Does your current bookkeeper act like a business partner and not just an employee? Do they care about the success of your business? They should. Here is a list of how to get your bookkeeper to start acting like a business partner.
Give them a piece of the action
An obvious way to get your bookkeeper to care and to act in your best interest is to give them a piece of the business. This could come in the form of a bonus or percent of ownership. Also, consider giving them a bonus for helping you monitor certain expense and sales goals and give them something in return based on if you hit your goals or not.
Set clear expectations from the beginning
Try explaining to your bookkeeper the aspects of your business you are currently focusing on. Do you have certain sales goals? Are you watching and trying to decrease certain expenses? Are there specific reports you need to see on a daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly basis? By communicating your expectations with your bookkeeper you will get them to provide you with the information you need to run your business more effectively.
Make your bookkeeper feel like an important part of your business
People start to care more when they feel that they are an important part of the team. If you can't afford to reward your bookkeeper monetarily there are other options. One thought would be to show everyday appreciation of their hard work and dedication. Another idea is to give them additional key business tasks to handle. Lastly, have your bookkeeper give financial reports in meetings to other key business members. This will make them feel more like a key team member and they will perform better.
By making a few minor changes on the way you treat your bookkeeper you may get a whole different type of bookkeeper. You can not only have a bookkeeper that is good at general bookkeeping tasks, but also one that genuinely cares about the well-being and profitability of your business.
