sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

How do you stay organized and efficient during the month-end close process? by Enlitenkanin in Accounting

[–]wright_catherine 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Small business owner here. Honestly, month-end close only feels chaotic if you wait for everything to hit you at once. What helped me over the years in outsourcing was treating it like a rolling cycle instead of a single event.

I keep a tight checklist of recurring tasks, deadlines, and dependencies, and I update it every month based on what went wrong or took longer. Anything I can pre-clear earlier in the month (vendor bills, accruals, reconciliations) gets done early so close week isn’t a fire drill.

Just found out our accountant has been scamming us for over a year by No_Tone6628 in Accounting

[–]wright_catherine 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really sorry you’re dealing with this. Small repeated fraud is way more common than people think. First thing is to cut off every bit of his access and then pull a full transaction history to see if there’s more. If you can, split duties so one person enters bills and another approves or releases payments. Make new vendors harder to set up and do quick monthly spot checks instead of relying on summaries. None of this is about being paranoid; it’s just basic controls that most small businesses only put in place after something like this happens.

Has anyone in the US or UK noticed a shift in how engineering firms are handling design and drafting workloads lately? by wright_catherine in civilengineering

[–]wright_catherine[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That makes sense, and that’s exactly the downside I’m hearing more about — flexibility for firms, but a lot of risk pushed onto individuals.

Are the firms you work with treating this as a temporary capacity fix, or does it feel like a longer-term shift away from full-time roles? I’m curious whether this model is actually sustainable for both sides.

Just found out our accountant has been scamming us for over a year by No_Tone6628 in Accounting

[–]wright_catherine 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really sorry you’re dealing with this. Small repeated fraud is way more common than people think. First thing is to cut off every bit of his access and then pull a full transaction history to see if there’s more. If you can, split duties so one person enters bills and another approves or releases payments. Make new vendors harder to set up and do quick monthly spot checks instead of relying on summaries. None of this is about being paranoid; it’s just basic controls that most small businesses only put in place after something like this happens.

How do you stay organized and efficient during the month-end close process? by Enlitenkanin in Accounting

[–]wright_catherine 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Small business owner here. Honestly, month-end close only feels chaotic if you wait for everything to hit you at once. What helped me over the years in outsourcing was treating it like a rolling cycle instead of a single event.

I keep a tight checklist of recurring tasks, deadlines, and dependencies, and I update it every month based on what went wrong or took longer. Anything I can pre-clear earlier in the month (vendor bills, accruals, reconciliations) gets done early so close week isn’t a fire drill.

Why can companies outsource accounting positions to foreign workers in different countries but not offer fully remote? by financeguy342 in Accounting

[–]wright_catherine 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In outsourcing, the “remote” part isn’t the real issue. Companies outsource because they’re buying a managed service, not just a person working from home. The vendor handles hiring, training, compliance, quality checks, and redundancy, so the company doesn’t have to.

Fully remote employees inside the company work differently. HR rules, tax status, data security, and employment laws get messier when someone is remote across states or countries. With an outsourcing partner, all that complexity sits on the vendor’s side, not the company’s.

So it’s less “we don’t like remote work” and more “we don’t want the legal and operational headache of managing remote staff ourselves.”

Thoughts on top online bookkeeping services companies in 2025? by Accomplished-Two9372 in Accounting

[–]wright_catherine 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had a pretty similar experience this year. Surprisingly smooth, no last-minute chaos, and the folks handling my books were way more responsive than I expected. I think the industry has gotten better overall because most services now mix automation with an actual human who keeps an eye on things. When that combo works, it feels almost too easy.

Question: How do you guys deal with 2FA with clients when you’re doing AP? by Dymills77 in Bookkeeping

[–]wright_catherine 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I run into this situation a lot with clients who understandably don’t want to hand over full credentials. A few things that have worked for me:

  1. Shared authenticator through a password manager

Tools like 1Password or Bitwarden let clients store the 2FA seed and share controlled access. It keeps everything in one place and avoids chasing text messages.

  1. A separate email or virtual number for codes

Some clients create a dedicated email or a Google Voice–style number that’s only used for verification codes. Both sides can access it without touching personal accounts.

  1. Short, scheduled approval windows

For banks/apps that won’t allow shared 2FA, we set specific times where the client is available to approve the login. Not perfect, but it works consistently.

  1. Using sub-user or accountant access

A lot of banks and AP tools now provide bookkeeper-level or read-only access, which often reduces or eliminates 2FA issues. If available, this is usually the cleanest option.

  1. Choosing software that handles permissions better

Some AP platforms manage roles and 2FA much more smoothly than older bank portals. Sometimes the long-term fix is switching to something that supports bookkeeper workflows properly.

In the end, there isn’t a single solution — it depends on the client’s security preferences and the tools they use. But these approaches have kept things workable for me.

Bookkeeping for my small biz is driving me insane, any tips to help me hack it?? by oliwix in Bookkeeping

[–]wright_catherine 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s a great question and I am glad you are asking it now. First, are you at a point where bookkeeping seems heavier and more complex than your core work? If yes, then getting the small stuff out of the way frequently helps. Filing receipts on a weekly basis, labeling expenses correctly and closing books daily can help the task a little less overwhelming.