Hey look! Another blog post about the Coronavirus!
As if you haven’t seen enough of them already. I know, I know.
Honestly, I don’t want to talk about it. I want to turtle my head back into my shell and hide until this is over. Thankfully, that’s basically what they’re recommending we do anyways. But, of course, life and business must go on. With that in mind, I’d like to put forth a few tips and ideas on keeping your bookkeeping going during these pandemic-y times.
There are apps available that you can download (for a monthly fee) that will allow you to upload receipts (and statements!) directly from your computer, snap photos on your phone and upload, or you can forward receipts by email directly to your account! Basically, they’ve made it as easy and convenient as possible for you to store your source documents online. Access to your account can then be given or assigned to your bookkeeper – most apps let us bookkeepers (and accountants) set up accounts for free so our clients can delegate access to us without having to give up their passwords (because we’re all still using the one same password across all our apps. Admit it!).
Hubdoc
Personally, I’ve been using Hubdoc. It’s got great functionality, it’s intuitive to use, and for the first 6 months, new clients can sign up for $12.50/month (Canadian). Bonus, if you decide that ultimately this is only a Coronavirus solution for you and you prefer not to continue with it in the future, it is very easy to download your receipts as a pdf.
Google Drive/Microsoft OneDrive
If you don’t want to incur the extra expense of a receipt-specific app, may we suggest Google Drive? Or OneDrive if you’re a Microsoft user. You can snap pictures of the receipts and upload to your account – or if your receipts are already on your computer, just upload them and then share the file containing your receipts. This way, again, you don’t have to give out your password, and your bookkeeper can have access to everything they need.
Zoom
Online meetings and conferences. This one isn’t new and I’m sure everyone is familiar with the concept, but have you heard of Zoom? It’s an online video conferencing solution that offers a free plan (our favorite kind). There are also paid options should you need something more robust. I use the free one and have found it very simple and straightforward to use. If you haven’t already, definitely check it out.
Bookkeeping is one of the few things that can be done 100% online with no disruption of service. It might take a bit of getting used to, just to switch your mindset from in person to online, but you may even decide you prefer it! I know a lot of bookkeepers are going to a more online-based solution to allow them to serve a wider geographic area. For more information on the services Rogue Bookkeeping provides, please check out our Services page.
What are you doing for your business in this new world of social distancing? What are your plans? What apps are you using to help your business to continue to move forward?
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