A good bookkeeper is a business's best friend. It isn't a question of whether or not a business can afford to keep its finances in good order - it simply can't afford not to.
1. Make sure the bookkeeper is regulated by a professional body, such as the AAT or the IAB. Bookkeeping isn't a protected title under UK law, so anyone can call themselves a bookkeeper, which makes using someone regulated one even more important
2. Make sure your bookkeeper has professional indemnity insurance
3. The relationship with your bookkeeper is vital to your business, so make sure you like them. If you also use an accountant, make sure they can work together too.
4. Find out their speciality. Some bookkeepers specialise in certain industries, or specialise in cloud accounting. Are they the best person suited to your business's future growth?
5. Ask what they know about your business. They should have done some basic research about your company
6. It helps if you're honest about your own bookkeeping abilities. There's no point them producing monthly management accounts if you struggle to understand them. They could produce figures easier for you to digest and make the right decisions for your business
7. Don't underestimate the amount of work needed to do your books. Too many businesses fail to correctly assess the complexity of their financial affairs. A couple of hours a month probably won't do it
8. Talk about your business, your suppliers, customers and staff. A good bookkeeper needs to know how your business works to make decisions about your accounts, and to present you with relevant financial information
9. Any good bookkeeper will require a signed letter of engagement, outlining the scope of work required. This can always be adjusted later, but is essential to both parties knowing whats required and expected
10. Tell your bookkeeper of any outstanding issues, such as late VAT payments, outstanding tax etc. They'll find out anyway, but being upfront about it allows them to put in place a plan to resolve these issues early on