Here’s one of the most interesting comments we hear when we are speaking with clients new to cloud accounting:
“I absolutely need someone to come into my office to keep my books up to date”.
Now is that really true?
Don’t get the wrong message. We love to see our clients. Nothing beats a face to face interaction to build relationships and understanding. The myth however is that by having your bookkeeper in your office, you will have a better relationship, more accurate information and get more work done.
The reality is that for almost all small businesses and organizations, this simply isn’t true.
Let’s take a look.
Timing –
Having your bookkeeper complete the work in your office means that you need to have all the necessary materials and people on hand to make the trip worth while. If a bank statement or receipt is missing, if a key manager is out for the day, or if a computer is down and out, suddenly you have a useless trip and a day of work that needs to be rescheduled.
We automate the document collection process so that bank statements, bills and expense reports are constantly being updated. Your bookkeeper is then able to update the books more frequently and more efficiently. As well:
Automated payments can be approved online eliminating the need for signing and sending cheques
Reports can be shared in the cloud.
Online meetings can happen spontaneously, quickly and as often as necessary. And frequent regular contact is the key to a good accounting relationship.
Materials –
Who has extra space in their office? Do you really want to have an extra computer sitting around for your bookkeeper to use ? Do you want to maintain that computer and back up that desktop file? Do you have a passion for storing paper? Enough said.
Accountability-
Accountability is usually the issue that keeps clients asking for in-person contact.. What most people mean when they say, “I want you to come into my office” is really “I want to know that you are doing a good job”. The outcomes of accounting are compliance (paying your taxes on time) and reporting (accurate, timely information that helps you make decisions)
At the beginning of your relationship with your bookkeeper you will identify all of your tax filing requirements and determine what information you need to be receiving on a regular basis. These are the milestones you use to measure the work completed by your bookkeeper, eliminating the water of in person management.
Additionally, the option of online meetings means when you have a quick question, a change or an emergency, you can jump on a call and talk to your bookkeeper right away. There’s no need to wait until the next visit. The virtual relationship encourages regular contact and open communication.
So keep that extra spot for a potted plant, grab a coffee, get comfortable and let’s meet online. You won’t look back.
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