Minimising Client Bookkeeping Errors

Unless your clients rely on you to manage their bookkeeping as well as to produce their accounts, there’s a good chance you’ve seen some highly creative record-keeping. Like the shiny new machine which cost £100,000 being categorised as an office expense. You get double-bonus points if it actually cost £100.

And that’s before we get to the glorious diversity of how these records sometimes reach you. In this article we’ll go over a few ways you might be able to support your clients with their bookkeeping, and help minimise the risk of errors in their records.

Send your clients email reminders

Although it may seem obvious, it’s often deadline dates that trip people up. Submitting information too late, sending it to you the day before the deadline, or inputting data into records which are already complete are all common issues.

There’s certainly plenty of dates to keep track of. The Self Assessment deadline, financial year end, payroll data and VAT returns can bewilder even the most organised.

This is where automated tech can be your friend. Set up automated reminders for key dates in their accounting year, and give clients a nudge well in advance. It will help them make sense of what needs to happen, and when.

Introduce them to accounting software that works for both of you

Thanks to the ever-rumbling approach of Making Tax Digital, accountants and clients need to start planning the shift to fully digital accounting.

Compliance isn’t the only advantage here. Online accounting software tends to automate lots of processes, which in turn reduces the risk of weird data-entry errors or inconsistent decisions around categorising transactions.

Having real-time access to their records is another plus point, especially if you can add queries to specific transactions. Which, you know, Pandle just happens to do.

Client onboarding

You probably already complete some sort of client onboarding process, but did you know it can potentially reduce client errors?

Short onboarding tutorials in the form of videos or guides are a great resource which clients can then refer back to as needed.

They add value for clients, and you could even tailor what they’re sent at the start, such as a welcome pack with FAQs specifically for their business structure and industry.

Their welcome pack could also include a calendar of key dates, just for them. Hopefully you’re tracking these yourself, so providing a copy to your client shouldn’t be a complete nightmare.

Host webinars and skill workshops

Business owners love learning new skills that help them and their businesses develop. It’s just that they usually don’t have access to the knowledge they need – or even realise they need to know it. Few entrepreneurs have time to sit through long tutorials, but that’s where you come in.

Deliver easy-to-digest snippets, which are available to access when convenient. Perhaps short introductions to the following topics would work well:

Clients trust you, so it’s a great idea to deliver these videos yourself. If you’re a bit camera shy, there are plenty of other formats to consider.

Create a knowledge base

Your website is a valuable tool, and the chances are you’re not utilising its full potential!

There are common queries that cause headaches for business owners when completing their accounts. For example, your clients may not be familiar with:

Engaging with your clients means you’ll see what are common areas of confusion, so you can address these directly. You’ll save time dealing with calls and errors, and clients can simply head to your website to find help.

Learn more about using Pandle to make business accounting easier. Create an account today and decide what to do with all the extra time you get back.