7 Questions to Ask Your Potential Bookkeeper

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Your business is growing and it’s time to hire a bookkeeper. Congratulations!

So what do you ask a potential bookkeeper before you hire them? We’ve laid it all out for you.

  1. What is the scope of the bookkeeping work?

    Not all bookkeepers run their business the same way, so it’s important that you ask what is included. Will they reconcile bank transactions, enter expense receipts, create invoices, file your GST return, prepare reports?

  2. What is their level of expertise?

    You want to find a bookkeeper that is accurate and proficient at what they do. Also, depending on the complexity of your business, you will want to ask what skills they have in relation to your industry or type of business.

  3. How do they communicate with clients?

    As a business owner, your time is valuable, and you want to make sure that your bookkeeper has a communication style that you mesh with. Make sure to ask HOW they communicate with their clients. Perhaps you prefer all communication to be via email but they prefer phone. Making sure you’re on the same page is paramount to have a successful working relationship.

  4. What can you expect around response times?

    Ask the bookkeeper what you can expect each week/month from them and what their guaranteed response times are when you have a question.

  5. How do they protect their clients?

    You are sharing your financial information with your bookkeeper so you want me to make sure they are trustworthy. Make sure to ask about security controls they have in place, and how many people will have access to your information.

  6. How do they price their services?

    How will the bookkeeper charge? Monthly fixed fee or hourly? If it’s a fixed rate, make sure you’re clear on what it is, and what that fee includes.

  7. Who will own your QuickBooks subscription?

    Ideally, the client should always own the subscription and the bookkeeper should just be granted access to work within their file.

The right bookkeeper can make a huge difference in your business, so make sure that you ask the hard questions and find one that suits your needs and style.