Hiring a Bookkeeper in Shelbyville, TN: 8 Questions to Ask
Before you hire a bookkeeper in Shelbyville, ask eight things: what credentials they hold, which software they work in, who actually does the work, how pricing is set, what is included each month, what is not included, how they keep your financial data secure, and how you will get your reports. The answers tell you more than any sales pitch, and a good bookkeeper will be glad you asked.
Shelbyville and Bedford County business owners have two kinds of options: bookkeepers with an office in town, and bookkeepers who work online. Either can be the right fit. The questions below work the same way for both.
8 questions to ask before you hire a bookkeeper
1. What credentials do you have?
Bookkeeping is not a licensed profession, so anyone can use the title. Look for proof of skill instead: QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor certification, payroll certifications such as Gusto or QuickBooks Payroll, and years of hands-on work with small businesses. Ask how long they have been doing the work, not just how long the company has existed.
2. Which software do you work in?
Most small businesses run on QuickBooks Online, and your bookkeeper should know it well. Just as important: the QuickBooks subscription should be in your name. Your bookkeeper gets access as a user. If you ever part ways, your books stay with you.
3. Who will actually do the work?
Some firms sell you on the owner and hand the file to whoever is available that month. Ask directly who will categorize your transactions and reconcile your accounts, and who you call when something looks wrong. Consistency matters, because the person who knows your business catches the mistakes a stranger would miss.
4. How is your pricing set?
Good bookkeepers price by the work involved: how many bank and credit card accounts you have, how many transactions come through, and how much support you need. You should get the price in writing before work starts. For a fuller breakdown, see how much a bookkeeper costs for a small business.
5. What is included every month?
At minimum, monthly bookkeeping should cover categorizing every transaction, reconciling every bank and credit card account to its statement, and delivering a profit and loss statement and balance sheet. Ask what day of the month your books will be closed, so you know when your numbers are current.
6. What is not included?
This question saves the most arguments later. Tax returns are usually not included, because that is a CPA or tax preparer’s job. Catching up months or years of old records is normally priced separately from monthly work. Payroll may or may not be part of the package. Get the exclusions in writing too.
7. How do you keep my financial data secure?
A bookkeeper should never need your online banking password. QuickBooks Online lets you invite a bookkeeper or accountant as their own user, and bank feeds connect inside QuickBooks. If someone asks you to email your bank login, treat it as a red flag.
8. How will I get my reports, and how fast do you respond?
Ask how reports are delivered, whether someone will walk you through them, and how quickly questions get answered. Reports you can’t read don’t help you run the business.
Red flags to watch for
- No written price, or a price that changes once work starts
- Asking for your bank or credit card passwords
- Keeping the QuickBooks subscription in their own name instead of yours
- Can’t explain what a bank reconciliation is, or skips it
- Offering tax advice or filings they aren’t licensed to handle
Local or online: does it matter in Shelbyville?
Less than it used to. With QuickBooks Online, bank feeds and secure document sharing, the work itself happens on a screen either way. What matters is whether the person knows your kind of business, answers when you call, and delivers clean books every month. There are real advantages to online bookkeeping for small businesses, and a bookkeeper who lives in the area still understands the local businesses, seasons and customers you deal with.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a bookkeeper cost in Shelbyville, TN?
Pricing depends on the number of accounts, transaction volume and the support you need, so two businesses in the same town can pay very different amounts. At BDE Bookkeeping Solutions, monthly bookkeeping starts at $119/month.
Should I hire a local bookkeeper or an online one?
Either can work. Focus on credentials, software skills, who does the work and how clearly they communicate. An online bookkeeper who is based in Shelbyville gives you both: someone who knows the area, without needing office visits.
What should I have ready before I talk to a bookkeeper?
Your last few bank and credit card statements, access to QuickBooks if you use it, a list of every business account, and the name of your payroll provider if you have employees. That is enough for a bookkeeper to tell you where things stand.
Can a bookkeeper catch up books that are months behind?
Yes. Catch-up bookkeeping brings old months current and reconciled before regular monthly work starts. It is usually quoted separately, because the price depends on how far behind the books are and how many transactions need sorting.
A Shelbyville bookkeeper who does the work himself
BDE Bookkeeping Solutions is based in Shelbyville and works with small businesses across Bedford County, Middle Tennessee and nationwide, 100% online. Billy Eldridge, MBA, is a QuickBooks Online Certified ProAdvisor and Gusto Payroll Certified, with more than ten years of bookkeeping and payroll experience, and he does the work himself.
Start with a free bookkeeping review. Billy goes over your books and tells you what he sees and what he would do to fix them, with no obligation to hire anyone.