When I was young and extremely foolish (and sometimes worse), I would contract skilled labor to do something that I wanted to do for myself, but I wanted to learn the task from a professional. Then, depending on how often I would have to do that same task, I would decide whether or not I should continue hiring out. Mind you, I had no money, but I did have great bartering skills and I would do the bookkeeping for a contractor and, in return, they would update, install and paint, etc. So, when do you hire out and when do you choose to learn and continue doing it yourself?
I learned quickly that I would continue to hire the wallpaper contractor as his job required a precision that I wouldn’t master unless I had repetitive jobs. Not only was his work flawless (no seams showing, didn’t waste paper, everything lined up), but I knew that I hired someone who knew their job and knew what tips and tricks were needed to create flawless execution. I learned to value that early on. I also learned how to groom my own springer spaniel from one session with a groomer who encouraged me to do it myself as it would be more cost effective and I wouldn’t get in too much trouble if I messed up a little. After all, I had made attempts at cutting my own hair and learned it would grow out. I just had to wear alot of hats.
When I was first introduced to QuickBooks as a Learning Specialist, I was doing all of my accounting manually, I jumped at the chance to learn it on my own as I saw the speed of reporting and the killer search capabilities. I put my head down and worked and worked on it, hoping I would be able to figure it out. How long did it take me to finally master it? Well, that was in 1993 and I’m still figuring out how it will best work with each company that wants to set up a QuickBooks file. There are various reasons why a new file may be looming in your future:
- Currently on a manual system
- On another software that is antiquated and unsupported
- Currently on QuickBooks but do not trust the numbers or setup
- Currently on QuickBooks and the file is too large and is running inefficiently
- Currently on QuickBooks and discovered it is a corrupted file**
I have had several people call me at the beginning of this year looking for my expertise in moving forward with QuickBooks. They recognized that they did not want to attempt to setup a new QuickBooks file on their own and reached out to get help. I know they understand that their time is valuable and they want to feel confident that something as important as an accounting system starts with professional help. I applaud their courage as it isn’t easy cold calling someone and asking for help, but so far so good. We’ve had some great meetings and their files that are ready to move forward with my full support.
Consider this question: Is your time more valuable than the person you are hiring? Will it benefit you to understand one-time tasks vs. something you may have to perform regularly? If you make 1,000.00 an hour and you have to pay a fraction of that cost someone who has the expertise to create accuracy and functionality, is it worth it? Case in point: When I got married, I did not sew the dress or do the flowers, but I was lucky enough to marry a pastry chef so I didn’t have to hire out for the cake!!! I made calls to the professionals so that I could be present at one of the biggest days of my life. For QuickBooks setup and installation, will you make the call?
** Go to File, Utilities, Verify data to see if the file is corrupt
