Outsourcing Tips

The most difficult aspect of owning and operating your own small business is usually the bookkeeping tasks.  The stress of having to get numbers to agree, and the books to balance, added to all the other responsibilities, can be too much to deal with. There are accounting courses that teach basic bookkeeping skills, but implementing outsourced bookkeeping services gives business owners freedom.  In fact, even large businesses benefit from outsourcing their bookkeeping services so they can focus on their daily business tasks.

Journal entries and other types of financial records are what most business owners dread, because they’re hard to understand. So they use outsourced bookkeeping services to do the work for them. If you are thinking about outsourcing, the following questions and answers may help you.

Outsourced bookkeeping services – when should you use them?

Deciding whether to outsource is one of the most difficult decisions business owners make when it comes to their businesses growth. Although there are negative stories from business owners who have used an outsourced bookkeeping service, there are different circumstances in each situation, so it’s hard to make a decision on stories alone. It’s always best to have a positive attitude and confidence in a bookkeeping professional.

There are many reliable outsourced bookkeeping service firms that are loyal and that always fulfill their obligations to the companies that hire them. If a business owner wants to free up some of their time and reduce their office costs, a reputable accounting firm can help.

What should you ask a potential outsourced bookkeeping service?

It’s important to be cautious when selecting an outsourced bookkeeping service. The safety of a business’s financial data depends on the external bookkeeping firm they hire.  So one of the most important questions to ask is what measures the firm takes to secure confidential financial information on the internet. Specifically, a small business owner wants to be assured that the United States data privacy regulations are followed.

Other information that is important to inquire about is the quality of work an outsourced bookkeeping service produces. A business owner needs to ask how the firm will update their books, who does the updates and what their qualifications are.

Although books are done manually by trained accountants, most outsourced bookkeeping firms use software because they are reliable, quick, and accurate when used by trained staff.

Another good question to ask a potential outsourced bookkeeping service is what they’re pricing options are.  Most dependable firms have both fixed and hourly pricing plans.

Does an outsourced bookkeeping service have to be local?

Bookkeeping services can have both on- and off-shore bookkeeping and accounting businesses.  Some firms have their main on shore offices in one area, such as North America, with other off-shore branches elsewhere in other countries.  Due to the internet, it doesn’t matter where in the world an outsourced bookkeeping service is located, because they can connect with their clients by facilitating exchange of communications and materials electronically, and by couriers.

Outsourced bookkeeping service firms are run by highly-trained professionals.  Their services are best suited to businesses who don’t want to (or can’t) perform their bookkeeping tasks internally.