Reader Question: Bookkeeper Job Description

 I am working with a small landscaping business helping them hire a bookkeeper.  I want to prepare a document defining what we want the bookkeeper to do.  Do you have any suggestions?

For a general job description, I would say daily tasks would be processing payments, making bank deposits, paying bills; weekly invoicing of clients, collections, perhaps payroll; monthly tasks would be financials and closing out the month.

The difficulty I find in bookkeepers is that they tend to have a general knowledge of the day-to-day functions of accounting, but create financial nightmares for businesses when it comes to the actual financial side of the business. 

For example, in landscaping, you may have a client you purchase materials for to do one project, then you might have general materials you purchase that cover many projects.  Most bookkeepers do not have the slightest idea how to classify items to just one project.  In addition, most general bookkeepers have little to no knowledge when it comes to taxation, accounting practices, coding assets/liabilities through journal entries.

You are so busy out in the field making it happen, the last thing you want to be doing is cleaning up financials behind the bookkeeper you hired.  Minimally you should have a CPA reviewing what your bookkeeper does on a quarterly basis.  I cannot tell you how many emails I have been receiving from companies where managers of companies are embezzling and the person sending the email does not want to lose their job by revealing this information.  It happens every day.

The best source for excellent accounting at very reasonable rates is Outsource It Business Services www.osibusinessservices.com or Balance Your Books www.balanceyourbooks.com  These people know what they're doing.  They're highly qualified and extremely honest and dependable.  I urge you to look into other alternatives than unqualified staff.