I recently received an email with the subject line, "Why You Should Fire Your Bookkeeper," and while I usually don’t give these things much attention, this one really had me shaking my head.

Need a bookkeeper? Of course you do! You care about your finances and what goes on in your business. You know there is no one better equipped to guide you on this journey than a perspective partner like yours truly.

As we gear up for the year's end, let's dig into the nitty-gritty of year-end bookkeeping. So, you're thinking what the hell is that? Well, it's basically tying up all the loose ends for the year.

As we gear up for the holiday festivities, it might seem counterintuitive to talk about rolling up our sleeves for some year-end financial tidying. But guess what? The fourth quarter (Q4) is the prime time to give your bookkeeping the TLC it deserves.

So, put down the pumpkin spice latte & candy corn (just me? ok..) for a minute and let's dive into why Q4 is the absolute best time for your annual bookkeeping cleanup.

Sure, we're all about independence and taking matters into our own hands, but when it comes to your business's financial health, there's a case to be made for leaving it to the experts. Here are 7 compelling reasons why you should reconsider going the DIY route with your books.

As a small business owner, the last thing on your mind might be next year’s taxes. But for those of you choosing to be your business’s bookkeeper – you are not afforded that luxury.

There is so much to know when it comes to doing your taxes, and as a small business owner, I know you’re already juggling too many job titles as it is. When you take on the role of your own bookkeeper, business advisor, cash flow analyzer, and even tax preparer - things can get dicey quick. While bookkeepers don’t usually do tax prep and are definitely not any kind of tax attorney, they CAN get your finances set up in a way that can help your tax professional come April 18th. 

As a small business owner or independent contractor, you’ve got this tax thing down. You obviously know exactly what a tax write off is – and isn’t… right? You’ve done your research and you’ve perused tax blog after tax blog. You’ve even tried deciphering the IRS website!

There comes a time in every small business owner’s life when you reach a ceiling in your QuickBooks Online knowledge.

Small business owners are some of the smartest, most innovative people on the planet, but often don’t know when it’s time to get their financials in order. I can’t tell you how many panicked calls and emails I get come tax time from people whose books are all kinds of messed up and are in desperate need of a quick fix!

Fact or fiction: your bookkeeper only files your taxes and hounds you for your receipts. Fiction! Bookkeepers are so much more than just the guy that bothers you about your tax forms.

Quickbooks is the most popular app out there for business owners managing their books but it is not perfect! There are some parts of managing Quickbooks that you may only learn working with an accountant.

One of the most important things you need to learn as a business owner is how to price your services! It may sound simple, but incorrectly pricing services you offer can eat away any profits you have, or even lead to losses that could really hurt your company. Below I will give you some great tips on how to calculate the price for your services!

As a business owner, you may not have as much time as you would like to deal with your business accounting books. QuickBooks is a great software program that makes accounting so much easier - it's about time. One of the best functions of QuickBooks is to help with account reconciliation. In this article, we discuss reconciliation and some issues QuickBooks users encounter.

This is a big one because so many small business owners have a “general idea” of their profitability but they don’t really know what their entire business picture looks like. When you’re ready to expand to the next level – do you know which of your products and services are most profitable, and which ones aren’t? If you needed to cut costs, do you know where your biggest expenses are?  Knowing the numbers in real-time can help you maximize your profits and reduce your expenses.

Don’t worry, almost everyone starts off their business with just a spreadsheet.  It seems easy enough to create the columns and formulas, and enter your data manually.  And it usually works for a little while…until it doesn’t anymore.  As your business starts to grow, it’s time to find a good bookkeeper.