Accounting and finance
Bookkeeping help
Should you hand your bookkeeping to a person or service, and what should they take on?
Six short steps. No email or account.
- Who needs it
- Owners whose time is worth more than the fee, businesses whose books no longer fit in an evening a week, and anyone who is months behind.
- When it matters
- When you are avoiding the books, or when the business is complex enough that mistakes cost real money.
- Compare first
- What the fee actually covers
- Matters most when
- growing, mature
Is this the right tool for you?
Books that are months behind hide cash problems, miss deductible expenses and make tax season expensive. A bookkeeper keeps the ledger current and reconciled so you have accurate numbers every month, and gives you back the evenings you spend doing it badly.
Signs you need it now
- Reconciliation is months behind, or has never been done.
- You spend evenings or weekends categorizing transactions.
- Your accountant charges for clean-up before they can prepare your return.
- You make pricing or hiring decisions without current numbers.
- Nobody but you knows the state of the books.
When another area fits better
- You are happy to do the books yourself and just need the right tool. Read the accounting software guide
- The books are fine and your need is filing returns and tax planning. Read the tax preparation guide
Recognise two or more of these? Sort out bookkeeping help next.
Tell us how your business runs and get a plan that puts bookkeeping help in order with everything else: what to set up first, your must-haves and what to compare.
What matters at your size
Working alone
Monthly reconciliation and categorization is often enough. Keep ownership of your accounting system so you can change bookkeepers without losing history.
A small team
Add paying bills, chasing overdue invoices, running payroll and monthly reports you actually review. Agree clearly on who does what.
Several teams or locations
A dedicated part-time or in-house bookkeeper, controls such as separating who approves and who pays, and a relationship with an accountant for review and planning.
How the way you work changes the choice
- Trades and contractors
- Look for someone who understands job costing, subcontractor records and, if relevant, progress billing. General bookkeeping experience is not always enough.
- Shops and retail
- Daily sales, card deposits that do not match sales exactly, inventory and sales tax. Ask how they reconcile your point of sale to the bank.
- Professional firms
- Time-based billing, retainers and any client or trust funds. Experience with your profession's rules on client money matters.
What to compare
What the fee actually covers
Categorisation only, or reconciliation, payroll journal entries and reporting too?
Software lock-in
Many services only work on one accounting platform. Check it matches yours.
Tax filing included
Bookkeeping and tax preparation are usually priced separately.
Named contact
Whether you get one bookkeeper or a rotating queue changes the experience considerably.
Cost and setup effort
- Pricing is usually a monthly fee based on transaction volume and scope, or hourly. Ask for a written scope listing exactly what is included.
- Expect a clean-up or catch-up project first if the books are behind, usually priced separately from the ongoing work.
- You will still need to answer questions, share receipts and approve payments. Ask how they communicate and how quickly they need answers.
Trade-offs to weigh
- Local freelancer or online service
- A local bookkeeper can know you and your trade well; an online service may offer more consistent systems and coverage. Both depend on the person actually doing the work.
- Bookkeeping only or with tax
- Firms that do both keep things in one place. Separate providers can each be specialists, but you coordinate between them.
- Outsourced or in-house
- Outsourcing is flexible and cheaper at small volume. An in-house person costs more but is on hand for daily questions and other admin.
When to sort it out
When you are avoiding the books, or when the business is complex enough that mistakes cost real money.
Your next step
Answer six short questions about how your business runs. You get an operating plan: where bookkeeping help fits among your priorities, the must-haves to hold every option to, and what to compare when you choose.
Where this comes first
Trades and businesses that usually sort this out early.
Often decided alongside
Other parts of accounting and finance.