MANY business owners find it over- whelming and stressful keeping their books up to date.

While there are more user friendly bookkeeping software options available than ever before they are constantly updating, and staying ahead of the changes can be as time-consuming as doing the work itself.

“I have been working with cloud accounting since its inception ten years ago,” said Nathan Major of Intersect Bookkeeping Services. “And I have seen a lot of growth and change in that time. I am a certified advisor for accounting software like MYOB, Xero, and Quickbooks Online and integrated add-on applications such as Hubdoc, Workflow Max, and Syft.”

Whatever the business or industry, Nathan is comfortable developing and adapting to systems to suit. “I actually started my career as a Toxicologist in Western Australia, with bookkeeping helping to provide cashflow between projects.

“Bookkeeping was a great complement as you are still working with numbers, have to be extremely accurate, require great attention to detail, and need to be able to use systems to keep track of things so that the numbers “add up”.

“There are no loose ends or grey areas. When I moved to the Sunshine Coast there were not many jobs for people with toxicology expertise, so my wife and I have been working to build the bookkeeping business since.

“From very early on, I could see a lot of business people were ‘double handling’ with respect to getting their bookwork done.

“They were using a bookkeeper, thinking it would keep their costs down. But then their accountant had to double check the books because the bookkeeper did not have the qualifications or experience necessary to complete the work.

“Others were simply handing it all to the accountant at the end of quarter or end of year and not getting the benefit of regular advice and oversight from a professional. No-one wants to have to pay more accounting fees than they have to and this is exactly what happens when bookkeeping is double handled or left unattended until the last minute.

“I am a registered BAS Agent and tax professional, so aside from the fact that I can complete the work quickly, efficiently and cost effectively, I can also liaise with the ATO or my client’s accountant as required. This allows them to get on with what they do best, secure in the knowledge that everything is up to date and done properly. I’m a little

like a virtual Financial Controller. “Tailoring a bookkeeping program for my clients is similar to put- ting together an exercise program: the most effective one is the one you will maintain. I can do very basic and simple monthly maintenance pack- ages, right through to complicated work involving several integrated systems, and processes like payroll, departmental tracking, or cross-organisational reporting. Some business owners engage me to set up as much automation as I can, which helps keep costs low and ensure reconciliation is timely and consistent, others may just need some support and guidance as they take care of most of the accounts themselves, whilst others need regular input and review to keep their business on-track. Every business and every client is different – and I like that.” • Intersect Bookkeeping, www.

intersectbookkeeping.com.au, phone 0481 065 908.