Is it better to work with a bookkeeper or do it yourself?

Should you be doing your own bookkeeping? Let’s be honest…

There are pros and cons to handling your own books. Sure, doing it yourself might save you some money, but here’s the truth:

Is it really worth it?

If bookkeeping starts eating into the time you should be spending growing your business, that “cost saving” might actually be costing you more than you think.

As a business owner, your energy is best spent running and scaling your business—not chasing late payments, reconciling accounts, or getting lost in spreadsheets. Far too often, we speak with business owners who’ve let their accounts slip to the bottom of their to-do list.

That’s exactly where we come in

With over 10 years of experience, our dedicated team is here to ensure your accounts are completed accurately and on time. We pride ourselves on providing a personal service, taking time to truly understand your business so we can offer the best possible support.

Prefer to do it yourself? We can still help

If you’re keen to do your own bookkeeping, we offer tools and training to make sure you are set up for success:

Xero Software Training Courses

Ongoing software support

Common DIY bookkeeping mistakes

Before you decide to do it alone, here are some of the most frequent mistakes we see from business owners doing their own bookkeeping:

No opening balances entered

Your financial data needs a solid foundation. Missing or incorrect opening balances can throw everything off.

Duplicated transactions

It’s easier than you think to accidentally import the same data twice or re-enter manual payments.

Payments allocated to the wrong bank account

A small mistake here can lead to completely inaccurate cash flow reporting.

Incorrect bank balances

If your books don’t match your bank, you might be making decisions based on the wrong information.

Incorrect or inconsistent coding

Misclassifying income or expenses can skew your reports and impact your tax return.

GoCardless fees not split properly

Failing to account for processing fees can distort your revenue figures and understate your costs.

Avoid the stress and free up your time whether you want full bookkeeping support or just someone to help you do it better.