What Is a Bookkeeping Health Check, and What Should You Expect?

Every client of Organise Your Books starts with an Initial Bookkeeping Health Check. It is the first step, and its purpose is simple: to understand where your bookkeeping is today and to recommend the plan that would work best for your business.

What is it?

In the Health Check we review your current setup, identify areas that could be improved and recommend the right way forward. It is not a one-size-fits-all package. A business that is just starting needs something quite different from one whose books have fallen behind, or one that is running well but needs ongoing support.

Who is it for?

• New businesses that want to start with the right setup.
• Businesses using spreadsheets that are ready to move to software.
• Businesses whose accounts have become messy or fallen behind.
• Businesses that want professional monthly bookkeeping without employing a full-time bookkeeper.

What to have ready

You do not need everything perfect. It helps to have a few things to hand:

• Access to your accounting software, or your spreadsheets if you do not use software yet.
• Recent bank statements, and your most recent accounts if your accountant has prepared them.
• A note of what is working and what is frustrating you.
• Your goals, such as saving time, getting reliable monthly figures or being ready for year-end.

Where it can lead

Depending on what we find, the recommendation is typically one of our three services:

• START: Accounting Software Setup & Onboarding for businesses starting from scratch or moving away from spreadsheets.
• Accounting Books Clean-Up for businesses whose accounts have become messy.
• SUPPORT: Ongoing Bookkeeping Support for businesses that want professional monthly bookkeeping and reporting.

Some businesses use more than one over time, for example a clean-up followed by ongoing support.

Common questions

Do I need an accountant as well? Often, yes. Bookkeeping and accounting are different jobs; see bookkeeping vs accounting. We can work alongside your accountant.

What if I am not sure my books are messy? That is a good reason to have a Health Check. See seven signs your books need a clean-up.

How do I start? Tell us a little about your business through our contact page, and we will get back to you with the next step. You can also read our FAQs.

What we look at

The Health Check is a structured look at how your bookkeeping works today, not a test you can fail. In practice it covers:

• Your setup: what software you use, how it is configured and whether the chart of accounts reflects how your business actually operates.
• Your records: how current they are, whether bank accounts reconcile and whether anything is sitting unexplained.
• Your process: how invoices get raised, how receipts reach your records and who does what.
• Your reporting: what figures you see, how often, and whether they answer the questions you have.
• Your pressure points: the parts that take too long, get left or worry you.

What you get from it

You come away knowing where your bookkeeping genuinely stands, what would make the biggest difference, and which service fits, with a clear idea of scope. If the honest answer is that your books are in decent shape and you need very little, you will be told that too.

Common worries

"My records are embarrassing." They almost certainly are not unusual. Books fall behind for ordinary reasons, and we have seen a great deal worse than you imagine. There is nothing to be gained by tidying up before a review, as seeing the real position is the entire point.

"I do not know the terminology." You do not need to. We work in plain language, and part of the job is explaining what things mean in terms of your business rather than accounting jargon.

"I am not ready to commit." The Health Check is about understanding the position and the options. Deciding what to do next is a separate step, and the right answer is sometimes to fix one thing yourself and revisit later.

How to get the most from it

Be candid about what is not working. The more accurately you describe where things stand, including the parts you have been avoiding, the more useful the recommendation. A note of your three biggest frustrations, written down before we talk, is usually the most valuable thing you can bring.

This article is general information for small businesses in Ireland. It is not tax, legal or financial advice, and rules, thresholds and deadlines change. Please check current guidance on revenue.ie or speak to your accountant about your own situation.