Friday, July 25, 2008

Cost Benefit Analysis-Whether you should outsource your Bookkeeping to Professional Book Keeper

What is a role of a bookkeeper in your organisation : BOOKKEEPERS keep complete, up-to-date, and accurate records of accounts and financial arrangements. Bookkeepers verify and enter information into journals and ledgers or into a computer. They periodically balance the books and compile reports and financial statements. Bookkeepers also receive, record, bank and pay out cash. They balance checkbooks with monthly bank statements. They may calculate employee wages from plant records or time cards and issue payroll checks.

Some of the other work they may do includes posting accounts receivable and payable, prepare and make bank deposits, record payrolls, maintain inventory records, purchase supplies, prepare purchase orders and do expense reports. Bookkeepers may also make schedules, sort documents, and file bills. These type of jobs are found in every industry and may have various job titles, such as accounts payable clerk, accounts receivable clerk or assistant bookkeeper. Cost of a Bookkeeper : The pay for these jobs depends upon experience, clerical skills, the level of responsibility and the job location. Beginning salaries go from minimum wage to $ 15 per hour. Experienced Bookkeeper can make $ 20 an hour. After having worked for three years with the same firm, a Bookkeeper can earn at $ 25 per hour.

A Bookkeepers usually work 40 hours a week; sometimes it may be necessary to work overtime. Some employers have fringe benefits such as paid vacations and sick leave, life and health insurance, and bonuses. Other benefits that the employer may include are participation in a credit union, or retirement and profit sharing plans. Advantage of outsourcing Bookkeeping work to a professional bookkeeper : There are several distinct advantages to outsourcing your bookkeeping functions. First and foremost is saving money. You get what you pay for and if you don't pay for quality than you won't have quality service. However, you can save money by outsourcing because you won't be paying for employer payroll tax expense, workman's compensation and general liability insurances, vacation time, sick time, health insurance and other benefits a good full time bookkeeper will expect from his/her employer. Just remember, however, that these costs will be built into the consultant's hourly rate and their fee will reflect these costs. Any bookkeeping consultant who has not taken these costs into consideration is not a bookkeeper you want - if they don't know enough to include these costs into their fees, then they don't know enough to be a help to your business. You should expect to pay at least three times what you would pay an experienced full charge bookkeeper.

And just how do you save money by paying three times the amount you would pay an employee? Well, let's see. There will be no recruiting, interviewing and training costs for start. And if you should find yourself unhappy with the services there will be no additional recruiting, interviewing and training to replace your bookkeeper. Also, you will not have to be concerned about law suits such as sexual harassment, unlawful firing, age discrimination, sexist, etc. Or an increase in your unemployment rates because you laid off an employee that you really wanted to fire but had no lawful cause to do so. So right away we have less time and money spent and potentially less hassle if things don't go well. And of course you will not be paying workman's compensation and general liability insurance premiums. Also any worthy bookkeeper will expect at least two weeks vacation, coverage for sick time, health and dental insurance and even perhaps more benefits. Most professional bookkeepers will have their own offices saving you space within your office. So you will not be buying that extra desk, calculator, computer and computer software. Your bookkeeper will be providing all of that as part of his/her fee. No software updates, computer maintenance, training costs, etc. Of course should you prefer to have your computerized bookkeeping records available to you at your office, a small investment in software installed on your computer makes this possible. Also no office supplies to be paid for. You will be amazed at just how much pens, pencils, and paper can be used by a bookkeeper.

Your consultant bookkeeper will either ask you to drop off the work at their office, will pick it up at your office or some may even offer remote bookkeeping service. And by having your bookkeeping done off site, your bookkeeper will be able to work more efficiently and accurately because her/his office will most likely offer less distractions than your busy office. All of this is saving you money. And the best reason for outsourcing is that you control the amount of money spent on bookkeeping. What I mean by this is that the person you hire to do your bookkeeping will be doing just that - not answering the phone, dealing with drop-bys, chatting to other employees, etc. Also you can start with just a few hours a month and add on when you need to and then adjust downward again should it be necessary.

Can you imagine finding an employee to start with only four hours a month, then asking them to put in 20 hours a week for awhile and then back down to four hours a month again. I don't think you would keep them for very long, but a free lance bookkeeper is able to work around these variables and even more importantly expects to work with flexible schedules. So have I convinced you yet? If so, then just remember "you will get what you pay for". Go for top quality because your financial records are the core of your business and without great bookkeeping you cannot expect to succeed no matter what type of business you have. After all don't you think you are worth it ?

About Autor :

Mr.Bhaskar Thakkar is a qualified Chartered Accountant and professional bookkeeper from India. He is a president of M/s. BT Associates, Chartered Accountants. The said firm provides Book keeping, Accounting, Auditing and Tax preparation services to various Chartered Accountants in UK, US and Canada. The firm is also specialized in preparation of VAT returns, Payroll Processing. Visit 1. btassociate.com,. A division of said firm provides various outsourcing solutions please visit 1. jobs2india.com., to get more details.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Choosing The Right QuickBooks Software For Your Business

Whether you are upgrading your accounting software or making your first software purchase, when you decide to make an investment in accounting software, you’ll want to do your homework, but where do you start? Features, ease of use and price are things you’ll want to investigate before making your purchase.

Your first concern should be to determine what you want to get from your investment. Don’t jump right in, take some time to evaluate what you need to know. Each edition of QuickBooks provides a different level of information. Ask yourself if you want just the basics, such as tracking cash, or do you need to track more information like inventory or job costing? If you only need the basics, you can start with the SimpleStart edition. Do you track inventory? Inventory can be tracked in Pro, Premier and Enterprise editions, but more advanced inventory features, such as, tracking costs associated with assembled items and setting price levels by customer or customer type is best handled in Premier and Enterprise Solutions. Businesses that have hundreds of thousands of inventory items, customers, or vendors will find that Enterprise Solutions has the capabilities to handle your business needs without compromising the flexibility features that we’ve come to appreciate in other QuickBooks Editions.

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Monday, July 7, 2008

Web-Based Accounting - Your Accounting Tasks Made Easier With Internet

You might be a leader in the market as far as your ranking is concerned. But given to the ever changing scenario due to the peaks and troughs of the market, there is this unsaid uncertainty. And when the question is of speed is concerned, web-based accounting has all the answers for you. With a simple click of the browser, you are able to manage your accounting related tasks like accounting, cash-flow management, customer relationship management (CRM), inventory control and marketing. You are saved from paying up large sums of money on the hardware and software and instead have top pay up a small amount as fee. A wave of transformation is sweeping business with the help of e-Peach tree, Intacct e-ledger or the QuickBooks online. Internet is the medium from where the companies can have an access to personal information, which includes earnings, income tax holdings, retirement plans, vacation days etc.

A number of advantages await the client company, which has an access to web-based accounting. Using the concerned software, business organizations can reduce their sales returns from a larger percentage to a smaller one. To stay ahead in the race to the top, it is imperative for the companies to set up a computer network. The plus point of this step is that the members of any business organization can keep up the pace with the fast pace of information technology. For sharing any financial information, Ethernet is the preferred choice because of its speed and reasonable cost. Web-based accounting helps the useful data to travel very quickly, particularly if a virtual private network or VPN is set up. This type of accounting system can be useful even for a small business set up. For a speedy growth in the market, the organization can hire a value-added reseller or VAR for the purpose of wiring and system configuration. Utilizing ‘Linux’ in such cases also results in the high performance of the said company.

Web-based accounting packages are used generally in a company for a speed-based management of its accounts. A small business system can customize its accounting system within hours for its clients. Typically, a small organization begins with the preparation of system documentation providing detailed procedures, which includes system activation and de-activation, accounts cycles, sales and purchase cycles, cash receipts, journal entries, financial reports and error corrections. The hallmarks of purposeful system documentation are its ability for an easy user access, systematic specific information including a table of contents, page numbers, etc. It should be also borne in the mind that the procedures should be complete, in easy-to-follow steps. Security of the documentation system should be fool-proof and a thoroughly professional approach should be maintained.

Innumerable advantages await the client companies if the web-based accounting package is installed. This type of effective system enables small businesses to track their progress on a timely basis. The data sheets and other related financial information is always up to date because of the efforts on the part of organizations to periodically submit new features and other upgrades. The completion of technology plan is finally followed by the matching up of the software products with the company’s goals and objectives. An expert handling of the whole process of installation of the software is step in the right direction. Consultants are hired for this purpose, who categorize the available products in the market. They evaluate the bought up software on the basis of competing services, value-added features, unlimited nation-wide dial-up, efficiently workable web-based email, management of the associate traffic etc.

ArticleSource: http://www.accountingtips4you.com/2008/06/30/web-based-accounting-your-accounting-tasks-made-easier-with-internet/

Monday, June 23, 2008

City audit: Poor bookkeeping faulted in deficit

By Richard Gaines
Staff writer

Fraud is no longer considered a possible explanation for a $1.4 million variance in the books for the 2007 fiscal year that ended last June 30. In truth, poor bookkeeping and software were to blame.

Those are the conclusions of the auditing firm, Sullivan, Rogers & Co., which was given a $24,000 contract two months ago to make sense of the city's incomprehensible financial books.

Its report, conveyed to City Council and the Times by Mayor Carolyn Kirk, puts to rest the mayor's previous concern that something more sinister than bad bookkeeping was afoot in the city Treasurer's Office, the Department of Public Works, or possibly elsewhere.

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Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Small businesses Accounting and Bookkeeping

Small businesses are finding it increasingly more economical to outsource their accounting and bookkeeping needs to contractors. These contractors often work from home offices. With a few basics such as a fax machine, copier and computer with the proper software, you can be on your way to a lucrative career as a home based accountant.

As an accountant, you work with businesses and individuals to provide tax planning and preparation of tax forms, monthly financial reports, audits, billing and payroll services. Accountants sometimes offer broader services that include budget analysis, financial and investment planning, and info rmation technology consulting. As an accountant, y ou should be very comfortable working with numbers, and be detail-oriented - and most of all, organized.

Accountants are required to hold a bachelors degree in accounting or a related field. Additional professional recognition can be obtained through certifications or licensure, a master’s degree or proficiency in accounting software. These supplementary credentials can give you an advantage when you are marketing your home-based accounting business.

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Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Accounting and Finance Job Critearea

Accountant II
Prepares and maintains accounting records which may include general accounting, costing, or budget data. Examines, analyzes and interprets accounting records for the purpose of giving advice or preparing statements. May act as lead to lower level employees. Requires bachelors degree in accounting or business and 2-4 years relevant accounting experience.

Accountant - Senior (III)
Establishes, interprets and analyzes complex accounting records of financial statements. These may include general accounting, costing or budget data. Examines, analyzes and interprets accounting records for management. Requires bachelors degree in accounting or business or equivalent experience and 5 or more years experience.

Accounting Clerk I
Verifies and posts transactions to journals, ledgers and other records. Prepares statements, invoices and vouchers. May handle balancing and reconciliations. May specialize in one area of the accounting function. Requires understanding of bookkeeping procedures and 1-2 years of relevant experience.

Accounting Clerk - II
Completes basic bookkeeping and accounting tasks. Performs posting of cash receipts, expenses, or other transactions to journals or ledgers and verifies accuracy. Reviews invoices, bills, vouchers, or other documents for corrections before entering into records. Sorts and files documents, and performs calculations. Usually requires a minimum of six months relevant experience.

Accounting Clerk -III
Analyzes, verifies and posts transactions to journals, ledgers and other records. Analyzes, investigates and corrects accounting entries as needed. Performs reconciliation of complex transactions. May act as lead to less senior clerks. May specialize in one area of the accounting function. Requires thorough understanding of bookkeeping procedures and 3-4 years of relevant experience.

Accounting Manager
Manages accounting functions and preparation of reports and statistics detailing financial results. Establishes and maintains accounting practices to ensure accurate and reliable data necessary for business operations. May specialize in one or more functional accounting area such as accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, budget, etc. Supervises professional and/or clerical accounting employees. Typically requires a bachelors degree in accounting or business and 5-8 years relevant experience.

Accounting Supervisor

Supervises accounting functions and preparation of reports and statistics detailing financial results. Coordinates schedules, activities and reports with other departments. Establishes and maintains operating procedures. May specialize in one or more functional areas such as accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, budget etc. Supervises non-exempt clerical and accounting employees. Typically requires a bachelors degree in accounting or business and 1 year relevant experience or a total of 6 years accounting experience.

Accounts Payable Clerk
Reviews invoices for accuracy and completeness. Sorts documents by account name or number and processes invoices for payment. May perform other basic clerical duties associated with accounts payable. May post transactions to journals, ledgers and other records. Requires understanding of bookkeeping procedures and 1-2 years of relevant experience.

Accounts Payable Manager
Manages the accounts payable function within the organization's established policies. Arranges and oversees completion of all work. Examines records of amounts due and makes sure invoices are paid according to terms and discounts taken. Directs invoice processing and verification, expense coding, and drafting of payment checks or vouchers. Supplies regular or written reports. Suggests improvements in processes to increase effectiveness of unit. Usually requires a 4 year degree and 4-6 years of relevant experience or equivalent education and experience.

Accounts Payable Supervisor
Oversees accounts payable recordkeeping. Supervises recording of amounts due, verification of invoices, and calculation of discounts. Ensures expense coding, voucher preparation, and check issuance are accomplished accurately and timely. Produces various reports for management including accounts payable register. Usually requires 2 to 4 years relevant experience.

Accounts Receivable Clerk
Verifies and posts accounts receivable transactions to journals, ledgers, and other records. Follows established procedures for processing receipts, cash etc. Sorts and files documents after posting. May prepare bank deposits. May operate a personal computer. Requires understanding of bookkeeping procedures and 1-2 years of relevant experience.

Accounts Receivable Manager
Manages the accounts receivable function within the organization's established policies. Arranges and oversees completion of all work including posting, processing, and verification of receipts, credit claims, refunds, interest charges, or other similar records. Produces regular or special written reports. Suggests improvements in processes to increase effectiveness of unit.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Accountants can save time and money

By SCORE
May 15, 2008

Computer software packages have made it easier for small business owners to monitor cash flow, prepare tax returns, and handle other financial reporting tasks. Still, keeping up with these chores as your business grows also consumes an increasingly large chunk of precious time, and risks potentially costly mistakes. That's why many entrepreneurs look to outside financial specialists for help.

Choosing the right type of tax, accounting, bookkeeping or other financial help is an important decision. An outside accountant can be one of your most trusted business advisors and a key to your success. Although some business owners work with large national firms, most prefer to work with small independent firms or solo accounting professionals.

Accounting services differ from bookkeeping services, however. An accounting firm prepares financial statements and tax returns based on the numbers that you give them via your own in-house books. Bookkeeping services, if offered, will be extra.

If you plan to hire your own bookkeeper, make sure the person you choose is qualified. One way is to use the "Bookkeepers Hiring Test" available free from the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers at their Web site, www.aipb.org.

Before selecting a certified public accountant or other financial pro, list the services you think you need, such as tax preparation, financial reports, balance sheets, invoicing, payroll services, general bookkeeping or someone to set up your books. Some firms may handle it all, or you may need to split the tasks. CPA Directory is a huge online listing of CPAs nationwide and can help you find an accountant in your area. The Web site also offers helpful advice on hiring and working effectively with a CPA. Visit www.cpadirectory.com.

And don't forget about Enrolled Agents (EAs), who are licensed by the Federal government to prepare tax returns. They have either worked for the IRS or have passed a rigorous IRS exam. EAs are savvy tax experts, but generally don't have the degrees of CPAs and tend to charge less. Visit the National Association of Enrolled Agents Web site at www.naea.org.

Source:
http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/BIZ/805150312