If you run a business in Columbia, you probably started it because you’re good at something. Fixing roofs, cutting hair, running a shop on Main Street, keeping a rental or two full. You didn’t start it to spend Sunday nights matching receipts to bank statements.
I’m Miles, and I run MilesP Bookkeeping. I’m a certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor (Level 1, Level 2 and Payroll), and I help small business owners in Columbia and the rest of Monroe County keep their books clean and current. In this post I want to give you a plain answer to a simple question: what should you look for when you hire a bookkeeper?
What a bookkeeper actually does
A lot of people mix up bookkeeping and tax work. They’re related, but they’re not the same job. A bookkeeper keeps the day-to-day records right. That means recording income and expenses, matching every transaction to your bank and credit card statements, keeping track of who owes you money and who you owe, and producing reports you can trust.
Your CPA or tax preparer then uses those records at tax time. When the books are clean, their job is faster, and that usually means a smaller bill for you. If you’re not sure where one job ends and the other begins, I wrote about it in choosing between a CPA and a bookkeeper.
Signs it’s time to get help
Most owners I talk to don’t call because everything is fine. They call because something has started to slip. Here are the signs I hear about most:
- You’re months behind on entering transactions, and it keeps growing.
- Your bank balance and your QuickBooks balance don’t agree, and you don’t know why.
- You can’t say for sure whether you made money last month.
- Tax season feels like a fire drill every single year.
- You’re spending evenings on the books instead of with your family.
If two or more of those sound familiar, it’s worth a conversation. Falling behind is common, and it’s fixable. I’ve got a whole post on how to prevent a bookkeeping backlog if you’d like to try to catch up on your own first.
What to look for in a Columbia bookkeeper
Real QuickBooks experience
Most small businesses around here use QuickBooks. Ask anyone you’re thinking of hiring whether they’re a certified ProAdvisor. Certification isn’t everything, but it shows they’ve been tested on how the software really works, not just how to click around in it.
Clear, regular reports
You should get a profit and loss statement and a balance sheet every month, and someone who will walk you through them in plain English. If reports confuse you, that’s on the bookkeeper to explain, not on you. Here’s my guide on how to read a profit and loss statement.
Someone who answers
This sounds basic, but it matters. You want a person who picks up the phone or answers your email in a reasonable time, and who tells you when something looks off instead of waiting for you to find it.
A clear price
Ask how they charge before you start. A flat monthly fee is easy to plan around. Cleanup work is often priced separately, because how much work it takes depends on how far behind the books are.
Why remote works well for Columbia businesses
I don’t have an office on Main Street, and that’s on purpose. I work remotely, using QuickBooks Online and secure file sharing. For most of my clients that’s actually easier. Nobody has to drive receipts across town, and nobody waits for an appointment. You snap a photo of a receipt or forward an email, and I take it from there.
Being remote doesn’t mean being far away. I know the area, I know the kinds of businesses that make up Columbia, and I’m reachable by phone. You can read more about how I work with local owners on my Columbia, IL bookkeeping page.
What working together looks like
Here’s the usual path when someone in Columbia reaches out:
- A short call. You tell me what’s going on and what’s bugging you. No pressure, no sales pitch.
- A look at your books. With your permission I review your QuickBooks file to see how much work there is.
- A clear quote. You know the cost before I start.
- Cleanup if needed. If you’re behind, I catch you up first.
- Monthly upkeep. Each month I reconcile your accounts, keep things categorized and send you your reports.
If your books need a good scrub before anything else, my post on what a QuickBooks cleanup does for your reports explains what that involves.
A few habits that help, with or without me
Even if you’re not ready to hire anyone, these habits make a big difference:
- Keep business and personal money in separate accounts. Here’s how to separate business finances.
- Pick one day a week to enter transactions, even if it’s just 20 minutes.
- Save receipts as you go, using your phone if that’s easiest.
- Reconcile your bank account every month. My guide to bank reconciliation walks you through it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to meet you in person?
No. Everything happens by phone, email, video call and secure file sharing. Most clients find that faster than in-person meetings.
I’m a year behind. Is that too far gone?
Not at all. I’ve caught up books that were further behind than that. We start with the oldest months and work forward.
Do you do taxes?
I focus on bookkeeping and payroll support. I’m happy to work alongside your CPA so they get clean records at tax time.
Do I have to use QuickBooks?
QuickBooks is what I specialize in. If you’re on something else, we can talk about whether moving over makes sense for you.
If any of this sounds like where you are right now, send me a note on my contact page and we’ll set up a quick call.