Who's Watching YOUR Money? 7 Tips for Hiring the Right Bookkeeper

While Im a strong advocate of hiring virtual assistants, there are two things that no entrepreneur should ever fully delegate: marketing and bookkeeping. The marketing and the bookkeeping of your business can easily make or break you (just think new Coke and Enron). That said, if bookkeeping is not your forte, hire someone to do it you will save so much in frustration just be sure to keep your fingers in the books.

If you choose to hire a bookkeeper, keep the following in mind:

1. Get QuickBooks.

For ease of use, I highly recommend using QuickBooks and hiring a QuickBooks ProAdvisor. QuickBooks ProAdvisors have taken certification exams to insure that they know the system. I have used QuickBooks both for myself and my clients since 1996 and highly recommend it for its ease of use/understanding.

The online version is great in that you can see the latest version of your books at any time and eliminate the annoyance of emailing files back and forth and wondering who has the latest version.

2. She must see both the forest AND the trees.

You want your bookkeeper to be detail-oriented AND to see/understand the big picture. She needs to know what happens consistently every month and update your books without bothering you for items she should know about.

At the same time, she needs to be astute enough to see the larger picture and warn you of any impending problems before they happen. If you purchase a piece of equipment, she should know how to properly enter it into your bookkeeping software to avoid problems and therefore save time and money with your accountant (and the IRS) later on.

3. She must know your industry.

You dont want to have to train your bookkeeper on your industry language, standard industry income or expense categories or other basics. The more up-to-speed she is, the faster she can hit the ground running and the sooner you will have good data. If she doesnt know your industry however, be sure to give her a rundown of lingo and how you refer to your customers/clients/tenants in order for you to get the most meaningful reports out of the gate.

4. She must provide timely reporting.

In hiring your bookkeeper, insure that you put in a provision for when you want to see monthly financials. The date will depend on when your bank month ends give her a few days after that date to reconcile your accounts and produce reports. At a minimum, you want to see a profit & loss, balance sheet and cash flow statement.

Take the time to review the reports so you can spot any irregularities before they blossom into problems. Not sure how to read a cash flow statement? Get a check/electronic funds transfer (eft or auto debit) transaction detail instead. It will help you see where the cash is going.

5. She must know accounting terms and still speak English.

Your bookkeeper needs to know the difference between assets, liabilities, income, expenses and equity and be able to provide your accountant with the necessary data upon request. At the same time however, if you are not numbers oriented, she also needs to be able to explain the financial statements to you in plain English.

6. She must be trustworthy.

Hiring someone to keep track of your bookkeeping requires a level of trust between you both. You need to feel comfortable that she will keep track of your information and maintain your confidentiality. At the same time, if she pays your bills and has access to your bank accounts, you must also trust that she will not abuse that privilege. And make no mistake, it is a privilege to have someone (particularly in a virtual relationship) trust you with their finances, their checkbook and their business.

Good business sense demands that you protect yourself just in case. I highly recommend that, in addition to a confidentiality agreement, you insure that your bookkeeper is bonded and you get a copy of that bond.

7. She must have great communication skills.

If your bookkeeper will be communicating with your clients and vendors, she must represent your business as you would. Whether virtual or in-house, its critical that your bookkeeper be a positive force that further enhances relationships. The question of money can, at times, be a sensitive matter. You need someone who recognizes that and communicates appropriately.

Always remember these are your books and this is your business. While you may hire someone to manage the details of tracking your finances, and should do so if this is not one of your strengths, the ultimate responsibility for oversight is yours. Michael E. Gerber of the E-myth series said it best: Delegate, dont abdicate.

Copyright 2006 Sandra P. Martini

Sandra P. Martini

The History Of Shih Tzu Is Steeped In Mystery And Legends

I understand that Apso means dog, but could also mean goat-like or shaggy in the Tibetan language. To the Tibetan people it was used to mean Temple Dog. In that connection it became known as Lion Dog. All these meanings were a long time ago. It seems I read repeatedly that many people understand and agree it was about 1650 that three temple dogs, holy dogs (they called them), were sent to China and that from these three came the Shih Tzu. It seems there are many (from what I read) who are in agreement that about 100 years later, the temple dogs had been the sole property of the Dalai Lama. Some of these dogs were given away to distinguished Russian visitors, and were stolen before they reached the border along with several many more that disappeared from Dalai Lamas monastery during a civil upheaval and then reappeared in various parts of the country. According to the historians this was the end of the Temple or Lion Dog, the Apso. From then on, all sorts of small dogs that looked vaguely like the Apso of old became known as Apso. This is told as being the beginning of the Monastery dog and also the caravan dog.

Whether or not the present day Apso or the Shih Tzu can be regarded as pure representatives of the historic Tibetan Holy Dogs, they are clearly historically related, the Apso that developed along Tibetan lines and the Shih Tzu because of climate, environment and human planning became essentially Chinese. I think I can understand this much of some of the mystery surroundings the development of Shih Tzu. And I do believe this much is absolutely true. Although the Apso and the Shih Tzu are closely related in their distant past, for centuries the two breeds have developed along totally different lines. The Apso remained in the remote vastness of Tibet where it could adapt to the climate without difficulty. And the Shih Tzu was taken eastward to share in the life of luxury at the Chinese Court.

The Shih Tzu was brought directly from Peking to Scandinavia and was classified as a Toy, which was probably a correct interpretation of the Chinese ideal. The introduction of the Pekingese strain was also probably designed to help make the larger mountain watchdog (the Apso) more suitable for the Imperial Palace. All of this part of the Shih Tzus unique heritage of which none of us should be ashamed.

Of note here, I would like to emphasize, this is an article regarding the history of our Shih Tzu. This article is by no means an advocate for anyone to interbreed the Shih Tzu with any other breed for any reason. The American Shih Tzu Clubs Code of Ethics clearly states that the crossbreeding of the Shih Tzu to any other breed is strictly prohibited and not at all acceptable.

This article is FREE to publish with resource box.

Connie Limon is a Shih Tzu breeder. She publishes a FREE weekly newsletter. A professional newsletter with a focus upon health and wellness for you and your pets. Discounts are offered to subscribers. Sign up at: http://www.stainglassshihtzus.com