The Bookkeeper’s Advocate^R

Bookkeepers in the past have been reactive. We waited for our clients to tell us what needed to be done.  The customer either dropped off a shoebox of receipts and documents for us to process or we showed up at their office to an in-box that was full. We hounded them for the information we needed to file their government compliance requirements and waited patiently for it to appear. We worked well into the night to make sure they stayed out of trouble and didn’t payout all the profits in penalties and interest.

We, professional bookkeepers, transform the bottom line of small business every day, yet are rewarded not by the value our work produces but by the number of hours we bill. The number of keystrokes we do are counted in the time it takes, not for the value in the financial information it gathers. Typing faster makes us less money.

That is in the past now, the inbox is almost gone for good. No more data entry, No more waiting for the client, No more shoebox, No more tracking our time.

WE ARE FREE!!…………………………………………………………………….. TO DO WHAT!?!

To do what we have always done, reclassify entries, analyze the numbers, spot trends, and of course, be compliant.

While small business owners recognize that new technology will make a difference in the success and growth of their company, it is confusing about how and what to implement. The job of a good advisor is to stay ahead of the customer.  Improve processes, reduce cost, and manage risk by helping to recommend what should be done, not stand by waiting to be told what to do. Understanding your customer’s technology options will be critical moving forward.

We will help build systems that integrate technology options for daily record keeping, processing, capital planning, cash flow forecasting and internal controls. We will monitor the validity of procedures like payroll and inventory control. We will help implement new work flows and document storage systems. The methods that we use to convert operational results to financial information will change and the result will be improved financial information for our customers.

As more small business make the switch to cloud based solutions, those bookkeepers that position themselves as leaders will thrive in this new world. Real time professional bookkeepers who understand the platforms ahead of us will come out on top.

Stop billing by the hour. Clients that used to take four hours per month to complete monthly books will now take two. Charge your customers an amount equal to the value they receive and go play with the other two hours! Get away from your desk and enjoy some work life balance or spend the time learning all about the next dashboard tool. Technology is allowing us to combine work and play. Work from anywhere, process transactions on a tablet or smartphone while attending an industry conference for example.

Get on board to educate yourselves, be better prepared for the future and understand the benefits and shortfalls unique to each customer and this will make you the professional record-keeper of the future.

Act like a servant! No not I, said the Professional Bookkeeper.

Dianne Mueller CPB – The Bookkeeper’s Advocate^R

Chair of the IPBC Board of Directors

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www.ipbc.ca