If you’re looking to re-ignite your routine or your day-to-day business operations, take this final quarter as an opportunity to establish new goals and finish the year off strong. To help you make the most of this last stretch of the year, we have put together a series to highlight some goal recommendations specifically for small businesses. In this post, we’ll highlight one goal that may seem straightforward but will help you significantly – leveraging your bookkeeper.
There’s more than meets the eye
Despite misconceptions out there of bookkeepers being a necessary evil or simply being there to crunch numbers, bookkeepers are a source for discussion, advisory functions and financial planning. By changing the way you work and utilizing your bookkeeper properly, you can get much more than just your bookkeeping tasks completed; you also equip yourself with an all-start that truly knows your business, inside and out.
Let’s get into three ways you can start leveraging your bookkeeper today.
Review, review and review
The first way to fully leverage your bookkeeper is to take the time to review what they prepare. Now it’s understandable to think “I hired them to do this work so I wouldn’t have to”, and while that is partially true, the reports that they prepare are extremely helpful to understand the health of your business. Is everything where you expect it to be? Have new areas been identified where improvements can be made? By taking the time to review the documents, you can gain a better understanding of the health of your business and be equipped to make more accurate projections and forecasts, seize new opportunities or make adjustments to your existing operations.
Ask and you shall receive
On the other side of the coin, I’m sure for every business professional including small business owners there have been instances where reports or documents have lacked clarity. By taking advantage of your bookkeeper’s knowledge and asking questions this can become a rare occurrence!
Think of your bookkeeper as your business’s financial advisor. They work day-in and day-out with your financials, making them an additional expert on your team. Your bookkeeper will be more than capable of explaining any financial concept – so take advantage of this!
Be open to advice
Leaning into our last point is asking for advice. While your bookkeeper is an expert in financials, they aren’t limited to only financial advice. Most likely, your bookkeeper has supported numerous businesses in different industries, have implemented software solutions and has taken educational courses to help them with their professional development. If you want feedback or an opinion in an area of your business, they most likely can give you great recommendations based on their personal experiences.
It takes two to tango
At the end of the day, the sooner you stop seeing your bookkeeper, as just a bookkeeper and see them as a financial insider and confidant, the sooner you can reap the benefits. With this in mind, it takes two to tango.
Value them as a key team player
If you’re outsourcing your bookkeeper, or perhaps they are internal but only work limited hours each month, still consider them a key player on your team. Get to know them personally in addition to their work preferences, establish optimal work hours, or set up meetings to keep each other updated or to chat about the business, new ideas and any questions you might have.
Share your goals
By valualing your bookkeeper as a key member of your team and working to grow the business relationship, you’re more likely to succeed. Another piece of this puzzle, however, is making sure to share your goals. This can include short term goals or long-term goals. By bringing your bookkeeper up to speed, and providing an understanding of what you’re hoping to achieve, they can provide recommendations and assist you in the journey. As the saying by Helen Keller goes, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”.
Want some additional tips on how to achieve your business goals?
Check out our previous post on how to create SMART goals that will ensure success.