Why a Brilliant Bookkeeper Is Always a Good Idea
So many businesses we meet are not getting all of their needs met by their finance function.
They're paying their accounting firm for basic recordkeeping that happens sporadically, often via outdated processes and systems. We've seen printers and ring binders. We've seen 'day books' (IYKYK). We've seen Excel spreadsheets that haven't been updated since 2019.
The Bookkeeper Problem Nobody Talks About
Here's what usually happens.
You start your business. You manage your own books for a while because you can't afford not to. Eventually it gets messy enough that you pay your accountant to sort it out. They charge you £100 an hour for data entry, and they do it whenever they get around to it, which is usually right before your year-end deadline.
Or maybe you've continued down the DIY route. You've signed up for Xero or QuickBooks, watched the tutorials, had a go. And now you've got a system full of transactions you're not entirely sure you've categorized correctly. The bank reconciliation has 47 items that need explaining. You're three months behind on invoicing because you've been too busy actually working.
Your records are always six weeks out of date and you never really know where you stand. Your management accounts arrive too late to be useful. And nobody's actually helping you understand what any of it means.
Neither of these situations is sustainable. And neither of them is giving you what you actually need.
What Good Bookkeeping Actually Looks Like
The more businesses we work with, the more top-quality bookkeepers I speak to, the more admiration I have. Not to mention the fact that most freelance bookkeepers are women, maintaining a portfolio of clients alongside caring responsibilities, the mental load, etc. etc.
These professionals have passed as many as sixteen exams to achieve the highest level of qualification. They sit as the backbone to any SME. The vast majority of business closures are due to cash flow problems, and messy records are often where those problems start.
But great bookkeeping extends so much further than maintaining records.
A brilliant bookkeeper brings:
System knowledge - They know the apps, the integrations, the automations. They can make your tech stack actually work for you instead of creating more admin.
Commercial awareness - They ask questions. They spot opportunities. They notice when something doesn't look right and flag it before it becomes a problem.
Process improvement - They save you hours. They streamline workflows. They eliminate the stupid manual tasks that eat your time.
The gazoongas to get stuck into a tangled mess - Left by the last person, by the accountant who didn't care, by your well-meaning attempt at sorting it yourself. They'll untangle it without making you feel terrible about the state you let it get into.
An eye for detail that catches problems early - VAT thresholds you're about to exceed. Suppliers you haven't paid. Clients who haven't paid you. The small things that become big problems if nobody's watching.
They often find themselves as the frazzled founder's confidante too, which is an art form of itself. Part chaos-whisperer, part business therapist.
The 'But I Can't Afford It' Trap
This is where founders usually push back.
"I can't afford a bookkeeper. I'll just muddle through."
You can't afford NOT to have a bookkeeper - messy books cost you money in ways you don't see until it's too late. You're operating with that constant low-level anxiety of not really knowing if you're okay.
When Bookkeeping Becomes Strategic
Now consider the magic that happens when you combine a talented bookkeeper with fractional finance managers and FDs.
The bookkeeper maintains the engine. Clean data, accurate records, smooth processes.
The fractional finance team uses that engine to drive the business forward. Strategic planning, cash flow forecasting, commercial decision support.
That's a strong backbone AND beating heart working together.
We see it with our clients all the time. The businesses with solid bookkeeping foundations are the ones who can move faster when opportunities arise. They're the ones who can answer questions confidently. They're the ones who aren't constantly firefighting because their records are a mess.
The bookkeeper catches the problems early. The finance team helps you solve them strategically.
What to Look For
Not all bookkeepers are created equal. Here's what separates the brilliant ones from the basic ones:
Qualification level - Look for AAT or ICB qualifications mentioned.
Solid experience - A couple of years working across all elements of bookkeeping. Someone who's seen different business models, handled month-end processes, managed VAT returns, dealt with payroll.
Software expertise - They should know your accounting software inside out, plus the ecosystem of apps that integrate with it.
Proactive communication - They should be flagging issues before you ask, not just responding when you chase them.
Commercial thinking - They should understand your business model well enough to spot opportunities and risks.
Modern processes - If they're suggesting ring binders and day books, run.
The Takeaway
If your books are a mess, or perpetually out of date, or being done by an accountant who charges FD rates to do data entry, you need a bookkeeper, because clean books are the foundation everything else is built on. And trying to run a business without that foundation is like trying to build a house on sand.
Get the bookkeeper first. Build the finance function on top of that. It's not sexy, but it works.
