Running a small business in California means managing customers, expenses, employees or contractors, marketing, and day-to-day operations. With so much competing for your attention, bookkeeping can quickly fall behind.
Accurate bookkeeping helps California small-business owners understand their finances, stay organized, and be better prepared for tax time.
Here are five signs it may be time to hire a professional bookkeeper in California.
1. Your Bookkeeping Is Months Behind
If you have hundreds of uncategorized transactions sitting in QuickBooks Online, you’re not alone.
A professional bookkeeper can help with catch-up bookkeeping, categorize transactions, reconcile bank and credit card accounts, and establish a monthly bookkeeping process to keep your records current.
2. You Don’t Know If Your Business Is Actually Profitable
Having money in your business bank account doesn’t necessarily mean your business is profitable.
Accurate bookkeeping provides financial reports that show your revenue, expenses, and overall financial performance.
When your books are current, you can make business decisions using real financial information instead of relying on your bank balance.
3. Tax Season Is Always Stressful
Tax preparation becomes much more difficult when your bookkeeping hasn’t been maintained throughout the year.
Organized financial records can make it easier to provide your CPA or tax professional with the information they need.
Instead of trying to reconstruct months of business activity at tax time, ongoing bookkeeping keeps your financial records organized throughout the year.
4. Your QuickBooks Online Account Is a Mess
QuickBooks Online is a powerful accounting platform, but it still needs to be configured and maintained properly.
Duplicate accounts, incorrect transaction categories, unreconciled accounts, and an overly complicated Chart of Accounts can make your financial reports difficult to understand.
Working with a QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor can help you clean up QuickBooks and create a bookkeeping system that better reflects your business.
5. Bookkeeping Is Taking Too Much of Your Time
Small-business owners already have enough to manage.
If you’re spending nights or weekends categorizing transactions, reconciling accounts, or trying to figure out QuickBooks, outsourcing your bookkeeping can give you valuable time back.
Bookkeeping Services for California Small Businesses
Summers Bookkeeping & Advisory provides professional bookkeeping services for small businesses throughout California.
Services include monthly bookkeeping, bank and credit card reconciliations, QuickBooks Online cleanup, catch-up bookkeeping, Chart of Accounts organization, and financial reporting.
Whether you’re a new business trying to establish good bookkeeping practices or an established California business with books that need attention, we’re here to help.
Looking for a California bookkeeper? Contact Summers Bookkeeping & Advisory today to schedule a consultation.