3 Tips for Choosing Remote Bookkeeping Services: A Guide

Bookkeeping has been around for centuries and was even used when the barter system was the main way of exchanging goods. Since then, keeping track of your accounts has become more complicated, and many prefer to outsource their bookkeeping. This, however, comes with its own challenges.

So, keep reading for three tips to help you choose remote bookkeeping services.

1. Find Out What Software They Use

When talking to potential bookkeeping services, you need to find out what software and apps they use to provide their service. Not being able to answer this question should raise some red flags to potential customers. In general, a bookkeeping service should have the following in place:

• Core accounting or general ledger app
• Remote web conferencing app or video call service
• Project management software
• File and document management software

There might be some differences in what they use or what it’s named, but these four bases need to be covered in some way to ensure your accounts are looked after.

It’s also important to find out which core accounting or general ledger app they use and how it interacts with your accounting software. If you aren’t using the same software, they need to be able to answer your questions regarding integrating your account.

2. Do They Have Experience in Your Industry?

Bookkeeping service needs differ depending on the industry you’re in. So making sure your potential bookkeeping service has experience working with accounts in your industry is a must.

Bookkeepers tend to specialize in a few industries to make sure they stay up to date with all the needed information in those industries. These specializations will also help them pick their software and apps. This is especially true for remote bookkeeping services, as they will only invest in the software they use daily.

So ask your prospective bookkeeper if they have experience in your industry and how many clients they have that are in the same industry. You can even ask for a few customer testimonials to ensure the service is a good fit for you. 

3. How Do They Deal With Clients?

If you’re planning on outsourcing your bookkeeping, it is important to know how they manage their clients. This includes asking about their new client onboarding process and a general overview of the next steps if you decide to hire them.

While talking to the potential bookkeeping service, it’s important to take note of how easy it is to communicate with them. If you’re struggling to get them to nail down a time to talk or they constantly reschedule meetings, you should be wary of doing business with them.

If they aren’t efficient in this stage of your inquiry, you can get a good idea of how efficient they’ll be once you’re a client.

Remote Bookkeeping Services Made Easy

Hiring remote bookkeeping services may be a scary prospect, but if you keep these tips in mind when talking to bookkeepers, you’ll be on the right track. Remember to ask questions and have them explain something multiple times to ensure you’re both on the same page.

If you’re in the Charlotte, NC, area, please contact us to schedule a free strategy session today!