No clear separation between bookkeeping and tax advice they are not qualified to give.
Common questions
What is the difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant?
A bookkeeper records and organises transactions and keeps the books accurate month to month. An accountant interprets those books, advises, and usually handles tax filings and strategy. Many small businesses need both, often at different frequencies.
Do I own my accounting file?
You should. Insist that the subscription and the data are in your business's name with you as an owner-level user, with the bookkeeper added as a user. Businesses that skip this discover the problem when they change bookkeeper.
How often do books need to be done?
Monthly is typical, because that keeps reconciliation manageable and gives you numbers current enough to act on. Falling behind is common and fixable — cleanup work is a normal service, just priced separately.
How does Region Beacon work for bookkeepers?
You describe the job once. The first nearby business that takes it gets your details and contacts you; nobody else does. You deal with whoever you pick directly, and you pay them directly — Region Beacon never handles the money and takes no commission, so nothing is added to your price for using it.
How do I know if a bookkeeper's quote is fair?
Get more than one. A single quote tells you what one business charges; three tell you what the job is worth where you live. Ask each for the same scope in writing, and treat a quote far below the others as probably missing something rather than a bargain.
Get quotes from bookkeepers near you
Describe the job once and the first nearby business to take it contacts you. Only that one gets your details, no commission is added, and your details are not sold on to anyone.