subject: Accountants: Is Bookkeeping Costing You Too Much? [print this page] Bookkeeping is that task that precedes accounting and it is elementary in comparison. That said, it cannot be overlooked or treated too lightly. Accountants rely on bookkeepers to attend meticulously to the basics which form the foundation for the bigger accounting tasks. If the accountants were to do the bookkeeping themselves, they wouldnt be making much money. This is because it is the accountancy tasks that make money as it demands a higher level of knowledge and expertise. Bookkeeping on the other hand demands more time but the achievement at the end of the day doesnt amount to much unlike accounting. But can an accountant survive without bookkeepers?
Yes they could, but it would be very painful. There are some individually practicing accountants who do this out of not having any other choice. They only take on projects whose bookkeeping and accounting is of manageable size. Their earnings are not much since they have to compromise on the amount of accounting tasks take up. Pitiable isnt it?
Indeed it is. It is like watching a doctor do everything including the work of a nurse, which limits him from making the most of his ability. But as sad as this seems; it is not something that accountants necessarily have to endure. The ones who have heard of outsourced accounting bookkeeping services are put out of misery.
You must wonder how safe this is
Outsourcing accounting has been happening for a couple of years now and hence it is not all that new. CPAs have found this to be a great relief. The bookkeeping done at an offshore BPO office is as good as that is done locally, aside the benefit of being a whole lot cheaper. There a couple of methods of getting this done. These are common to most BPOs that provide the managerial services.
1.Scanning across the documents- You could scan across the documents to the BPO and they would work on it using software like QuickBooks, Peachtree etc.
2.Remote access- If you dont want the documents to leave your PC, this method is apt for you. Using software like GotomyPc it is possible for the team to work on your computer from their office. It is just about giving them access.
3.Online software- A lot of bookkeeping and accounting software have online versions where you only have to share the login with the team.
You can also decide in advance the amount of hours you want them to work for you. Accounting bookkeeping services like these are quite flexible. When you take up this service with a BPO you stand to gain a lot from cost savings. The only expense for you is the bookkeepers time. Thats right. No salaries, bonuses and infrastructure costs.
With this service in place, you no longer have to spend a bomb on bookkeeping!
