Is your bookkeeper a patient person?
Even if your business outsources its bookkeeping to a remote or home-based bookkeeper, you still need to know what’s going on with your books.
Understanding what’s going on and the common bookkeeping procedures is not the same as doing your own bookkeeping. And it takes a good bookkeeper to show you the ropes — so how do you know if your bookkeeper is a good trainer?
They ask questions
If they ask lots of questions about your business and how it operates, this is the first sign they’ll make not just a good bookkeeper, but also a good trainer. A bookkeeper who can demonstrate they want to learn as much as they can about your business — and will take the time to do it — will also take the time to help you learn about bookkeeping.
They listen
If a bookkeeper doesn’t let you get a word in edgewise, they’re not a good one. Just as asking lots of questions about your business is important, listening to what you have to say is crucial, too.
They speak plain English
Plenty of bookkeepers (and accountants) can pepper their sentences with jargon and other technical language about bookkeeping and tax laws that you don’t understand. But a good bookkeeper will talk to you in plain English — explaining what has to be done or has been done, and what it means for your business.
They check you understand what’s going on
A good bookkeeper, whether they’re explaining a bookkeeping procedure or showing you how to use your accounting software, will check you understand what’s going on by asking you to explain something back to them. This helps gauge, not just your understanding of the concepts covered, but also your level of comprehension. If you comprehension level is low, they’ll adjust their teaching techniques to ensure you fully understand before progressing to the next topic.
They are patient
Above all, a bookkeeper is a good trainer if they show patience. Not everybody learns at the same pace. A good trainer will be patient with you while you learn, and ensure they keep working on the areas you are having trouble with until you fully understand them. Good trainers don’t skip ahead to the next topic due to time constraints or tell you to catch-up in your own time.
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If you’re looking for a reliable and thorough bookkeeper, who can also train you in accounting software, National Bookkeeping offers different kinds of training — one-to-one, face-to-face, etc — with experienced bookkeepers. For more information, visit the National Bookkeeping website.
