Are you a rapidly growing business? Have you outgrown part-time, in-house bookkeepers, or is it impossible to keep one for more than a few months? This happens to many businesses as they break the $2 million in annual revenue barrier. The business owner discovers that haphazard accounting practices and the revolving door of bookkeepers is holding the company back from further growth.
If you've come to the conclusion that you really need someone who knows what they're doing to provide accounting services for your business, you're probably wondering where you can find that person or company. Here are just a few things to consider when you begin interviewing outsourced accounting services.
Does The Outsourced Accounting Service Use U.S.-Based Bookkeepers?
There are a number of reasons to use outsourced accounting services to U.S.-based bookkeepers, aside from the obvious benefit of keeping your money inside the U.S. economy and supporting American talent. There are a number of highly skilled bookkeepers who live in rural areas of the U.S. For these people, a virtual accounting firm permits them to be productive from home and earn fair wages for their skills. These people work the same hours you do... and speak your language, too.
If you hire an accounting firm overseas, chances are their bookkeepers and accountants are working while you're sleeping. If you have questions during normal business hours, you're out of luck. You'll have to wait 24 hours or more to get an emailed response to your question. And then, there's the language barrier. Did they even answer the question you asked to your satisfaction, or will you have to wait another 24 hours?
Are The Outsourced Accounting Services Secure?
What sort of cloud storage is your accounting firm using? Are your files secure?
As an example, the AccountingDepartment.com bookkeepers work in private home offices, with a dual monitor set up for maximum efficiency. Your accounting files and accounting software is hosted on our own Application Service Provider (ASP), om a continuously managed, SAS 70 Type II certified facility. Your data travels across the internet with the highest level of SSL encryption, the same security measures offered by the IRS. If you're currently storing accounting files locally, chances are you don't have this level of security.
You can access your files any time from a computer with Internet access and the latest version of a web browser, but no one else can access your company files without your express permission.
What's the Hiring Process Like for Bookkeepers?
Of course, the right technology is critical for the security of your company's financial data, but finding the best accounting services is primarily about having the right people.
For example, at AccountingDepartment.com, we receive more than 4,000 resumes annually and, of those, only 10 percent are invited to take our rigorous, 4-hour accounting test. Five percent typically pass that test and move on to our interview process, where 50 percent of those applicants are hired to become AccountingDepartment.com bookkeepers. Background checks, credit checks, it's all part of the process to ensure we're providing our clients with the best, most trustworthy bookkeepers in the business.
Does The Outsourced Accounting Service Provide A Service Level Agreement?
Hiring the right people is a good indication that the job will be done the way our clients expect. But just to be sure, we sign a Service Level Agreement with all our clients. The duties of the full-charge bookkeeper, accounting software specialist and financial controller are all listed in the customized Client Procedures Manual we prepare as part of the onboarding process.
Looking at each of these factors can help ensure you get the best bookkeepping and outsourced accounting services you need to help your business stay profitable and grow.
