The most valuable step is to decide what’s important to you and your small business, when searching for a Bookkeeper.
Do you want someone you get along well with? Do you want their website to have witty repartee, or focus more on the bookkeeping? Do you want them to specialize in your industry? Are there certain values it would be a deal-breaker not to have in common?
1. Check them out online. Your virtual bookkeeper should have some kind of online presence. This will give you some idea of what they’re
all about and what they put out into the world. Look up their Google reviews as well as reviews or recommendations on social media sites to see how their previous/current clients feel about the work they did. They likely also have links or badges displaying training they’ve gone through.
2. Know that not everyone will be able to rattle off a price up front. Some bookkeepers (like myself), review the books before offering a quote to make their quote as fair as possible.
3. If you leave them a message or send an email, see if they get back to you and if so, how long it took. If a reasonable time frame
passes and you don’t get any response, look elsewhere because if they’re unavailable in the beginning during the getting to know you phase, they certainly won’t be available day to day.
4. Talk to people! Are they offering the services you’re looking for? Ask them about their process and have them give you a road
map of what you can expect. Don’t be afraid to ask other questions. After all, if the two of you decide to work together, typically the plan is for it to be a longer-term partnership.
5. Remember that the bookkeepers you’re “interviewing” are people too. A lot of us are introverts, so if we’re a bit awkward, especially in the beginning, it’s not you, it’s us. Plenty of us are a lot more comfortable talking about books and numbers than we are about ourselves.