10 Signs You Might Need to Clean Up Your Business Books and Hire a Bookkeeper

Let’s be honest—keeping up with finances isn’t always fun. Bookkeeping can easily get pushed to the side, but when that happens, it can create chaos in your business. The longer you ignore messy books, the bigger the problems become. If you recognize any of these warning signs, it’s time to clean up your books and bring in a professional bookkeeper.

1. You Have No Idea How Much Money You’re Making

If you can’t confidently say how much profit your business made last month (or even last year), your books need help. A bookkeeper provides accurate financial reports so you always know where your business stands.  If you don’t trust (or don’t have) a Balance Sheet, Profit and Loss Statement or Cash Flow Report, you might need some help.  These are the big 3 that many businesses use to measure their business.

2. Your Books Are Always Behind

Are you months behind on reconciling accounts?  Have you ever reconciled your critical accounts?  Do you know what your critical accounts are for your business?  You may be making decisions based on outdated numbers—putting your business at serious risk. A bookkeeper ensures your books stay current and accurate.  Reconciling critical accounts is generally the #1 thing that good bookkeepers do to keep your books in good order.

3. Tax Season Feels Like a Nightmare

If tax time means scrambling to find receipts, correcting errors, or panicking over potential IRS penalties, your books are in bad shape. A bookkeeper keeps everything organized year-round so tax season is less stressful.  Honestly, this is the #2 reason people do their books anyway (to make taxes efficient).  #1 should be to know the financial status of their business so they can make good, informed business decisions.

4. You Struggle to Pay Bills on Time

Late payments to vendors or missed loan payments can damage your business credit and reputation. A bookkeeper tracks your due dates and ensures bills are paid on time to keep your finances in good standing.  Keeping this in line properly helps you with your overall cash flow and a good business reputation.

5. Cash Flow Feels Like a Mystery

Do you ever wonder why your business is making sales but there’s never enough cash on hand? Poor bookkeeping can leave you blind to financial leaks. A bookkeeper helps you understand and manage cash flow properly.

6. Payroll Issues Keep Popping Up

Employees rely on accurate and timely paychecks. If payroll mistakes are becoming common, it can lead to frustrated employees, tax penalties, and even legal trouble. A bookkeeper ensures payroll is done right every time, even if you are outsourcing your actual payroll processing.  Payroll is a major part of your cash flow.  Understanding it and keeping on top of this is crucial for every business.

7. You Are Mixing Personal and Business Finances

Honestly, your business finances should be kept separate from your personal finances.  There are proper ways to document funds going between the owner’s business and personal finances, and a good bookkeeper will help you document that properly.  Using your business account for personal expenses (or vice versa) can cause serious accounting and tax issues. A bookkeeper helps you separate finances and stay compliant with tax laws.

8. Invoices Keep Falling Through the Cracks

Are you constantly chasing overdue invoices? Or worse, forgetting to send them? Unpaid invoices hurt your cash flow. A bookkeeper ensures invoices go out on time and follows up on outstanding payments.  Are you documenting deposits properly, or is the process unclear and invoices that were actually paid are still listed in your accounts receivable?  Bookkeepers can easily create recurring invoices for your customers.

9. You Don’t Have Time to Do It Yourself

As a business owner, your time is valuable. Every hour spent struggling with bookkeeping is an hour taken away from growing your business. A bookkeeper lets you focus on what you do best—running your company.  Even for small businesses, a good bookkeeper can save you 6-10 hours per month by taking over your bookkeeping.  That is 60-72 hours per year that you can be doing more productive things for your business, like attending to sales and your customers.

10. You’re Losing Sleep Over Finances

If financial stress is keeping you up at night, it’s a clear sign you need help. A bookkeeper brings clarity, organization, and peace of mind so you can focus on your business with confidence.  The clarity comes when we present your numbers to you in a way that makes sense to you along with pointing out trends that you can capitalize on.

Time to Take Action

If you’ve nodded along to more than a couple of these signs, it’s time to stop putting off bookkeeping help. Hiring a professional bookkeeper isn’t just about organization—it’s about setting your business up for success, reducing financial risks, and giving you the freedom to focus on what truly matters.

Ready to clean up your books? I can help you transform the way you run your business—don’t wait until it’s too late!

Allen Beck

AKOR Services Bookkeeping

P.O. Box 820062

Vancouver, WA 98682

(503) 427-8553

bookkeeper@akorservices.com