Anyone can buy a pair of scissors, download a YouTube clip, and attempt to give themselves a haircut. But that doesn’t mean we should all be cutting our own hair, let alone calling ourselves hairdressers. The same goes for bookkeeping. While, in this age of self-service checkouts and DIY-everything, many of us are looking for ways to apply this homespun approach to our businesses – there are some compelling reasons why ‘doing it yourself’ is not always the best option. Here are our top three for why it’s a good idea to get yourself a qualified bookkeeper for your business…
They know what to do and have the tools to do it
Simply because we cando something ourselves, does not mean that we should. At Numble, our aim is to make it easier to run your business. For many people, and for small businesses in particular, that means finding someone who has:
✓Accurate and up-to-date information on changes to laws affecting small business
✓Understanding of ATO compliance, rules and regulations
✓The right software and training to keep your records safe and up-to-date
✓Sound financial management and decision-making skills
A qualified bookkeeper has all this, and more. While that’s already fourreasons (we like to over-deliver!) why enlisting the support of a qualified bookkeeper is a great idea – they can all be summed up by: ‘they know what they’re doing’.
Think of a qualified bookkeeper like a trusty sidekick or role player; someone on your team who knows exactly what they need to do, how to do it, and then gets it done. Why spend hours and hours on a Saturday afternoon trying to figure out what on earth an STP, a BAS, or a TPAR are, when you could invest in a qualified bookkeeper and take your family to the beach or put your feet up with a good book instead?
Peace of mind
We’ve already discussed the benefits of hiring someone who knows what they’re doing (hello family time at the beach!), but when it comes to your books – what value do you put on your peace of mind? From taking responsibility for making sure your GST, payroll and superannuation is compliant, to minimising the risk of fraud, audits or penalties – getting the help of a qualified bookkeeper gives you peace of mind knowing that you’re not missing anything in the fine print.
Qualified bookkeepers are fine print specialists. They cross the t’s in GST and dot the i’s in IAS. Knowing that someone is taking care of the minutiae of your business finances gives you confidence and peace of mind.
Bonus tip: find yourself a qualified bookkeeper who is a registered BAS Agent. Hiring a registered BAS Agent means that your bookkeeper has satisfied the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) that they have the skills, qualifications, insurance, training, and experience required to correctly account for GST and prepare your Business Activity Statement (BAS) according to legislation. They are also covered by the TPB’s code of professional conduct. A non-BAS Agent contract bookkeeper cannot legally prepare and lodge your BAS, STP payroll, super or a number of other important functions of a bookkeeper. You can check if your bookkeeper is a registered BAS Agent here . Numble is a registered BAS Agent and all our lodgments are compliant – it’s right there in our name!)
You can focus on other things
There are so many different facets of running a successful small business, and every time we say ‘yes’ to something, we are inadvertently saying ‘no’ to something else. The same applies to your bookkeeping. If you decide to take care of your books yourself, not only will it take up your valuable time but, you are taking time away from creating or developing other parts of your business that only youcan do. A qualified bookkeeper can do your books, sure, but they can’t deliver that awesome product of yours, or give that presentation to a new client.
The cost you might save from trying to DIY, will likely be eaten up by other parts of your business that didn’t get the attention they deserved. Truth be known – hiring a qualified bookkeeper does not necessarily have anything to do with your ability to do it yourself (although it might). Rather, it’s a conscious decision about what’s the best use of your time and of the most value to your business. Think of hiring a qualified bookkeeper as an investment in yourself, your peace of mind and the rest of your business. You won’t regret it.
So, there you have it: our top three reasons why you need a qualified bookkeeper for your business. There’s plenty more where that came from – view our bookkeeping services and we’ll take care of the rest.
Also hear from one of our long-standing clients, the fantastic Mike from Twodeck, who had this to say about working withNumble.
