Bookkeeping for small businesses

As I have posted before, I have started a second business that specializes in bookkeeping. As I've been promoting that business, I've started having to un-do a lot of poor bookkeeping. Now, I know a lot of business owners. They are awesome people. They're sharp, they work amazingly hard, and they're great at what they do. So how is it that these intelligent, sharp people aren't "getting" bookkeeping?



One reason is that bookkeeping isn't "what they do." They create marketing videos; frame houses; pour concrete; remanufacture ink and toner cartridges -- they aren't accountants or bookkeepers, they're not necessarily detail oriented, and they hate sitting down to figure out which account this reciept should go under. All the more reason to get a virtual assistant or professional bookkeeper to handle the books on a regular basis. Why try to do it all? It costs money in the long term!

I have worked to unravel more bookkeeping mistakes in the past few months than I had in a long time. Like I said, these people are sharp. They simply don't understand accounting principles. And that's ok. By simply outsourcing tasks they don't know how to do (or don't want to do) they will find themselves able to provide better service to their clients, put systems in place that will allow their business to grow, and create a business that will last beyond themselves.