A Day in the Life at The Accountant's Daughter
When you think about what a bookkeeper does in a day, your mind probably goes straight to "enter receipts into QuickBooks." And you wouldn't be wrong - that's definitely part of it, but it's just a small part. So here's what a typical day looked like for me last week, specifically Wednesday:
Coffee and emails:
I started the day in front of the espresso machine, like any good entrepreneur. Then headed to my office to catch up on emails - everything from questions about weird transactions in a client's account, to coordinating with an accountant on our mutual client's year-end, to helping someone understand why their profit margins looked off last month.
Month-end for a therapy practice:
This involved adding some last-minute expenses I'd asked for clarification on a few days prior (here's that data entry!), reconciling all their accounts, and digging into what was impacting their revenue dip. I pulled their reports and key data, then sent everything off so they could see how their business performed, and the impact of a new workshop.
Discovery call with a potential client:
Had a lovely chat with someone about where her books are currently, the service options that might benefit her, and some resources outside The Accountant's Daughter that could be helpful. After our call, I built out a quote for catch-up work and ongoing services.
Walk and podcast break:
Took a little walk around the neighbourhood with a cup of coffee (it was decaf, don’t worry) and an episode of Sounds Like a Cult (the cult of fast fashion - an oldie but goodie if you're interested). I try to take a little movement break everyday, but especially prioritize movement after meetings.
Lunch time:
My current hyperfixation meal is a Frankenstein-esque creation. Think chicken pot pie meets shepherd's pie. It's seriously good.
Custom resource updates:
Made updates to a client's tracking systems as she heads into a new fiscal year. I wanted to provide a clean slate while fine-tuning things to give her better insights than ever. We've been diving deep into ROI for each of her workshops and classes to figure out where her time and effort are best spent. We also track employee efficiency and revenue per employee to make sure everyone's working at reasonable capacity and remaining profitable.
Admin time:
Responded to more emails, planned tomorrow's priorities, wrapped up some backend tasks, and wrote this blog post!
My partner gets home mid-afternoon and we hang out before making dinner and settling in for the evening.
Most days involve a mix of technical work, problem-solving, client communication, strategic thinking, and a little creativity. It goes far beyond data entry and is more collaborative than most people imagine. Bookkeepers are more than number crunchers - and thank goodness, because that would get boring fast.
