Vickie's Viewpoint

Every where you look someone is changing their career. Bookkeeping and accounting is one of the hot industries. A good bookkeeper can save you stress and make you more money. But with the market now flooded with bookkeepers and accountants, how do you know your hiring someone who can deliver?

I interviewed three legitimate bookkeepers. Here’s their advice on what to look for when hiring a legitimate accountant for your small business.

1 Lucinda Lintz of www.AiBz.com says…

• Legitimate bookkeepers are accredited and/or certified in QuickBooks products among other accounting software such as Peachtree and Quicken.

Lintz is certified in The Intuit ProAdvisor program, which she says has taken great pains to match the necessary bookkeeping and accounting skills with the QuickBooks products (the accounting software that is used by 80% of small businesses). Some accountants are great at knowing accounting, but know very little about QuickBooks and how it operates, Lintz said.

Find Quickbooks ProAdvisor Profile here:

http://proadvisor.intuit.com/referral/proadvisor_profile.jsp?proadvisor_id=16920

Find a ProAdvisor here:

http://proadvisor.intuit.com/referral/

2 Bette Rolland of www.BetterService.com says…

• A legitimate bookkeeper will provide you full monthly financial statements.  This includes a balance sheet, an income statement (otherwise called a profit & loss sheet), in addition to a sales report detail, if applicable.
• A legitimate bookkeeper will reconcile ALL balance sheet accounts every period against the statements; examples are bank statements, credit card statements, loan balances, etc.  In addition, the income statement will be reviewed for proper coding of accounts.
• A legitimate bookkeeper will bring to your attention any questionable entries, transactions, or data. This allows you to identify potential problem areas.

3  Susan Bidell of www.AcctgOptions.com says…

• A good bookkeeper will not hesitate to consult with more experienced accountants/CPAs and research issues on behalf of their client.
• A legitimate bookkeeper documents all requests for information and, as needed, provides written documentation to support the counsel they give.
• A legitimate accountant answers phone calls and emails promptly.
• Anyone who is legitimate in this industry will have a secure working environment so that sensitive financial information is safeguarded and stored with the utmost care.

To find information about other business related topics look in Vickie Champion’s Quizzes, Articles, & Audio section.

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