You’ve made a decision to outsource your bookkeeping, but how do you choose who to hire? There are many bookkeepers in practice, from self-employed sole traders working from home, to larger firms employing a variety of experts.
A good first step is to ask contacts in your business community for recommendations. Draw up a shortlist of two or three, and then arrange an initial meeting to chat through the particular requirements of your company. A reputable bookkeeper should not charge you for this initial meeting – it’s a way of both sides getting to know each other, and seeing how you click on a professional and personal basis.
The number one requirement is that you should feel able to place complete trust in the bookkeeper you decide to hire. He or she will have the capacity to develop a deep insight into every aspect of your business, from the more straightforward tasks such as processing receipts and expenses, to managing payroll and offering longer term strategic advice. You need to know that you can work closely together in partnership – in the best working relationships, your bookkeeper will become an extra member of your team.
Our due diligence process
Here at AMR, our professional reputation means everything to us. As highly qualified experts, we are fully compliant with all regulations relating to our industry, and we take pride in offering an exceptional service to every single client.
Before starting to work with any new client, we are required by law to carry out a due diligence process in order to comply with anti-money laundering regulations.
Money laundering (the process of criminals concealing illegally-gained cash by integrating it into legitimate bank accounts) is a serious problem – more than £90bn a year is estimated to be laundered through the UK.
It’s our duty, therefore, to ask new clients to produce identification so that we can verify personal details and business accounts. Any bookkeeper or accountant who is not carrying out this layer of security is breaching regulations, so if you’re a new client at another firm and due diligence isn’t happening, this should ring alarm bells.
Personalised plans for your business
We pride ourselves on our personal approach; it’s only by gaining a thorough understanding of your business that we can streamline systems and help your company to thrive.
Each of our bookkeepers has a portfolio of clients, so you’ll have a dedicated key contact to answer any queries. However, the fact we are a team of multiple talents means that there’s always someone here to help. With decades of experience between us, there’s really no problem we cannot solve!
To find out more about our bookkeeping services across Kent, London, Sussex and the South East, don’t hesitate to get in touch to arrange a no-obligation, informal meeting. We look forward to hearing from you.
