When Kate Mosquera, accounting cloud specialist at Acuity, gets up in the morning, she LIVES accounting, welcoming the sunrise by breathing in the sweet smell of all the books she’s going to balance that very day. Actually, she has a double shot espresso, no sugar (because all of our accounting software is cloud-based and smelling your computer is weird). But then it’s ALL bookkeeping, ALL the time.
Jokes aside, you may not know what your bookkeeper does: how they manage your files, keep up with your reports, or reconcile your accounts. But what they do is really important for the growth and stability of your business, so we thought we’d track down Kate for a little insight into her day-to-day to give you a closer look at what goes on behind the scenes. Here’s what she had to say.
Tell us about the nitty-gritty of bookkeeping.
A bookkeeper’s role is pretty simple — balance the books. But that covers a whole lot of processes that you don’t see from the outside. To start, I record financial transactions in their respective accounts and in the period recognized for reporting on financial statements. In addition to that, I review client accounts periodically to ensure all recorded transactions reconcile to the bank statements and aren’t overstating or understating accounts.
I also create reports in a format that allows the user to read and understand their company’s financial position. And then I complete additional tasks, such as setting up employees for tax withholdings and complete payroll, to give our clients the peace of mind they need to focus on their business.
How does that break down into your everyday tasks?
On a normal day, I begin work around 9:00 AM to check and respond to my emails – which can take anywhere from 1-2 hours, and then I begin the tasks I mentioned above. These vary significantly based on whether I’m handling categorization, bill pay or invoicing.
Once I complete my everyday things, I’ll check and respond to my emails again before taking a break to do personal activities — then it’s back on later in the afternoon to check up with my clients and make sure they’re squared away. The best part? I work from home — often my couch.
(Acuity note: ALL of our employees enjoy flexible work hours, it’s the best and we really believe in it because happier employees mean better books. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming!).
What’s your favorite part?
I enjoy the schedule flexibility and opportunity to gain experience in all different accounting systems, software, and business industries.
What bookkeeping software do you prefer to work with?
I prefer Quickbooks Online because it’s intuitive and comprehensive in regards to recording, researching, reviewing, and reporting all transactions. Quickbooks also integrates well with other software.
And finally, what makes what you do so great?
At Acuity, we care about our client’s businesses and love the process of helping them run more efficiently. We really do, and that’s why we don’t just complete the work we’ve been assigned. We all go the extra mile, offering additional things like controllers and CFO hours, and even bookkeepers who go above and beyond. We just really love what we do, and the people we get to work with.
Ready to get started with a bookkeeper like Kate? Get a free consultation now, and we’ll show you how we can help build your business into the best version of itself.