Virtual bookkeeper provides the expertise and support required to stay organized and amenable without hiring an in-house bookkeeper. Virtual bookkeepers are a great way to get your business off the ground, but it’s important to know what you’re getting into before you sign up. You should expect higher costs and a lower level of service from a virtual bookkeeper than from an in-house person. This isn’t necessarily bad because you’ll save money on salary expenses, but both parties must pay taxes—and the software package itself doesn’t always cover those.
Virtual bookkeeping services are becoming very popular these days. The practice of meeting your client in person is becoming outdated. In Invedus, most of our customers are virtual, and we don’t meet in person.
Trusting a virtual assistant service can be difficult, and choosing the right one is even more difficult. To simplify the process, I’ll mention how our company runs virtual bookkeeping services and define what to look for to make an informed decision.
What is a virtual bookkeeping service?
A virtual bookkeeping service is a remote bookkeeping service that helps businesses keep track of their books. A virtual bookkeeper can handle your finances and file your taxes.
A virtual bookkeeper is responsible for performing various financial and accounting tasks for their clients remotely. These tasks may include:
- Recording financial transactions.
- Reconciling bank statements.
- Generating financial reports.
- Managing accounts payable and receivable.
- Payroll management.
- Budgeting and forecasting.
- Advising clients on financial matters.
Here you can explore bookkeeping tasks a virtual assistant can do for entrepreneurs
If you want to hire a virtual bookkeeping service to handle your finances, make sure that the outsourcing company is reputable and has experience working with several types of businesses.
Now that you know what is a virtual bookkeeper and what to look for, you are now ready to hire the best one for your business!
How does virtual bookkeeping work?
Virtual bookkeeping is a practice of remote bookkeeping that enables businesses to outsource their bookkeeping needs to a third-party service provider. This service can provide businesses with the same level of bookkeeping services as an in-house bookkeeper but at a fraction of the cost.
If you want an affordable, less time-consuming, and effective method to keep your finances up to date, then hire a virtual bookkeeper from Invedus! Here you can learn the 15 biggest benefits of onboarding a virtual bookkeeping assistant.
How to Find the Best Virtual Bookkeeping Service for Your Business
Bookkeeping is an integral part of any business. It keeps track of your finances and books, ensuring that your taxes are paid on time. But there are many virtual bookkeeping services available in the market today, so how do you know which one suits your business? How to find the best virtual bookkeeping service for your business?
In this section of the blog, we will give you an insight into what to look for in a virtual bookkeeping service so that you can make an informed decision for your business. We will also guide what questions to ask the virtual bookkeepers before hiring.
Find out what software they use
There are a few key things to look for when you’re trying to find the best virtual bookkeeping service for your business. You’ll want to find out what software they use. This is important because you’ll want to make sure that the software is compatible with your own accounting software.
Make sure you use the same accounting software
If you use accounting software to track your finances, your virtual bookkeeper must use the same software.
This ensures that your financial data is securely transferred, and you can use the features and functions of your accounting software.
When hiring a virtual bookkeeping service, ask about its compatibility with your accounting software. If they are not using the same software as you do, another provider may be worth considering.
Apart from compatibility, you’ll also want to ensure that the virtual bookkeeping service you choose offers the features and functions you want. Make sure you ask about online bill pay, invoicing, and reporting. By ensuring that the service you choose has the features you need, you can be stressed free that your accounts will be managed accurately.
Evaluate your virtual bookkeeper’s online presence
It is essential to check the online presence of your virtual bookkeeper before hiring. By this, you will get a good idea about their professionalism and how they present to potential customers.
- Search the company’s website and check the design if it is well-designed and easy to use. If it does not look good to you, then it could be a big turn-off.
- Check the social media account of the potential bookkeeping service provider. Check their number of followers and see their postings on socials. If their account is inactive, then it could be a tip-off.
- Check the company’s reviews online given by the other clients, if you see the positive reviews then it can be a good choice.
Keep all these factors in mind, it helps you to find a suitable virtual bookkeeper.
Does your virtual bookkeeper have experience in your industry?
Find out if your preferred virtual bookkeeper has experience in your industry so they will understand your business’s specific financial needs.
You can ask them in an interview if they know your field. Most companies mention the area of expertise on their website. Also, check the online reviews of the company for full satisfaction. If they have positive reviews from other clients, you can consider hiring them. You can ask for referrals from people who have used a virtual bookkeeping service. If you do your in-depth research, then you can hire the best virtual bookkeeping services for your business.
Learn their process for dealing with clients
The best virtual bookkeeping services always have a well-crafted procedure to deal with clients. This process is designed in a way that all clients receive quality service.
Here we have mentioned some key elements that should be included in the process:
Initial consultation
After selecting suitable virtual bookkeeping services, you contact them to discuss your particular business requirements. In this first consultation, ask the company how they deal with their clients and how they approach bookkeeping.
Tell them your needs
Once you have done your initial consultation, tell your needs to the third-party service provider so that they can better understand what you want and your expectations.
Form a customized plan and execute it
After analyzing your requirements, they will form a customized plan to keep your goals in mind. This plan is designed according to your budget and the desired level of outcome.
After forming the plan, it is time to implement it. The virtual bookkeeping service will implement this customized plan. They will closely analyze the overall process to see if it runs smoothly and meets your expectations.
Ask your virtual bookkeeper about deliverables
If you are looking for a virtual bookkeeper, ask the company what deliverables they can provide. Make sure that they provide accurate and up-to-date financial statements.
They should provide you with the profit-loss statement and balance sheet. These are all essential documents that will help you track your company’s financial health.
Ask about pricing
Bookkeeping is an essential service for your business but is comparatively costly. Ask about the pricing structure of your preferred bookkeeper and also ask about the hidden costs. Be sure to get a few quotes to compare prices and services.
After understanding the costs, compare them with the other bookkeeper’s fees. Always remember that reducing your current prices may be possible, but the overall motive is to improve the quality of accounting.
When you hire a virtual bookkeeping service make sure you ask all the questions you want to ask and find out their style of working. The right outsourcing service provider will give you a cost-effective solution.
The Final words
To find the best virtual bookkeeping service, start by identifying your specific needs and budget. Look for services with strong reviews, a good track record, and the ability to scale with your business. Ensure they offer the software and support you prefer. Finally, consider their security measures to protect your financial data.
Moreover, your business will accelerate and expand by choosing the right virtual bookkeeper.
If you are interested in hiring a virtual bookkeeper, contact us today. We will provide you with the virtual bookkeeper of your dreams at an affordable price.