Should I use a bookkeeping service or hire someone to manage it?

That answer lies with your needs. A service can provide a good regular set of books for you but will lack the personal attention a hired bookkeeper can.  If tax planning is the biggest need then you're probably fine with a service. If more daily attention is what you want then hire but make sure their qualifications meet your needs.

So, my thoughts are, if you are needing someone to create and enforce the rules you are going to want someone out side of the organisation, since it can be very difficult for an employee to stand up to their boss (you) and tell them what to do. Hiring a service that is outside your business changes the power dynamics and allows for the Bookkeeper to be more forthright with you and give you the "hard facts" if necessary.

An outside Bookkeeper is also usually a fraction of the cost of hiring an additional employee, as you can hire them for fewer hours and don't have to worry about the additional costs of employment taxes.

My company handles clean up and monthly maintenance of QuickBooks files on a regular basis. Not only do I have a degree in Accounting I am an Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, and a Certified Public Bookkeeper, so I can handle just about anything that comes my way. If you are interested in a quick consult to find out more about our services you can schedule an appointment here or you can call our office at xxx-xxx-xxxx or shoot me an email at [email address]

Thank you  for reaching out. I will start by saying that many business owners don't realize the importance of proper bookkeeping. I ask many people what is the basis of their businesses. The answers vary from making money, customer service, solving issues and many more. In my opinion bookkeeping is the foundation of any size business. The question of needing a part time/full time manager in my mind depends on the volume of your  of revenue your company does - in some  cases having a on-site manager can get quite expensive.  Another point I would like to make is just because many bookkeepers have a certificate to do bookkeeping doesn't mean they know what they are doing. In all my years doing this I have run into many bookkeepers who "don't ask" questions and end up catagorizingthings they don't know into shareholders loans which can create another problem. If    you would like me to drop by and discuss in more detail please let me know. how to manage and document expenses is a learning process. Cheers, James K. Oglesby

I think you need an experienced bookkeeper or accountant to clean up your books and get on the tasks.  It depends on the volume of your business.  You may not need a full time person on it.  Once the mess is cleaned up and the books are up to date, the person may come in like once a week or so to  manage it.  It works.

We are an small bookkeeping service who caters to small to medium businesses. I always explain to my clients that it will cost you less to outsource your bookkeeping needs then to hire someone in house. When you hire a licensed and insured bookkeeping service you will not be responsible for Unemployment Federal and State, Workers Compensation insurance as well as your share of FICA. You do not need to supply a desk, computer, printer, etc. and a good bookkeeping service will set down the guidelines that need to be followed to stay compliant with Federal and State  employment and tax laws.

Hello Branden. When it comes to your books, you don't want to mess around. They are actually the lifeblood of your business. Without clean books, you have no real idea where your business stands. I would recommend that you hire an outside firm for a couple of reasons.

 First, the outside firms are really good at what they do. Bookkeeping is more than just data entry as I think you have already figured out. They take care of of recording, classifying & reviewing all business transactions, reconciliation of bank and credit card accounts, setting up and reporting sales tax, Journal entries, month end procedures, etc...

Secondly, bookkeeping firms will generally cost you less. They are not considered employees. There are no payroll taxes paid for them. They are not entitled to any form of benefits. They will get the job the job done quicker and more accurate so that your accountant has to do less work come tax time.

Bookkeeping is not as easy as everyone thinks. If you don't know what you are doing,  you can do more harm than good. A professional bookkeeper's focus is always on bookkeeping. It is what they do. You will have peace of mind knowing that your bookkeeping is being handled by a professional that knows what they are doing. They can leverage their advanced knowledge of bookkeeping and accounting technologies to streamline your bookkeeping needs.

If you need some help, give me a shout. Always happy to help out.

Scott Hillis
Green Visor Bookkeeping Solutions LLC

It depend on the size of your business. If you hire someone to manage your books in house, you are creating added cost such as; training costs, as well as payroll taxes, and benefits expenses. If you hire a bookkeeping services they can only charge you for the work performed, which is either an hourly or monthly, quarterly, or annual rate. It really depends on the size and the nature of the business seeking services. 

There are many ways to get your financial needs in order.  Depending on size of business you can most likely hire a part time bookkeeper or bookkeeping service.  We charge a monthly fee to complete services based on number of hours required.  Most importantly is to find an honest bookkeeper tha you can trust

 Ask yourself why you are considering the change and what are you looking for.  A bookkeeper should become a partner to the success of your business.  They need to bring value to the company by releasing you from the responsibilities of the financial tracking so you can focus on what you loved about your work in the first place.  If you can develop that relationship with a bookkeeping service they have the expertise to do the job right.  Someone who will "manage it" may not give you the same level of focus on the particulars of your financial health.   

 Hi. It depends (typical accountants reply!). If the business is small, a part time or contracted bookkeeper will work. If it's a larger business, a full time bookkeeper can double as reception and office admin. In any event, record keeping is paramount for the CRA, for deadlines, and or management of the business, as in sales, accounts receivable, payroll and accounts payable.