How to Improve Your Relationship with Your Bookkeeper

How 6 SIMPLE steps can improve the relationship you have with your bookkeeper!

6 Steps – How to improve your relationship with your bookkeeper 👇

How 6 SIMPLE steps can improve the relationship you have with your bookkeeper!

How to improve the relationship with your bookkeeper?

The CEO-bookkeeper relationship can negatively or positively affect your business.

The outcome is up to you. 

So whether you’ve been working with a bookkeeper for a number of years or you’re looking to bring one on in the future…

You’ll want to pay close attention to these six steps.

Step One: Remember Why You Hired (Or Want To Hire) A bookkeeper.

A lot of business owners will say that they just don’t have the time or the means to do the financial work themselves…

But what they’re really saying is that they’re looking for a new way to solve their financial problems (issues etc). 

They’re looking for someone with a specific skill set that can tackle anything that comes up in a way that’s beyond someone with multiple skills. 

So understanding WHY you chose to bring a bookkeeper onto your team is crucial in building that CEO- bookkeeper relationship. 

Especially if it’s more than “I don’t like or have time for the work.” 

Because if you’ve decided to bring them on as an enhancement to your business… You need to remember what that enhancement is you’re looking for. 

You determine the why and set that expectation from the start to alleviate any confusion.

Step Two: Make Sure You Hired The Right Person…

Maybe the person you’ve hired (or want to hire) excels as a bookkeeper, but you find their personality clashes with your company’s culture.

This can be a difficult thing to navigate so ask yourself why you’re having trouble with this person. 

Do they get along with team members? Does their history support my feelings? Is it how I operate? Is it how they’re showing up in the business?

Ultimately you have to make a decision that will benefit your company in the long run and that may mean having some difficult conversations with team members. 

So reflect on your company culture and make sure each hire, not just your bookkeeper, is aligned with your company culture. 

Step Three: Define The bookkeeper Role From The Start

Starting day one you’ll need to set clear directions as to what you expect and need from your bookkeeper.

You can determine expectations by having a conversation with your bookkeeper, sharing what it is you need for your business’s growth, asking for input and expectations from them, and coming up with a shared strategy with clear guidelines. 

This way there is no question as to what needs to be done and when it needs to be done.

Step Four:  Trust Isn’t Built Overnight. 

As a CEO you could ask for a few small tasks to be completed to build confidence in the bookkeeper you’re working with. 

But understandably, the bulk of the trust-building should come from the bookkeeper.

Now as a bookkeeper myself what I do to build trust when I’m working with a new small business client is…

* Delivering ahead of schedule

* Arriving at meetings prepared

* Developing relationships with service providers like accountants and attorneys

* Identifying ways to execute instead of finding reasons things cannot be done 

And so much more.

Because you really need someone that’s willing to completely take over the task so you don’t even have to think about it.

Step Five: Make Sure Deliverables And Guidelines Are Explicit

It’s great to have a health and wellness business where everyone on the team is working together to hit company goals…

But, that leaves a lot of space for “who’s responsible for what” to get blurred. 

So instead of waiting for the blame game to happen when deliverables aren’t in on time, 

You’ll want to clearly define who is responsible for exactly what, and then also determine when they need to have it to you. 

That way you’ll have your business and team members operating like a well-oiled machine from the start!  

Step Six: Communication Is Key

As with any relationship, healthy and consistent communication is a must for building trust. 

Set time aside to meet with your bookkeeper often in the beginning and allow them to express what they think is going well as well as their frustrations. 

It’s during these conversations that you’ll provide praise and constructive criticism while learning where your bookkeeper is in terms of deliverables and commitment to your business.

Summary

Ultimately, It doesn’t matter if you’ve had a bookkeeper for years or if you’re doing some research to make a hire in the next few months…

You can build or strengthen the relationship starting today to make sure they align with your company culture, mission, and vision. 

Communication, expectations, and clearly defined responsibilities will set you well on your way to having a team member that works just as hard to find new ways to solve financial problems and help take your business to the next level. 

And if you’re in a position where you’re tasked with a long list of financial duties that seem to be spiraling out of control…

Relinquishing those tasks can actually create massive growth for your business! 

If you currently don’t have a team to support you in this please feel free to reach out or comment below with “tell me more” so we can see how we might be able to help. 

Also – If you know a business friend who might need to hear this information share this video with them or tag them below!

Contact us – we’re here to help!

Schedule a free, no-obligation Discovery Call with us: https://hello.burnsidebookkeeping.com/public/appointment-scheduler/630cfb590890c351b5d20c25/schedule

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