Q&A With Your Garnet Valley Bookkeeper

Q: I am a small business owner. When is the best time for me to hire a bookkeeper?

A: The best time to hire a bookkeeper depends on your situation. If you are doing your own books and feel comfortable spending 4 hours a month on bookkeeping, why change? The best time will be when bookkeeping has started to take up too much of your time, if it's too difficult to keep up with, or if it's causing difficulties with your tax preparation, lending, and investment opportunities. Check out our Calculate How Much DIY Bookkeeping is Costing You page if you think bookkeeping is taking up too much of your time.

Q: What is the difference between a standard bookkeeper and a CPA? Is it worth it for me to hire a CPA over a standard bookkeeper?

A: A standard bookkeeper may treat the bookkeeping process as nothing more than a transactional exercise. A CPA can account for transactional activity with discernment, provide clean, timely, tax-ready books, and act as a business partner and trusted advisor. If you are a business owner who is looking for white glove service and wants to be confident that things are done the right way, a CPA will pay dividends.

Q: How much do you charge as a bookkeeper give that you are a CPA?

A: Monthly fees generally start at $400, however this will vary wildly depending on the scope of work and needs of your business. To get an idea of what bookkeepers are charging in the Philadelphia area, and what each price point will get you, there is a writeup on the website that breaks things down in detail (How Much Does a Bookkeeper Cost in the Philadelphia Area?). *Important to note is that final pricing is determined following a free consultation.* 

Q: Why should I hire you over a larger firm?

A: Whether you hire me as your bookkeeper or tax preparer, you will have direct access to me, consistent service, and personalized attention. You will not be passed between staff, your work will not be offshored across the globe, and I will be one text, call, or drive away.

Q: How do you protect client financial data?

A: As a CPA, securing client data is one of my top priorities. I operate using Karbon, which is an encrypted portal with filesharing features, as well as multi-factor authorization, and secure password managers.

Q: Are you a licensed CPA? How many years of experience do you have?

A: I am a licensed CPA in Pennsylvania, and have over 7 years of experience in accounting and finance, across a variety of industries, including financial services, manufacturing, asset management, and not-for-profit accounting.