Almost all business owner needs someone to get the business' finances ready for the company's accountant, and that is a bookkeeper. Note that bookkeeper is different from an accountant. An accountant is someone who files taxes and sometimes offers insights about financial strategy for the business. A bookkeeper, on the other hand, is someone who assists an accountant when it comes to bank accounts reconciliation, report generation, and invoicing. In short, a bookkeeper is the accountant's partner in the accounting system. So if you are a business owner in Newcastle and already has an accounting software, you may think that you don't need a bookkeeper anymore. But guess what? You still do. Having a bookkeeper will make you focus on just running the business. Hiring a bookkeeper should not be taken lightly as it is a major risk for your business. Don't be in a rush in hiring. You should consider being careful in picking the right choices for your business. So if you are looking for one, here are the top five questions you should ask before hiring someone. This is to check if the candidate is the right fit.

What are your credentials?

Just like hiring for any position, you have to review the credentials of someone who wants to be part of your company. Note that bookkeepers are not really required to have a license to practice although license is available in some jurisdictions. So make sure to ask what kind of pieces of training they have attended. Ask about their experiences and certifications. Since accounting systems and requirements are continually changing, someone who has at least a five years level of experience in bookkeeping newcastle is ideal. But a two to three years is a good start. Ask about specific questions about their experiences. Like how they handled their previous projects? Have they implemented their ideas on a particular project? What was their style of working?

Are you familiar with the industry?

While bookkeeping is universal, there are knowledge and skills that are industry-specific. For example, a bookkeeper who worked in a photography business before is going to have some difference from someone who has worked in building contractors. Ask if they are familiar with your industry and whether they have clients in your industry before. Hiring someone who is unfamiliar with your industry might have to take some time to get familiar with. Ideally, a bookkeeper who has experience in your industry is a better option compared to the general bookkeeper.

How do you interact with your client?

A bookkeeper must communicate with you on a regular basis, especially on the first few months of working together. This is to discuss or review some transactions and what issues are coming up. As a business owner, your time is of great worth and shouldn't be wasted. If the bookkeeper is taking so much time to interact with you and is very ineffective, it can cause slow down to your business. Ask them how they communicate with their clients. Are they quick to respond to emails? Do they call back quickly? It is necessary that you hire a bookkeeper who is competent, clear, and concise when it comes to communication.

What are your skills?

Some of the basic things a bookkeeper knows how to do are processing payroll, reconciling bank accounts, handling both payable and receivable accounts, and tracking accounts information. These are usually the basic skill set of a bookkeeper. However, you also need someone who can generate reports that are easy to understand. Not only that, they should be able to process the accounts on time and accurately. Also, they should understand and comfortable of the accounting system you are using in your business. Ask what methods they use in doing their work. Do they review their work to check for errors and make corrections? You need someone who can work effectively and efficiently. After all, you don’t want to end your financial year having so much mess and paying someone to clean it up.

Who are your references?

This is very important. In fact, this is a must. If the bookkeeping candidate doesn’t have any, you should move on to the next. You need to get client references so you can talk to them not only about the candidate’s skills but also about his or her accountability. You can also get feedbacks from the given references on the candidate’s ethics and commitment. It’s even better if the references are coming from the same industry as yours. Remember, good references matter.

So there you have it. There are other questions you can ask, but hopefully, these questions will help you during the hiring process. A perfect candidate is someone who has the credibility, who has the knowledge and useful skills and most importantly, someone who has your business interest in mind.