Sunday 13 November 2016

Bookkeeping is a critical aspect of any business

 What You Need To Know About Bookkeeping 
                              Services in Ottawa



The best way to be successful in business is to focus on the important task, and delegate works that you consider mundane to others. One of these tasks is bookkeeping, which can be outsourced to professional bookkeeping services in Ottawa who are trained in providing financial services. By outsourcing, you wouldn't be caught in the cracks and can focus more on the important task of growing your business.

Importance of Bookkeeping Services

Bookkeeping is a critical aspect of any business. You need regular financial reports on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, so you can evaluate on how your company is faring. A professional bookkeeper can help you come up with an accurate picture by recording your daily transactions on sales, purchases, inventories, payroll, receivables, overhead, bank transactions, and many others. In most cases, bookkeeping in Ottawa will crank out the needed financial reports for submission to their clients. But, it is safe to assume that in preparing these reports, they follow the prescribed regulations on Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) by having a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) as part of the team.

Outsourcing vs. Direct Employment

Some businesses opt to hire an additional employee when they see the need for an accounting service. It is a business decision on your part, since hiring entails additional overhead expenses on salaries, employee benefits and perks. It can be a better option to work with a bookkeeping agency that offers virtual services. They have the track record, experience, and are updated on the recent developments affecting your industry. Professional fees are fixed, depending on the kind of services that you require.

In addition, they provide valuable services in helping you grow your business by making sound decisions. You can rely on them to give you an accurate financial picture on how your business is doing as compared to other businesses within the industry. Hiring a reliable bookkeeper can have a great impact on your business in terms of planning and future growth. It gives you a clear idea on taxes that you need to pay, meeting the CRA deadline, and the amount of business loans that you can avail of in order to expand.

Bookkeeping Services

A good bookkeeping services can assist you in streamlining the bookkeeping process, help in setting up internal controls, and come up with up-to-date financial reports to help you plan effectively. The services would generally include the following:

---Regular Financial Reports

These include basic financial statements with accompanying analysis: Balance Sheet or a statement of financial position; Income Statement which is otherwise known as the Profit and Loss Report; Statement of Changes in Equity or the Statement of Retained Earnings, and; Cash Flow Statement Report which shows the inflow and outflow of cash over a certain period;

---Maintenance of the General Ledger and Subsidiary Ledgers

The General Ledger (GL) is a chronological listing of all financial transactions of the business. The GL is a summary of all the transaction that is specific for each asset type - asset, liability, equity, and the retained earnings summary. The Subsidiary Ledger (SL) provides the support for the GL accounts, i.e., the Accounts Receivable GL account would have a corresponding detailed SL account of what comprises it.

---Bank Reconciliation

A bank reconciliation report ascertains that the company's records are cross checked with the bank records and any discrepancy is duly accounted for.

Other Bookkeeping Services may include the following:

Other services may include: the filing of monthly, quarterly, and annual taxes; payroll services, inventory monitoring, job costing, and the setting up of the Chart of Accounts for new or existing businesses. Additional services are dependent on your specific needs.



Source from A-Accounting

Saturday 29 October 2016



 Does the thought of bookkeeping scare you?  Do you dread sitting down at your computer and entering all your receipts, deposits, and making sure everything is documented right for taxes?  Never fear, there is a new, more affordable solution to having your bookkeeping done.  Two words-Virtual Assistant.  The industry of virtual assistance is relatively new, though the concept has been around for some time.  With the age of computers, it has made the opportunity for small business owners to outsource their bookkeeping (and administrative tasks-but that is another article) to a qualified individual.  This saves time, headache, and the possibility of error.  How does this work?  Below are some of your questions answered by several experienced Virtual Assistants (VAS).
Is a Virtual Assistant the same as a CPA?
No.  Usually a Virtual Assistant will work along side of your CPA.  Depending on your Virtual Assistant and their experience, they will handle the daily accounting needs all the way to filing your taxes.  Many Virtual Assistants will work with your CPA to be sure your books are in correct order.  A Virtual Assistant who is just your bookkeeper will make sure the company is set up correctly (working with your CPA) and entries are posted correctly.  A CPA will do the sales, unemployment taxes, and payroll IF the Virtual Assistant is not qualified. Tatiana Avdeeva of A-Accounting Office Services once calculated with one client she had cut his bookkeeping costs by 75% over his previous accountant.  By finding the right Virtual Assistant, to meet your needs, there can be a tremendous amount of money saved.
Education
The Virtual Assistants who donated their time and information to this article had a vast amount of experience and training.  Some had learned “on the job” bookkeeping, while others had courses and degrees.  Some had been doing bookkeeping from a couple years to twenty years.  All are dedicated to making sure your books are kept up to date.
Sharing Information with your Virtual Assistant
The wonderful thing about the technology today, is that you don’t ever have to leave your office to get your bookkeeping done.  You can choose to enter your information into a spreadsheet set up by your Virtual Assistant (and then email a copy), fax over all the information needed, send everything postal mail, or have your Virtual Assistant pick up and drop off your reports.  You can even have the Virtual Assistant work on your computer without having to be in your office with secure online software.  Some clients give the Virtual Assistant access to their accounts online to check and balance.  It is what you feel comfortable doing and what works best for you and your Virtual Assistant.
You can have your Virtual Assistant print out reports and fax or email them to you.  You can keep a copy of the updated file on your desktop by having them send you the file.  Depending on how you and your Virtual Assistant set up your relationship, there a  multitude of ways to keep you up to date on your books.
Software
The wonderful news is that you, as the client, wouldn’t even need bookkeeping software.  Many of the was I spoke with use QuickBooks, Quicken, and Excel (to name a few).  Virtual Assistants have the software on their own computer, and can do your bookkeeping using that software.
The beauty of having a Virtual Assistant is exactly what it says-they are virtual.  You don’t have to hire an in-house bookkeeper and provide the space or equipment.  Additionally, Virtual Assistants only charge for the time they work.  There are no breaks or having to find work for them to fill their hours.  A Virtual Assistant can take away the stress and time of doing the books, and allow you to focus on your business.
If you feel you would like to explore the possibility of having a Virtual Assistant work with you on your bookkeeping (or other administrative tasks), you will find a list of all the Virtual Assistants who contributed to this article at this link affordable bookkeeping