Outsourcing your bookkeeping - any recomendations?

[barrettabolt]

I know from bitter experience just how bad I am at being diligent with my bookkeeping so I'm looking to use an outside company. Does anyone have any recommendations? I found this company via a quick Google search: http://www.barlandservices.co.uk/

[JustinP1]

The results of their bookkeeping will only be as good as the figure you are giving them.

So IMHO, if you are going to be diligent enough to get the right figures to them, what additional service will they offer?

[Eric Mc]

There are no short cuts to keeping accurate book-keeping records.

Ouitsourced book-keepers have no stake in your business - apart fromn the fee you pay them.

They will not actually care about being correct or accurate. At best they will process what they are given, They should, of course, flag up problem areas such as missing or inadequate information being provided to them. In my experience, book-keepers with that level of knowledge and expertise are very, very rare.

I would suggest that the best solution is to bite the bullet and learn some basic book-keeping for yourself rather than entrust it to complete strangers.

Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 19th March 17:54

[Tuscan Tart]

Find an accountant that offers bookkeeping services, but to be honest it might be cheaper to employ someone.

[havoc]

How large is your business?

If small enough you can't afford even a part-time book-keeper, then:-
- Learn enough yourself*;
- Keep ALL invoices/receipts/bank statements/order books/purchase orders/etc. and hand them over to a firm of professional accountants quarterly/6-mthly/annually...who will probably charge you not that much less than a part-time book-keeper would cost.

• There are some simple and affordable off-the-shelf IT packages that can do everything you need. Alternatively anyone who's good with Excel can set something adequate up...esp. if you download your bank statements.