"Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions, and is part of the process of accounting in business. Transactions include purchases, sales, receipts, and payments by an individual person or an organisation/corporation" ... well so says Google. That sounds simple enough, right? You buy something, you record it. You make a payment, you record it. Just about anyone could do that, surely? Perhaps even your office junior? Or your partner? Or your retired uncle that did an accounting course in 1998. Well, Business Owner, times have changed. Bookkeepers have changed. The landscape has changed and maybe there's a few things you need to know. We are innovators. We now work at the cusp of new technologies that continually enter our space - there's new accounting software programmes, endless updates within those programmes, and the constant arrival of new apps and programmes that integrate and automate. We see a new payment system, or inventory programme and we immediately think of you. Would it add-value to your business? Is it worth the cost? How would it work with your reporting needs? And we need to be nimble to manage the ways that technologies impact on our business model. We see Optical Character Recognition on our horizon and rather than panic, we embrace the technology and reconfigure how we work. We are out there keeping abreast of it all, watching tutorial video's late at night and attending webinars in our lunch hours - all because we care about you and your business. We are life long-learners. Nothing in our world is static - it's always changing. We work hard to ensure that we understand the impact of changes from the Government, ATO or NES. For those that desire to be BAS Agents, there's another layer of learning and education. We deep-dive into the world of GST, superannuation and payroll. We navigate the intricacies of the GST system and ensure your business is claiming correctly. We try to understand complex employment awards and seek advice on your behalf when we don't know. We are collaborators. Forget the stereotype of us sitting awkwardly in a dark corner sorting receipts. We hold discussion groups, we create forums, we attend workshops and develop on-line group resources to share knowledge and support each other. We find something that works in one industry and let others know. We see something our colleague is doing and wonder which client it might work for of ours. We find a new app troublesome - we spread the word. But most importantly, we truly care about your business. Way more than you may ever realise. We ponder things late at night. We day-dream at the breakfast table about how this or that might work. We work on weekends to get your BAS lodged on time. We ask colleagues if there is a better way for you. We keep you compliant. We don't ask you to sign a Letter of Authority because we're being overly finicky - we ask you because that's the law. We say you need to have a receipt, because you do need to have it. We say that you can't do that in a pay- run, because we know you actually can't - and that for all of these there may be serious consequences. So dear Business Owner, and Google for that matter, we are so much more than mere recorders of transactional history. We are a valuable and educated resource, an ally for your business. We're motivated and tenacious - but of most importance, we are on your side. Gabrielle Osborne (BAcc) is a small business specialist who loves to help business owners focus on what they do best. An innovation enthusiast and determined problem-solver, Gabrielle can change your life too. e: [email protected] m: 0410 546 000
9 Comments
27/6/2016 08:39:50 am
One of the best, if not the best, summation I have read re what bookkeepers are to a business. Thankyou for sharing this.
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Gabrielle Osborne
27/6/2016 09:35:54 am
Thank you Rosemary.
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28/6/2016 08:00:16 am
You nailed it. As a bookkeeper and BAS agent myself, it's refreshing to read an account of what we do that's real and not based on outdated stereotypes long dead. Thank you! I want to send your article to all of our clients!
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Gabrielle Osborne
28/6/2016 07:31:06 pm
Thank you Karen
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Peter Glanz
29/8/2016 12:42:08 pm
Hi Gabrielle, what a fantastic description of what we do! Can I send your article to my clients--pleeease?
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Gabrielle
29/8/2016 12:55:22 pm
For sure Peter! We need to let people know that what we do is quite different from the perception.
Gabrielle
14/7/2016 12:09:48 pm
Hi Tania.
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