Questions to ask before hiring a bookkeeper in Yakima
Before choosing a bookkeeper, you should understand the work you need done and the information you want back. Two services can both be called “monthly bookkeeping” and have different tasks, reports and conversations. This is a good thing to talk through with bookkeeping candidates.
If you run a construction, roofing, plumbing, handyman or other small business in Yakima County, these questions can help you compare options. You do not need to know every accounting term before you start. Bring the questions your business is already raising.
1. What work is included, and what stays with me?
Ask for a plain-language description of the work. Who records transactions? Who checks the records against bank and credit-card statements? Who follows up when a purchase needs more explanation?
Then ask about the tasks around that work. Sending customer invoices, paying bills, running payroll and preparing tax returns are separate responsibilities. Do not assume they are included just because someone maintains your books.
Write down who owns each task. A short list with a name next to each responsibility is easier to use than a general promise to “take care of the finances.”
If you want your bookkeeper to do more, you can always ask.
2. What will I receive, and will we talk about it?
Ask which reports you will receive, how often, and whether you can discuss what they mean. A report is most useful when you can connect it to a business question.
For example, you might want to understand why materials spending changed, whether customers are paying on time, or why the bank balance feels different from the result in your books. Ask how the bookkeeper would help you work through a question like that.
You are looking for an explanation you can follow. You should leave the conversation understanding more about your business.
3. Do I need a business-wide view, a job-by-job view, or both?
For a contractor, knowing the business's total costs is useful. Knowing which project those costs belong to answers a different question.
Tell the bookkeeper whether you want to compare individual jobs. Ask what extra information you would need to collect, who would assign costs to jobs, and how that detail changes the workload and scope. Do not assume every monthly package includes project reporting.
Our guide to job costing and bookkeeping walks through a hypothetical two-job example. It can help you decide what level of detail you want to discuss.
4. What do you need from me each month?
A bookkeeper may see that money moved without knowing why. A short explanation from you can be the missing piece.
Ask how to provide statements, receipts, invoices and transaction notes. Agree on a routine you can maintain and a way to flag anything you do not recognize. If one purchase covers several jobs, ask how to explain the split before building your own system around it.
The monthly records checklist for Yakima contractors gives you a practical starting point. Your final list should match your business and the agreed service.
5. How will we communicate and handle access?
Find out who your regular contact will be, how questions are collected, and what happens when something needs an answer before the usual check-in. Discuss remote meetings and any need for visits to your business.
Also ask how records and software access will be handled. Agree on the access needed for the work, who controls the business account, and how access and records will be handed back if the relationship ends. Keep that conversation specific to the tools you actually use.
6. What changes the scope or price?
Ask what the quote assumes. Does it cover current records only, or is there earlier work to catch up? What happens if you add an account, increase transaction volume or want more detail by job?
Compare the same work across proposals. A price makes more sense when you know the responsibilities, deliverables and communication included. Ask how you will agree to additional work before it begins.
Bring one real question to the first conversation
Try writing three short notes before you meet:
What you want to understand about the business.
What you currently do to keep the records organized.
What you would like someone else to handle or explain.
For example: “I can see what we spent on materials this month, but I cannot easily connect it to each job. I want to understand what records I would need to change.” That gives both of you a concrete place to start.
Courage Bookkeeping helps small-business owners understand their numbers. We work remotely and visit customers, with a focus on Yakima County and some service into Ellensburg. If you would like to talk about your business, start a conversation with Courage.