Archive

Most people I know love to read stories about entrepreneurs and their businesses. With that in mind, we’ve started a new series about companies and the people that run them that we hope you’ll find both interesting and informative. If you’re interested in seeing your business profiled, please contact me at ferngordon@theprofitline.com. 1. What does […]

Most people I know love to read stories about entrepreneurs and their businesses. With that in mind, we’ve started a new series about companies and the people that run them that we hope you’ll find both interesting and informative. If you’re interested in seeing your business profiled, please contact me at ferngordon@theprofitline.com. Tim Jackson is […]

Most people I know love to read stories about entrepreneurs and their businesses. With that in mind, we’ve started a new series about companies and the people that run them that we hope you’ll find both interesting and informative. If you’re interested in seeing your business profiled, please contact me at ferngordon@theprofitline.com. Rob Wong and […]

Alyssa Richard started Ratehub.ca when she was only 26. Read why leaving the corporate world was absolutely the right decision for Alyssa.

When the bookkeeper leaves

“We have a full-time bookkeeper who just got a new job.  Everything is up-to-date and at the accountants for our year end”

Music to our ears or so we thought.

 We often take over from in-house bookkeepers or freelance bookkeepers so we’re used to seeing files done differently than the way we do things, but this was amongst the worst.

The day the bookkeeper left for good, someone at the office went through her filing cabinet and discovered thousands of dollars that had been paid in penalties and interest for overdue remittances to the government.

And that was just the beginning.  Bluntly speaking, the file was a mess.  Multiple bank accounts with negative balances that no longer existed.  HST a complete mess, unknown investment account etc.

 We understand the appeal of a full-time in-house bookkeeper, but if it means you stop paying attention to the financial aspects of your business, then it can be a very dangerous thing.

There is no substitute for personally understanding the numbers of your business. 

The following is an excerpt from David Harris’ newsletter.  For more info, please follow David on twitter @fraudguru.   “Monitoring for fraud is actually far easier than most dentists and consultants think.  Regardless of the specific embezzlement methodologies being employed, the behavior of thieves is remarkably predictable.  Embezzlers want to control communication in their offices, […]

When the CFO is also the Bookkeeper

There’s a disturbing trend we’re seeing more of these days – the start-up company with significant investor backing that decides to hire a CFO.

In order to save money, and since it really shouldn’t be that difficult, that person also gets tasked with doing the bookkeeping.

And that’s where the problems start.  It is very rare to find a CFO who is knowledgeable and comfortable with doing bookkeeping since it requires a completely different skill set and training.

When money is tight, as it always is for a start-up, it would better to find a part-time CFO and outsource the bookkeeping.  That way you ensure that you are getting the right skill set for the right job. 

This will save a lot of time and money down the road.

Be smart and be aware. With a little caution, you can dramatically reduce your chances of being victim to fraud.

It took 18 months, but my friend who was defrauded by her bookkeeper finally had her day in court. While it felt good to to get to that point, the outcome wasn’t nearly as satisfying as we had hoped. To begin with, the case never went to trial. The lawyers negotiated a settlement at the […]

According to Canada Revenue Agency, Canadian individuals and businesses owe $25 billion in overdue taxes to the federal government – enough to pay off more than half the national deficit if the money were collected. According to the CRA, the biggest problem is believed to be among the self-employed and small and medium-sized businesses. What’s […]