A solid bookkeeping system provides many benefits to your business such as accurate records and reports that lead to the ability to make sound business decisions. Without a bookkeeping system in place you are not able to provide the required information to the IRS about your business nor are you able to get solid financial data for your own use.  We know that defining this system can be a daunting task and that’s why we do this for our clients. Today, we are going to give you a little insight into how we create this system for our clients and what it does for them.

1- The first step is determining the best software for their business. If you’ve been around us for any amount of time, you know we LOVE Quickbooks Online and that is our preferred software. Most of the time this is best option for our clients for so many reasons, but we still go through a process to make sure this is going to be the most beneficial for them.

2- The next thing we do before we set off is talk to the client and learn their business. The bookkeeper will research old data and ask the client questions to ensure we have a full understanding of how the business operates, how they make their money, and even how and where they are spending their money. We see each and every client as a partnership so we want to be sure we have a full understanding of their business so that as we are working on their financial records we understand why and how certain things are occurring.

3- Next, we make sure that we are setup to record all data correctly and efficiently. We look at the current Chart of Accounts or create a whole new Chart of Accounts specific to each business to ensure that all income and expenses are being categorized to the right accounts and that there are not too many or too few accounts set up. A lot of what we do here comes out of the knowledge we learned in the previous step of getting to know the business better. We’re all about keeping things simple but detailed. As contrary as that may sound – it works!

4- Then, we create a secure space where we can each share data. We love Google Drive and often use that to share reports, store expense receipts, upload statements and any other pertinent information that both the bookkeeper and the business owner need to access.

5- After we have that shared space set up, we need to define a system between the bookkeeper and the client to ensure we have all of the data we need both in the beginning and on an ongoing basis. Utilizing a cloud software like Quickbooks Online allows us to sync bank and credit card accounts which automatically populates transactions for us but many times we still need to see some backup to truly know how to categorize transactions. The bookkeeper works with the client and offers options to obtain information. This could be an agreement that the client will upload receipts and statements to Google Drive each week or it could be that the bookkeeper sends over a quick email each week asking for the specific data she needs.

6- After everything is set up and in place we determine the best schedule for the client. Another thing you’ve probably read multiple times on our blog is that consistency is key! The key to accurate data is consistency. Our bookkeepers get each client on a consistent schedule so that, at anytime the business owner can access their books and look at real-time, accurate data. We’re not just logging in once per month and updating transactions all at once for the month. We are logging and categorizing, matching, reconciling at least once per week because again, consistency is key!

That, in a nutshell is how we create a bookkeeping system specific to each and every client we serve. We take systems very seriously because we know that they work. We wouldn’t be able to serve the level of clients we serve, nor the amount of clients we serve if we didn’t follow systems, processes, and be consistent in everything we do.

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If you are on the edge and considering outsourcing your bookkeeping but reading about this “system” setup and process makes your head spin, don’t just take it from us, here are a couple of our amazing clients and what they have to say:

“Before working with Steadfast I felt overloaded and didn’t know where to start with keeping up with my books. I chose Steadfast Bookkeeping Co. because you are the EASIEST to work with and make things so seamless and simple. You are always there and have the best support and service. And your branding + communications are always on point and consistent. Since working with you, I’ve gotten a much better understanding of my profits and losses, which is EVERYTHING about a business!” – Christina Scalera, Attorney for Creatives christinascalera.com

“I’ve been working with Steadfast for just a few weeks, and it’s already the best bookkeeping experience I’ve ever had in all 12 years of business!” Lara Isaacson, Lara Casey Media laracasey.com

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