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Some of the most common conversations I have with prospective clients start in a similar place.
They’ll say, “I just need someone to sit down with me and show me what I’m doing wrong.”
Sometimes it’s, “I think I just need some bookkeeping cleanup.”
Other times, it’s, “My previous bookkeeper is gone, or things aren’t being handled well, and I need someone to pick up where they left off.
At first glance, all of those concerns sound reasonable. They may even turn out to be accurate.
The challenge is that nobody knows that yet.
Business owners are often trying to solve a problem before anyone has taken the time to figure out what the problem is.
That’s why every bookkeeping, cleanup, or advisory engagement at Willis Bookkeeping Services starts with a ClearBizClutter Assessment, whether the business uses QuickBooks or another accounting system.
The Software Is Telling a Story
When a business owner reaches out, I look at the full picture instead of assuming the issue is the bookkeeping, the previous bookkeeper, or the software setup.
That begins with reviewing the accounting system.
The accounting software is where the financial story of the business comes together. Every transaction, invoice, payment, payroll entry, bank account, chart of accounts, and integration leaves clues about what is happening behind the scenes.
Sometimes those clues reveal bookkeeping issues, software setup problems, workflow breakdowns, or even signs that things are working better than the business owner thinks.
Until the file is reviewed, we’re all just guessing.
Why I Don’t Skip the Assessment
Imagine your check engine light comes on. You take your vehicle to a mechanic and tell them you need a new alternator. The mechanic could take your word for it and replace the alternator, or they could run diagnostics first.
The diagnostic isn’t there to sell you additional repairs. It’s there to determine whether the alternator is actually the problem. In some cases it is. In others, it isn’t.
Most people would never expect a mechanic to replace parts without running diagnostics first. Yet business owners routinely expect accountants and bookkeepers to make recommendations before reviewing the information needed to make them.
The ClearBizClutter Assessment serves the same purpose as a diagnostic. It helps determine whether the problem is actually the problem.
What I Hear a Lot and Why It Misses the Point
Business owners often say they just have a few quick questions. In some cases, the answer is straightforward. In others, the question leads to a deeper issue that only becomes clear after reviewing the records. Without that review, the answer is still based on assumptions.
Another misconception is that the assessment should be free because the business owner is still deciding whether to hire me. I get it. Nobody wants to spend money unnecessarily, but the assessment is the service.
The value isn’t in opening QuickBooks and clicking through screens. It’s in knowing what I’m looking at when I do. It’s Identifying issues, evaluating risks, prioritizing recommendations, and creating a roadmap for what should happen next.
Regardless of whether our partnership continues, they will have a better understanding of their accounting system and what needs attention.
There’s also the assumption that handing off the books is simple if someone else already set them up. It seldom is.
There’s usually a reason a business owner is looking for a new bookkeeper.
I’ve opened files that looked fine on the surface only to find reconciliation errors, duplicate accounts, broken integrations, payroll problems, outdated reporting structures, and much more. You don’t know what’s in there until someone looks.
The Goal Is Not Cleanup
This may sound strange at first, but the goal of the assessment is not to sell cleanup work. The goal is to create clarity.
Sometimes the recommendation is a cleanup. Other times, it’s training or changing how QuickBooks is being used. It could also be that a software upgrade or change is needed. It may be a combination of those things that are needed, and at other times, it’s correcting a few items and moving on.
The assessment helps determine which problem to solve first. Solving the wrong one can be expensive in its own right.
As Your Business Changes, Your Systems Should Too
Most businesses start with simple bookkeeping needs. Over time, they add employees, services, products, software, and reporting requirements. The business keeps evolving, but the accounting system does not always evolve with it.
What worked two years ago may not work today. Periodically reviewing your accounting system helps identify gaps before they become bigger problems and ensures your financial data still provides information you can actually use.
Your software is telling a story. My job is to understand that story before recommending what comes next.
If you’re frustrated with your accounting software, considering a cleanup, replacing a bookkeeper, or wondering whether your system is working, let’s start with a conversation. We’ll figure out whether an assessment makes sense. If it doesn’t, I’ll tell you that too.
Intuit, QuickBooks, and QuickBooks ProAdvisor are registered trademarks of Intuit Inc. Used with permission under the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Agreement.
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Intuit, QuickBooks, and QuickBooks ProAdvisor are registered trademarks of Intuit Inc. Used with permission under the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Agreement.