We often have people ask: “What is a bookkeeper? Is it something anyone can do?”
Our response is NO! Bookkeepers by today’s standards require qualifications, much like accountants, and need to maintain memberships with professional bodies.
The long and short of it is that every single operating business requires bookkeeping. Substandard or inaccurate bookkeeping can have severe repercussions, especially when the legal requirements of the Australian Taxation Office, Payroll and Superannuation are not being met.
To quote Laurus Bookkeeping: “You don’t give yourself a haircut, just because you know how to hold a pair of scissors. You take the time to find somebody who has undertaken the required training, has worked somewhere to gain the relevant experience. Someone who works with you in a professional manner and gets you the outcome that [hopefully!] you are after. They say that the only thing between a good and a bad haircut is 6 weeks.”
So, what is the difference between a good and a bad bookkeeper? It may just be the difference between the failure or success of your business, and the consequences will likely last notable longer than 6 weeks!
A good bookkeeper will be engaged in your business, will communicate openly and honestly with you and have up-to-date Tax Practitioner Board (TPB) registrations. They will also build and maintain a collaborative relationship with your accountant, and WILL NOT give you tax advice.
And a bad bookkeeper… well, you be the judge!
You trust your doctor to know about disease and medicine, you trust a mechanic to know how to fix your car, you trust a plumber to know how to sort out your leaky pipes and dripping taps. So, the question is: Why on earth would you trust someone who knows nothing about bookkeeping or accounting to do your books?
