Tips for Hiring A Virtual Bookkeeper

If there’s one thing we can thank Covid-19 for, it’s the boom of remote working. More companies are hiring virtual employees and working worldwide than ever before. At Oracle Profitability, we’ve joined the online working revolution and work with clients throughout the United States. But we know that it can feel intimidating to hire a bookkeeper and profitability consultant you’ve never met in real life. 

You might wonder why you should even work with a virtual bookkeeper. Too often, bookkeeping is seen as a necessary-but-mind-numbing process. Bookkeepers are seen as unimaginative number punchers and unthinking machines. At Oracle Profitability, we know that strategic bookkeeping is one of the most creative ways to keep your business in the money. 

Tracking your numbers regularly can help you make decisions during critical moments of your business operations. They can tell you the best time of year to bring on a new employee or whether a new product is viable. They can point out areas in your business that need to be restructured or reimagined. You don’t have to learn this the hard way; the numbers don’t lie.  Large corporations often look at their numbers on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to maximize their profits. With the help of a virtual accountant, you can too.

Now that you know why you need a virtual accountant, here are our tips for hiring one: 

Set Expectations

Schedule an initial call and outline the expectations for your virtual accountant. Do you want them to manage the books, receipts, and reconciliation for you? Do you need them to work with your CPA during tax season? Are you interested in increasing your profitability through better bookkeeping? Your expectations and the payment process should be clearly communicated and agreed upon prior to hiring your virtual bookkeeper. 

Establish Clear Channels of Communication

It’s important that you’re able to communicate clearly and regularly with your bookkeeper. Set up methods of ongoing communication, whether that be through email, Microsoft Teams, or Slack. If you have a big company, establish a primary point of contact for financial meetings with your bookkeeper. Hold regularly weekly or monthly meetings and be religious about attending them. Skipping a meeting could mean losing profits. 

Share Files Securely 

If you hire a virtual bookkeeper, be sure to ask what steps they take to protect your financial and personal information. At Oracle Profitability, your security is our highest priority. We use secure, cloud-based system to share files and financial documents with you. 

Use Virtual Accounting Software

Your bookkeeper will need to look at your books and it’s much more difficult for them to do that if you don’t have the right software. At Oracle Profitability, we’re certified Pro Advisors on Quickbooks Enterprise, Online, and Desktop. We highly recommend Quickbooks but there are several different options for online accounting software.

Hire a Trusted Professional

If virtual accounting software, cloud-based file systems, and hiring a virtual account still sounds intimidating, it helps to hire a professional who is experienced with virtual bookkeeping systems. At Oracle Profitability, we can walk you through the process to establish simple virtual systems, save you time and money, and act with your security in mind. 

If you want to know more about virtual accounting and profitability, schedule your free consultation with us today.