Final Copy WAC AprilMay
- 1. WhensomeoneaskedmewhatIdidonce,theythoughtI
wasa“Bookie”astheyhadn’theardthetermBookkeeper
andsodidn’trealisethatIhadnothingtodowithplacing
betsondogstowinraces!
SowhenIexplainedwhatIdidtheysaid“Ohyou’rean
Accountant,then?”SoIexplainedthatabookkeeperdoes
thedull‘prep’-sortingpaperworkintoorder,maybe
submittingsubmittingVATreturns,producingmanagementfigures
andfinallysendingDraftaccountstotheAccountantwho
doesthefinalyear-endadjustmentsandtaxcalculations.
However,Idon’tfindmyjob‘dull’atall.Itmayseem
strangetobusinesspeopletoactuallyenjoytrawling
throughpilesofbankstatementsandreceiptsandputting
themintosomesemblanceoforder.Buttoseethe
procedurefromjumbleandconfusionthroughtoorderprocedurefromjumbleandconfusionthroughtoorder
andclarity,givesmeahugesenseofsatisfaction.
Ihadajobyearsagowheretheyhadayear’sworthof
accountstopulltogether.Nobankreconciliationhadbeen
doneinallthattime.Afterafewweeksofworkingmyway
throughthebankstatement,Irealisedsomethingwas
seriouslyamiss.seriouslyamiss.Tocutalongstoryshort,itturnedout
thatamemberofthestaffwasfakingthedirectors’
signatureoncheques,causingthecompanytolose
severalhundredsofpoundsunnoticed,becausethey
didn’thavetherightproceduresinplace.
WHATSHOULDYOULOOKFORINAGOODBOOKKEEPER?
Ifyouareinbusiness,askyourself:-
1. Doeshe/shetakethetroubletolearnaboutyourbusinessandthesystemsyouliketouse?
2. Havetheyhelpedtostreamlineyoursystemssothatyouworkmoreefficiently?
3.3. Wouldyoutrustthem?Therelationshipbetweenyouandyourbookkeeperisaspecialone,
whereprivateandconfidentialinformationissharedanddiscussed
4. Andofcourse,areyoupayingtherightamountfortheserviceyouget?
Someonesaidtomerecently“Greatbookkeepersarelikegolddustandhardtofind”
Whenyouhavefoundone,youwillknow.WrittenbyJulieCannMT
JulieCann
JCBookkeepingServices
WHATISTHEDIFFERENCEBETWEEN
YOURACCOUNTANTANDABOOKKEEPER?