4 reasons to work with a remote bookkeeper
4 reasons to work with a remote bookkeeper

Four Reasons To Work With A Remote Bookkeeper

While remote work has been suddenly thrust into the spotlight, many of us have been doing it for years. The technologies that allow employees to work remotely have also enabled the rise of remote service providers in a wide variety of industries. Just twenty years ago, you probably choose your bookkeeper from a listing of people in your metro area—perhaps even out of the phone book. Today, it doesn’t really matter where your provider is physically located, as long as he or she is available to communicate and complete tasks on your schedule.

But are there benefits to you, as a business owner, choosing a bookkeeper in another state? It may surprise you to learn that the answer is yes.

1. You can work with the best, most experienced person for your industry and needs.

Almost every industry has its own specific accounting requirements, whether those have to do with collecting sales tax, paying other specialized taxes, keeping inventory, managing cash flow during a long sales cycle, and a myriad of other possibilities. You want to choose a bookkeeper who will understand your business, do things right the first time around, and not require a lot of hand-holding. You can also take advantage of your bookkeeper’s specific expertise in your industry to help you make business decisions.

But what if you run your business in an area that isn’t saturated with specialized bookkeepers, or what if all the local shops are too busy to take you on? By broadening your search geographically, your options are almost limitless. Depending on how important it is for you to work with someone in your own time zone, you can expand your search as far away as needed to find the best fit for your needs.

2. A remote bookkeeper is more likely to be well-versed in the latest accounting technologies.

Simply by virtue of working with clients on the cloud, it’s critical for a remote bookkeeper to be up to date on technology. He or she will have established tools and processes for communicating with you, sharing information securely, and collaborating on your books. We use Xero’s cloud accounting platform to work with all of our clients. In Xero, our cloud accountant and the client can view all information simultaneously and see an up-to-the-minute snapshot of the business books. Our cloud accountants also help clients troubleshoot any tech-related issues they may have, which means clients have a real, live person in their corner to answer questions.

3. You save time and get better business insights by collaborating virtually.

When you work with a remote bookkeeper, you don’t have to wait for a monthly meeting to get things done. There’s also no travel, no scheduling someone to come into your office, no missed meetings due to conflicts, etc. Growing businesses need accounting that happens in real time, and that’s exactly how an arrangement with a remote bookkeeper works, too. Our clients can talk to their cloud accountants when needed, and from anywhere. If you have a heavy travel schedule or need to deal with some financial issues while you’re out of the office, you’ll really appreciate the fact that you only need a phone and an internet connection to collaborate.

4. Your documents and information are safe and secure on the cloud.

The security of online information falls into two major categories: physical and virtual. Physically, your data can never be lost due to a storm, theft, hardware malfunction, or another damaging event that could wipe out paper records or cause you to lose information stored on a hard drive. Data stored on the cloud is backed up, encrypted, and accessible from any device you choose to use with your login credentials. In terms of cloud security, Xero’s protection is powerful. Multiple layers of security protect your data, including two-step authentication and data encryption.  You control who on your team has access to what pieces of information.

Convinced yet?

Talk to us about our virtual bookkeeping and cloud accounting services. Not only do we make your life easier by streamlining processes, automating data collection, and even full-service bookkeeping, but we also offer real-time insights to help you make proactive decisions and grow your business. Contact us to schedule a consultation.

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