Whether your small business consists of a staff of one – that is, yourself – or is a growing concern which employs a few dozen individuals, you may be wondering when, or if, you should hire help with your financials. If you’re taking on new clients and your revenues are growing, you can’t afford not to get help. Below we’ve listed some of the ways that online accounting services save money and time:
- Expertise – You’re an expert in your field, and noone offers quite the level of experience and knowledge with the services and/or products that you provide quite like you can. So why spend all your precious time trying to learn accounting applications? Even if you gain some limited know-how with the popular bookkeeping software packages on the market, you’re never going to be able to master that software and take full advantage of the many available features. If you’re not squeezing all of the resources out of costly accounting apps that you’re paying for, you’re leaving money on the table. With help from online accounting services, however, you’re getting not only expertise with bookkeeping practices, you’re also getting an accounting software professional. That alone is worth the cost of freelance accounting help.
- Security – Are you still running your small business from a standalone financial application on your desktop computer? Are you mistakenly thinking that having basic password protection on that application is all the security you need? Think again. If a power surge “fries” your computer, or your office is damaged in a fire or flood, will your computer survive? What about the data on that PC? Get off the standalone software package and put your financials on the “cloud”. Cloud-based accounting applications such as Quickbooks Online are far more secure than those that reside on your office laptop, for the simple fact that they aren’t dependent on your own PC’s health. If your office computer network goes belly up, your company’s financial data won’t. It’s backed up and residing on multiple servers that can be accessed anywhere in the world from any digital device. With security features in place such as encrypted hard drives and two-factor authentication, your cloud-based business data is more secure than ever.
- Availability – A freelance bookkeeper isn’t concerned about you wanting to touch base with him or her beyond the (now obsolete) 9-to-5 standard business hours. You can contact online accounting services via e-mail, cell phone, or Skype at any time on any given day (provided you’ve worked this out in advance). Need a profit report on a Sunday afternoon? Wish you had updates on employee payrolls around midnight on a Thursday? It’s possible to get these and more from your freelancer. And you don’t need to wait until he or she gets into the office the next day (traffic delays or not!)
- Cost – If you find yourself in need of even part-time bookkeeping help, you’re probably worried about what you’re going to have to spend to bring on a new staff member. Can you afford the required additional office space, desk, and phone equipment? Forget these concerns when you hire a freelance bookkeeper. Online accounting services save money since they already have the necessary tools and training to deal with your business financials. The only costs you’ll have will be a monthly fee to retain that professionalism which will be a small fraction of what even a part-time onsite staffer will cost.
- Flexibility – Maybe you only need bookkeeping assistance for a few weeks, a couple of months, or during certain periods of the year. Maybe you just need to set up your own accounting application and then you’ll take it from there. However, you don’t want to hire an onsite bookkeeper only for a short period. And that’s why you should deal with online accounting services. Pay for help with your business financials only for as long as you need it and no more. If your needs change, you’ll know you can contact your freelancer when and if necessary. And because freelance bookkeepers are dealing with other clients, their skills won’t fade or require updating. You use, and pay for, medical professionals, a tennis coach, or your auto mechanic only when necessary; why not your bookkeeper, also?
Statera Services offers online accounting services featuring Quickbooks Online software, the most advanced small business accounting application available. Start improving your revenue steam while cutting unnecessary costs surrounding your business today – get in touch and get your financials in order!