As a leader, there’s no better feeling than requesting a project only to discover it’s already been done. A clairvoyant staff, capable of foreseeing your every need and wish, is an unspoken dream of every leader. But as we all know, it’s nothing more than fantasy.
However, in the realm of financial management, you can get similar results without the need for superpowers. Because so much of bookkeeping consists of recurring processes, a well-organized calendar is capable of working wonders that rival the power of ESP.
To make the magic happen, though, you’ll first need to invest some extra time and energy up-front. The benefits of a calendar are only as meaningful and comprehensive as the calendar itself. So, take your time, consider carefully, and be as thorough as possible.
Begin by holding a meeting with your new bookkeeper and any other relevant staff to carefully consider all your organization’s bookkeeping needs. To help keep things organized, separate recurring tasks into cycles by establishing weekly, monthly, and annual calendars. Depending on your organization’s needs, including a list of essential daily tasks can also be beneficial.
For example — if your organization holds a board meeting on the 10th of every month, all the financial information those meetings require should be scheduled in your shared monthly calendar no later than the 9th. Payroll, disbursements, and bill payments can all also be “written in stone” in your monthly calendar. Quarterly financial reports, tax compliance, and budgeting matters can all be easily scheduled on a recurring, annual basis. Meanwhile, updating expense reports and filing receipts can be assigned to your list of essential daily tasks.
By establishing these clear and comprehensive financial timelines, your bookkeeper will be able to preempt, rather than respond to, your organization’s needs. Plus, helping your bookkeeper to be proactive will also allow them be more reactive.
Staying on top of the recurring tasks will free your bookkeeper up to respond more quickly to novel requests when needed. A comprehensive calendar will also help to ensure that your financial data remains accurate and up-to-date, which will in turn allow your bookkeeper to compile unique reports more quickly.
Bookkeeping can be a complicated business, but a financial calendar is an excellent way to simplify and streamline the process. Help your bookkeeper better help you — commit to a calendar today!
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