Having a terrific bookkeeper on your team brings peace of mind and improves your organizational health. But finding a great match for your business can be hard, especially if finances aren’t your strong suit.

To begin with the obvious, they should have basic bookkeeping skills, including:

• Proficiency with bookkeeping software

• Ability to add vendors and customers to your books

• Ability to manage accounts payable and receivable

• Familiarity with payroll taxes, and how to pay them online

• Ability to reconcile bank and credit card statements

• Knowledge of what clean books should look like, and the ability to spot errors and sleuth out problems

For many entrepreneurs and small to mid-sized business owners financial management is one of the most challenging aspects of running their business. For some it makes sense to hire knowledgeable staff to manage financial processes internally; for others, contract services make more sense. So what are the different financial roles and services available, and what can they do for your business? I’d like to help define three roles—Bookkeeper, Controller, and Chief Financial Officer—and talk a bit about the different ways these roles can support your company’s overall growth, health, and wellbeing.

Whether you are outsourcing your bookkeeping or doing your own books in-house, as the leader in your organization you need to know your financial information is reliable.  Understanding "best practices" and incorporating them into your own business processes will help you get data you can trust, so you can make the decisions that are best for your business. 

Here are some tips to help you stay on top of the books: