For goodness sake – get some training!!!!!

Have been looking over the books of a not-for-profit this week. The last 2 treasurers basically have had no idea about how to use MYOB for the bookkeeping. Funnily enough both of them work in the finance industry themselves. I have spent at least 8 hours trying to trace back errors and fix the data file so that reports come back accurately. Mostly – it’s been a case of not knowing exactly how MYOB deals with certain transactions and why certain control accounts are used – and how they are used.

Less so now – but still I find bookkeepers not valued as much by business owners as they should be and it’s funny how in the finance world – bookkkeepers can tend to be looked down upon by other members. A great bookkeeper – hell even a good bookkeeper is hard to find! Small business owners seem to think that bookkeeping is easy (if not tedious) and that anyone can “do the books” – this just isn’t true people! this just isn’t true!

New business, new bookkeeper…

Another new client this week – a referral from another client. Was grateful that she went to all the trouble of introducing me to the client and setting up the first meeting. She could see the value I add to her business and wanted her friend to start off on the right foot with a bookkeeper from the start.
Do you have a friend starting a new business? Is there someone or someone’s service you could recommend to them to make their business easier and solve problems from the start?

Bookkeeping sometimes you should let it go….

Had a new client today – a lovely vet who had just taken over the practice from a retiring vet.
The previous vet was using MYOB and the new one going to continue. He looked at the program and worked out he needed someone to help him set it up from the start properly.

All good – nothing like a call the 2 days before I was going away on holidays :0) but I set up the new file and showed him how to at least pay the staff. One of my other bookkeepers went to help him with entering purchases and the like.

But he said he was all OK and that he didn’t need us anymore. He felt it was important that a business owner understand his books and know what was happening in the business. I couldn’t agree more – but this doesn’t mean the business owner needs to do the bookkeeping themselves. Using a combination of simple checks and reports, a business owner can know what is happening in the business AND keep an eye on the bookkeeper’s work.

Needless to say – a week back from my holidays and I get a call from the vet – the BAS is due tomorrow and he needs me to come in. How much bookkeeping do you think he had done since we had last visited? Only the wages. Of course he ran out of time and found he didn’t enjoy entering the data into MYOB. Could we please come regularly from now on?

Of course we can

What is the lesson to take away from this? Sometimes a business owner doesn’t have the time or the skill to do their own bookkeeping. That is OK as long as he/she knows what to check and what reports he needs to keep an eye on the finances of the business. Sometimes with your own bookkeeping – you need to let it go.

Cheers

Debbie

BAS is over

Well another BAS period over – phew!! Are you one of those people who promise you will get organised after each BAS – but somehow the next one is a rush too?

Try to get your paperwork in order as you go – one of the easiest ways for the non-bookkeeper – is to simply have an in-tray and put ALL the financial stuff in the one place as you go. Any receipts, bank statements, paid bills etc all get put into the in-tray for your bookkeeper to sort through at BAS time.

Once you get into the habit of putting everything in the one place – trust me – you will be well on the way to getting organised for next BAS.

Debbie

Bookkeeping – why blog?

Well hello everyone – let me introduce myself. My name is Debbie and I have been a bookkeeper for over 12 years now. I first started using MYOB First Accounts as the “admin” person in my ex-husband’s business. Our accountant liked what he saw from our books – and asked me to do some bookkeeping for his clients. And from there my bookkeeping sort of took off….

Now I am an MYOB Certified Accountant and trainer of Certificate IV Financial Services (Bookkeeping)! Basically I love my job and have always thought bookkeepers needed more recognition for the brilliant job they do. Trust me I have seen some pretty awful attempts at bookkeeping – so if you have a great one – make sure you keep them. A great bookkeeper is a definite asset to a business!!

Anyway – look out for more ….

Check out my website
www.impactbookkeeping.com.au to see what we can do and how we do it!