What To Do When Your Bookkeeper Leaves?
It’s just like any other day. Lots to do for your business - sales, marketing, product development, your bookkeeper, who is the only person who has worked on your books since the business began, comes in and says “we need to talk.”
You already know where this is am going. Sometimes they want a pay raise, sometimes just more recognition, but sometimes your bookkeeper is preparing to tell you they are leaving.
On top of everything else you need to get done, you now have two weeks to find a qualified bookkeeper that fits into the culture of your organization and pick up where your previous bookkeeper left off. We all know, that’s not going to happen.
Many small businesses have had bookkeepers that figured things out along the way; processes are left undocumented, exceptions have been made to “tie up loose ends,” and the books are more than likely going to need some cleanup. All that history contained in those numbers that can help predict the direction of your business will need to be evaluated and reworked by someone new.
What if the person you scramble to hire doesn’t work out? You'll need to begin the search again for the right person that can hopefully take on what your bookkeeper was doing before, but this time, maybe take this critical function to the next level. How are you going to pull that off with all you have to do?
You are not alone. Every business faces these challenges. Unfortunately, it always seems to be the one person you didn’t think would leave, and it is rarely at a good time.
To mitigate this risk, small business owners should consider outsourcing critical components of their business to others who specialize in those functions such as accounting, human resources or marketing.
Although it may be scary to think about or just different from anything you have ever done in any other business, you should challenge yourself to focus on what benefits outsourcing these functions can have on your business.
Start small and do your research, start with a component such as accounting and find a partner you can trust, who will sit down with you to truly understand what your business does and what it is you are trying to accomplish. Ask them some key questions to get a better feel for their approach and their organization. Having an understanding of who you are partnering with will allow you both to work together in the best interest of your business.
Interested in outsourcing your accounting or bookkeeping? Reach out and get to know the Basis 365 team to learn more about how outsourcing your accounting can help amplify your business growth.
