Bookkeepers are usually the first professional accounting personnel that you’ll hire at your small business. Bookkeepers are responsible for the functional activities of your company’s accounting, such as payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, invoicing, etc.
There isn’t really a standard for education or training for bookkeepers. I have seen excellent bookkeepers with high school degrees as well as junior college associate’s degrees and bachelor’s degrees. I have also seen poor bookkeepers who have these same levels of education. In general, good bookkeepers pay attention to detail, are intelligence, and have a desire to learn. Excellent bookkeepers look at themselves as professionals and strive to become better at their craft.
The main advantage of having a bookkeeper at a small business is that you have a professional performing your firm’s functional accounting duties. The downside is that there isn’t a standard to compare bookkeepers with, so you often have to trying someone out to see if they can perform the job. This can be expensive and frustrating. Additionally, many bookkeepers don’t have the experience to help with your company’s higher-level financial management needs, such as cash flow analysis and financial analysis that other professional accounting personnel have.
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