Connection Matters
My husband is on vacation this week, so I’m trying to work only when absolutely necessary and spend the rest of my time with him.
But I had a client coming to my home office, so I asked him to help me tidy up the house and light a few candles.
He did exactly what I asked.
When I walked into one of the rooms I noticed that he had lit a candle that was clearly at the bottom.
Technically, the candle was lit. Task completed.
But I looked at it and thought, No. That needs a new candle.
So I replaced it.
It was such a small thing, but it got me thinking about something I believe about small business bookkeeping:
Doing the task correctly is important. But truly serving a client requires more than checking items off a list.
The better I know a client and their business, the more context I have for the numbers — and the more likely I am to notice when something doesn’t look right.
Why Accurate Bookkeeping Requires More Than Accurate Numbers
I have worked as a CPA in local CPA firms since 2002. When I worked for someone else, there were times when I was handed a tax return to prepare for a client I knew very little about.
I cared about doing good work. I wanted the return to be accurate. I took my responsibilities seriously.
But sometimes all I knew about the client was what I could see in the file in front of me.
Then there were the clients I actually knew.
I had talked to them. I knew something about their businesses and their families. I knew the questions they had asked. I knew what they were worried about.
And I noticed more.
It wasn’t because I cared more about those clients.
Connection gave the numbers context.
When I understood the person and the business behind the numbers, I had a better understanding of what I was looking at.
That’s something I’ve carried with me into my own accounting practice.
Knowing Your Business Helps Me Understand Your Numbers
When I look at a client’s financial statements, I’m looking at numbers.
But I’m never just looking at numbers.
Those numbers represent someone’s business.
They represent sales made, customers served, employees paid, bills that came due, investments made, risks taken, and countless hours spent building something.
That’s why I want to make a connection with every client I serve.
I want to understand your business.
I want to know what you’re trying to accomplish.
I want to know what’s changing.
I want to know what’s keeping you up at night.
And I want to know what questions you have — including the ones you might be hesitant to ask because you think you “should” already know the answer.
The better I understand you and your business, the more context I have when I’m reviewing your books.
And context helps me notice things.
Accurate Books Are the Starting Point
Of course I want your bookkeeping to be accurate.
I want your bank and credit card accounts reconciled correctly. I want transactions categorized properly. I want your financial statements to make sense. And when something doesn’t look right, I want it investigated and corrected.
But accurate bookkeeping is the starting point.
I don’t want to simply produce a set of financial statements and move on to the next client.
I want those numbers to be useful to you.
Your bookkeeping should help you understand what’s happening in your business.
It should give you reliable financial information when you have a decision to make.
It should help you see problems before they become bigger problems.
And it should give you greater confidence when you’re planning what’s next.
Your Bookkeeper Should Be Someone You Can Ask Questions
One of the things I want every client to know is this:
You can ask me questions.
If something on your financial statements doesn’t make sense, ask me. If you aren’t sure why something was categorized a certain way, ask me. If you’re looking at your numbers and wondering what they mean for your business, let’s talk about it.
You aren’t bothering me. You don’t need to understand accounting terminology before you call.
And you shouldn’t feel embarrassed because you think it’s something you should already know.
Answering your questions isn’t an interruption to the work.
It’s part of the work.
Because good small business bookkeeping shouldn’t leave you with accurate financial statements that you don’t understand.
I Want My Clients to Succeed
This is really what all of it comes down to.
I want my clients to succeed. I want you to have books you can trust. I want you to understand what your numbers are telling you. I want you to feel comfortable asking questions. I want you to have better financial information when you’re making decisions. And I want to be someone you know you can call when you need help making sense of it.
Because when my clients succeed, I succeed; not simply because a successful client continues to need accounting services.
I succeed because helping my clients build stronger businesses is the work I want to do.
Why Client Relationships Matter in Bookkeeping
That little candle reminded me of something important.
When we’re connected to an outcome, we notice things. We look a little closer. We ask another question. We don’t settle for “technically, the job is done” when we know something could be better.
That’s the kind of relationship I want with every client I serve.
You’re not an account number in my software. You’re not a reconciliation waiting to be completed. You’re not another set of financial statements on my to-do list.
You’re a person who trusted me with an important part of your business.
And I don’t take that lightly.
Sometimes that means getting the big things right.
And sometimes it simply means noticing when the candle needs to be replaced.
Looking for More Than Just a Bookkeeper?
If you’re a small business owner, especially in the Marshfield, Missouri, Springfield, Missouri and Southwest Missouri area looking for accurate bookkeeping and an accounting professional who wants to understand the business behind the numbers, I’d love to talk with you.
Contact Melton Accounting Services to learn more about our bookkeeping and accounting services.
