M-Jo's comments

I am bummed that I didn't see this in time! Chris, I sincerely hope you schedule another one of these soon.

Thanks for posting this. As an independent bookkeeper I require my clients to frequently check on me, both for my protection and theirs. I give new clients a document similar to Berry's "13 Red Flags" and encourage them to take an active part in understanding their accounting processes.

It always amazes me the level of responsibility that new clients want to give me, usually far more than I will allow for their safety.

For example: It is common for new clients to request that I become a signer on their checking accounts. I always refuse and explain that this is in violation of one of the basic tenets of accounting: satisfactory internal controls. If I am the one reconciling the bank accounts then I should not be a signer.

My theory is that these small business owners want the accounting to be a "black box" where they are completely out of the loop and it just magically happens.

Similarly my clients are often resistant to any suggestions I make to tighten controls on their employees. "Joe would never steal from me, he's a great guy!" Unfortunately the research shows that if there is an opportunity there is a high probability that an employee will exploit it.

I explain to my clients that they may be harming their employees by presenting them with such "temptations". Think of what happens if the box of yummy candy is left open on your desk vs. closed away in a cabinet in the next room.

Hmmm... I tried to rsvp at 1:30 pm monday but no luck. I guess the system locks up a few hours before the event? Oh well see you there anyways!

To any fence sitters: Lunch at the Spaghetti Factory is one of the great unknown CHEAP EATS for lunch in Downtown Seattle. Not crowded, free parking(!), big funky tables, and enough food for leftovers! Soup+salad+bread for $5-$6 if I remember correctly. Howard, is the soup on Thursdays the Mulagtawny? Pleaaase say yes!

And no extra charge if you table rattles from the trains!

HA! A spot opened up and I snatched it! Woo hoo!

Haven't been to McLeod since just after they opened. I'm excited to see how they are succeeding.

Eric, What a great idea for a networking event! BizNik-time + doggie-time + exercise-time !! I am so there.

I think that my business (bookkeeping) is different in type from the project-based consultant (like you, Chris) or the medical pro (like a massage therapist). In a way I am more like a janitor. I am paid to keep the office clean. But no matter how much I scrub today, tomorrow the office will need cleaning again. So how do these ideas about pricing apply to this?

When I have experimented with billing other than hourly I have run into two problems: 1) mission creep - Even when I carefully define the area of my responsibility in writing, the client will come up with all kinds of extra stuff that they think is part of accounting. I am put in the position of having to argue about the "fine print". Not ideal. Expecially since my clients are not short term. I see the same clients every week for years. 2) mess creep - When I bill by the hour my clients work to keep the paperwork and the accounting tidier. (There is often a "the maid is coming, better clean before she arrives" effect). For example they don't want to pay me to shuffle through a box of receipts. As soon as I start to bill by the month they stop caring and my time explodes.

Comments, questions?

Rebecca and I are carpooling to sushi from Northgate/Greenwood in Seattle and have room for one more. Please email me directly if interested.

I am so glad to have something not football related to do on Sunday!

M-Jo

How long does this event last? I cannot make it at 6pm but could be there a bit later, perhaps 7.

<dan>

How long does this event last? I cannot make it at 6pm but could be there a bit later, perhaps 7.

<dan>

This is a subject that comes up a lot in my business. I think of a bookkeeper another professional like a lawyer, teacher, or accountant. So I try to stay focused on business and stay a bit distant. I feel like going off into deep personal or controversial discussions is an unnecessary distraction from my core business. I am also basically a pretty private person.

My point of view on my professional ethics and the way I choose to run my business is a part of my initial pitch to clients. It is unfortunately the case that I have been asked to do some dodgy things in the past, so I make sure that new clients know right off the bat that is "not on" (in a gentle way, of course). I try to use humor or funny examples from the past; no names of course.

Because I visit some of my clients weekly they are often kind enough to treat me sort of like a member of their staff. They invite me to holiday parties or the employees invite me to weddings, etc. This is nice and helps with the isolation I have heard that a lot of solo business owners can feel.

For the clients I visit less frequently (once a month or so) my arrival can be a bit of an event for the staff. They often want to chat about changes since my last visit. It can be awkward sometimes keeping these "water cooler" conversations short. But I bill by the hour and I don't want to waste my clients' time. I guess that is part of my professional ethics too.

When talking with owners or employees I usually apply the same rules of conversation I applied as an employee in the past. I try to keep it light. Discussions of family, health, pets, vacations, and hobbies are common. I try to avoid discussions, politics, or sex/sexuality. I actively avoid discussions that would criticize the management, discuss wages, the success/failure of the business, etc.

But some of my clients have sexual fetish-related businesses, or are political non-profits. These are where it gets interesting. Again I mostly try to stay on topic. But I will admit that sometimes I get distracted by a rant about Dubbya.

I don't hide my Judaism but I avoid arguments about religion. I have often wondered whether I could work for a political group I disagree with or a Christian client who tried to convert me. It hasn't come up yet but you know that it will.

Sorry if this is a ramble.