Photo by David Iskander on Unsplash
“I’ve been so embarrassed by my business books that I’ve avoided reaching out for help.”
I can honestly say that this is the first phrase that I hear from almost every small business owner I meet for the first time. The truth is that for adults, financial issues evoke the same feelings and behaviour that we’ve all experienced at some point as children in a parent/child relationship.
Think back to a time when you didn’t follow your parents’ instructions and hid the truth from them to avoid getting in trouble; fast forward to your “adulting” years. You start a business. You end up becoming busier than you were ready to be, and all of the steps you knew you should have taken to manage the business never get done. 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 years pass and voila! Those same feelings crop up again and again and again.
No judgement here
I want to reassure you that falling behind on bookwork is not the exception…in my experience, it’s the rule. I’m not your Mom. You don’t answer to me, so you can let those feelings of embarrassment go.
Life happens when we’re busy making other plans, and the first tasks that get pushed aside are the ones that aren’t customer-facing, don’t generate income, and, for most people, aren’t enjoyable! I actually enjoy managing numbers, but I do understand that most of the world doesn’t. It’s okay…that doesn’t hurt my feelings.
Odds are 500 to 1 against finding a bookkeeper
Since the 2020 Covid pandemic, hundreds of thousands of accounting professionals (bookkeepers, tax preparers, and accountants) have retired, quit, or changed careers. Additionally, post-secondary accounting programs graduate 16-18% fewer accounting graduates yearly than pre-pandemic levels. As a result, small businesses outnumber accounting professionals by 500 to 1, making any small business’s chance of finding accounting services lower than in previous decades.
Catching up isn’t easy
Catching up isn’t easy. Digging up old information and remembering what you did, why you did it and where on earth you put the receipt is time-consuming. However, learning how to master Quickbooks Online efficiently and confidently, and the feeling of satisfaction and relief when you’re all caught up, is so worth it!
That doesn’t even scratch the surface of how much money and time you can save in future years once you know how to manage your bookkeeping confidently and efficiently in Quickbooks Online.
Let’s make a plan to teach you how to get you caught up, and then we’ll celebrate!
Spend the rest of the day/weekend/month letting any embarrassing feelings go. Tomorrow, you can contact me and I’ll help you learn to get caught up.
The fine print:
The information and opinions expressed by Lori K Aitken on this blog are based on her own personal experiences. Please consult your own legal and accounting professionals for specifics regarding how any of the topics covered here may apply to your business’s unique structure, needs, or operational policies and procedures.
