Founder, Marketect Media
One of the biggest headaches I’ve dealt with as a business owner is keeping up with the financial responsibilities of managing a business. Tasks like invoicing, payroll, paying bills, monitoring cash flow, making sales tax or income tax payments and more just suck my life force.
And I’m not alone in that … U.S. Bank study found that a staggering 82% of small businesses fail due to poor cash flow management.
I’d bet if a follow-up study were done, you’d see that in a lot of small businesses, the owner was the one doing the cash flow management and s/he gets an F (that was me).
Paying for a part-time or full-time bookkeeper as a direct response business used to seem like a luxury that I couldn’t justify spending margin on …
And yet, it turns out that one of the best things I’ve done to lower the noise and stress of growing a business is to hire a part-time (who became full-time) bookkeeper from the Philippines. In fact, I will never, ever try to run a business without one again.
The cost for a part-time (20 hours weekly) bookkeeper from the Philippines is similar to what you’ll pay a bookkeeper who does month-end bank account / credit card reconciliation and reporting in the United States. You’ll get the reconciliation and reporting that you’re used to, plus a top-notch bookkeeper will:
And because this bookkeeper is involved in the day-to-day of the business, they more readily notice account discrepancies that need to be investigated and find fraudulent activity.
Hiring from the Philippines (or anywhere offshore) does not mean lowering your standards for skills and competency.
There is an excellent pool of very qualified bookkeepers in the Philippines with 4-year degrees in accounting or similar fields, adept at GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and experienced working with Western companies in the US, Canada, Australia, UK, etc.
I’ve even placed Controllers for US companies from the Philippines … the talent is really robust.
I recommend you keep a CPA to handle your taxes, and some clients have had good experiences working with their Filipino bookkeepers on the tax front, too.
When you hire a bookkeeper in the Philippines, you’re tapping into skilled professionals who are skilled in GAAP and are trained in accounting best practices.
All our placements pass a Quickbooks software test to ensure they are skilled in this popular accounting program that almost all our clients use for their books.
Many of our clients need intermediate or advanced Excel skills, so we test for that too.
There’s a reason so many Fortune 1000 companies outsource entire departments to the Philippines … as a former US territory, the Philippines has a well-established reputation as a leading outsourcing destination for the Western world.
As a population, Filipinos’ English proficiency is high, they are familiar with American culture and they have an educated populace that can fill professional roles.
I have always been able to source bookkeepers for my clients and me on a schedule that will overlap with US work schedules … don’t sacrifice collaboration! The schedules we place the most are 3 am to noon CST, 3 pm to 12 am CST, or straight US hours: 9 am to 6 pm CST.
The 9 am to 6 pm CST schedule can be harder to source because it’s a straight overnight shift for the Philippines, but if you offer a higher rate, you can find great talent who will do it with pleasure.
One of my favorite things about working with Filipinos is the dedication and joy that many Filipino professionals bring to their work. This enthusiasm often translates into excellent collaboration and a strong work ethic. My bookkeeper manages my entire life: three businesses and our personal books too.
And we’ve placed many bookkeepers, and have a really solid track record of success!
I loved working with Misty and her team! They made it super easy for me to find an Executive Assistant/Bookkeeper. I ended up hiring one of the first two she sent me and I am still working with the girl 5 months later. Using her as a recruiting service is the best way to find exactly what you are looking for and quickly.
Jaime M. Spann | CEO, Business Savvy Physician
Marketect was introduced by a good friend of mine, her experience with you was excellent, and I opted to try hiring from you guys for our hiring needs.
Needless to say, our experience is great! We already have 2 hires from you, Nico's doing great, even in the early days of his employment. We're excited to start the training for Mark this 19th, and really looking forward to hiring another person from your team!
Thank you, Marketect!Hunter Terpenny | Founder & CEO, Humm Accounting
Our clients trust Marketect Media to source talent to help them grow and scale their businesses because we know how to vet candidates well and manage the nitty-gritty details of the hiring process.
We take pride in offering an affordable solution that taps into the talented Filipino workforce, helping direct response businesses scale affordably with top-performing talent!
My best tips for successfully working with an offshore bookkeeper from the Philippines:
Reach out if you’re interested in hiring from the Philippines for your business!