Im an accountant here, but Im often nowhere near the people that I account for.
What drove you to choose your career path?
I think I have always been enamored with the idea of entrepreneurship and building something successful.
Being close to the heart of a business really interested me so accounting was a good fit.
How did you go about getting your job?
What kind of education and experience did you need?
What kinds of things do you do beyond what most people see?
What do you actually spend the majority of your time doing?
More than anything else.
Keeping up with the flow of someone elses business is definitely interesting.
Another big part of my day is analysisjust looking at the bigger picture.
Often, when a business owner looks at their financials, they only see the surface.
They made money, the have money, etc..
They dont see what professionals do.
There could be an increase in costs or maybe some irregularities in their cash flow they havent noticed.
Its my job to see deep inside the machine of their business and figure out what is really happening.
And once you understand how a clients money is flowing around, what happens next?
Then starts the best part of working with an accountant, making the machine even better.
Who is the typical customer?
Not necessarily of Bench per se, but what sort of people typically need to seek out an accountant?
Do you also get individuals who dont necessarily have a business but just need a hand?
What misconceptions do people often have about your job?
That we drink pints to get through the day.
Oh wait, you saidmisconceptions.
Seriously though, I think people assume that bookkeepers spend long days in front of spreadsheets.
In reality, we spend much more time establishing and maintaining relationships.
Were speaking with clients whenever they need us.
Having an analytical mind and seeing the forest for the trees is more important than your typing speed.
Is it all digital these days?
For our record keeping, long gone are the days of the ledger book.
Our software is top-notch nowadays and continuing to improve.
Good design leads to improved interaction and involvement with the information.
What are your average work hours?
There are no average work hours [here].
Our philosophy places the importance on getting the work that you gotta get done, done.
Its not about putting people in seats during certain hours.
What personal tips and shortcuts have made your job easier?
Heres a tipin accounting, if a robot can do it better than you, let it.
Bench bookkeepers are continually refining the work process to make it more efficient.
An extension of that is that its imperative that youre always sharing knowledge.
We have 133 bookkeepers so so that keep our teams organized and plugged in, we use15Five.
If you want the best communications tool for businesses, useSlack.
Ive used plenty of other communication.
Just… use Slack.
What do you do differently from your coworkers or peers in the same profession?
What do they do instead?
Id say we are the first organization to successfully provide businesses with a complete bookkeeping solution.
Traditional bookkeepers base their business off in-person interaction.
They are stereotypically driven by routine and not known to be quick to change or improve.
We pride ourselves on innovation.
We are client-focused and lean on management.
Sometimes my ability to get work completed is reliant on other people getting me information.
Its frustrating to be at a standstill.
Whats the most enjoyable part of the job?
The sheer number of businesses that are out there.
Do you have any advice for people who need to enlist your services?
Professionals are much more thorough than youll ever have the time or resources to be.
We will be the people who can see your financials and understand the health of your business.
You should be candid about your business and whats going on.
If youre not sure if you have enough money to pay peoplebe frank with your concerns.
What kind of money can one expect to make at your job?
Simple bookkeeping might only bring in $12/hour.
How do you move up in your field?
Get your CPA designation
Get management experience
Develop a strong sense of professional judgement.
Your career advancement is absolutely tied to the value you’re free to add to a business.
What do your clients under/over value?
And when you consider potential penalties and fines, its a bargain.
What advice would you give to those aspiring to join your profession?
More practically, get involved when youre in school with accounting clubs and associations.
They always have events so you’re free to meet people in the industry.
Get experience while youre in school if you canvolunteer or just get yourself out there.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
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