Having an experienced bookkeeper on your team is a valuable resource for any business owner. Books that are disorganized and not up to date can lead to cash flow problems and poor decision making. When looking for a new bookkeeper in the Vancouver area, there are several key qualities that you need to keep in mind. This article will provide 6 qualities of an experienced bookkeeper.
Wide Range of Experience
An expert bookkeeper will be able to easily demonstrate their past experiences, how they gained their knowledge, and what certifications they hold. When looking for a bookkeeper, it’s important to ask questions about how they have encountered and handled various situations before. Use examples from your own experience and business and see how they relate. While looking for a qualified bookkeeper in the Vancouver area, keep in mind that there is no educational requirement in Canada for bookkeepers. However, the Certified Professional Bookkeeper designation is widely accepted and demonstrates proficiency as defined by the IPBC (International Professional Bookkeepers of Canada).
Good Communication Skills
Having a bookkeeper that communicates well is probably one of the most important attributes. From time to time, things are bound to go wrong. Your bookkeeper must let you know about potential problems that could negatively impact your business. Look for someone who communicates clearly and frequently. Experienced bookkeepers understand that you are not an expert in accounting and will be able to explain things in a way that you will be able to easily understand. Inexperienced people tend to hide their lack of knowledge behind complex explanations.
Tech Savvy
You may have an accounting system that is unfamiliar to your bookkeeper. That’s ok and you shouldn’t expect every person to know how to use every system. A tech-savvy bookkeeper will be able to quickly catch on and learn the system. After all, the basics of bookkeeping and accounting are universal across businesses. Look out for red flags as you are interviewing bookkeepers that would indicate that they struggle with technology.
Organized
Organizational skills are extremely important for bookkeeping professionals. They are responsible for inputting hundreds of journal entries. Unorganized people may struggle to keep up with their workload or make costly mistakes.
Reliable
Having a reliable bookkeeper will give you peace of mind. There is nothing more frustrating for a business owner than to have a valuable resource who they can’t reach or rely upon. When establishing a relationship with a new bookkeeper, set some expectations around reliability. Be clear on the response timeframes, coverage for when they are on vacation, and a regular cadence of journal entries.
Versatile
Because of the complexities of business, your bookkeeper is likely to encounter transactions that aren’t straightforward or easy to classify. No matter how much experience your bookkeeper has, they will likely need to do a little research from time to time. This is to be expected. The most important thing is that your bookkeeper can adapt and figure out the best course of action.
Let One of Our Experts Help
It’s important to find an experienced bookkeeper with a strong reputation. For over 30 years, our clients in Whistler, Squamish, the Sea to Sky Corridor, and metro Vancouver BC areas have been trusting Valley Business Centre to take care of all their accounting, bookkeeping, and tax service needs. Contact us today to learn how we can help.
