When Bookkeeping Becomes a Black Box, Everyone Loses

A business owner without access to their books- or without a clear understanding of them- is operating in the dark. I spoke to a small business owner who outsourced their books to someone else on the premise that they would show them how to understand it, and ultimately- be able to do the numbers themselves.

Some bookkeepers might be scared at that sentence. After all, if a bookkeeper trains their boss how to do the books the way they do it, won't that render them obsolete? 

It won't. You can't train an owner and save time, and our #1 asset is saving time. Training your client won't save money, either. In fact, training the most important and expensive employee of a business will lose money, which goes against our #2 asset: saving cash. Why would ANY bookkeeper worth their weight be afraid to give their client the tools to make them more cognizant of their business? Shouldn't that help everyone?? 

Going back to my example: the owner hired that person, and lo and behold when it came time to learn it himself, the bookkeeper flaked and told him that Quickbooks was "boring" and "he shouldn't bother himself with learning it". 

Wow. 

Imagine as a small business owner having the person you hired to run your books telling you that it doesn't make sense to understand how your numbers worked? Imagine hiring someone who was so self-conscious about their own work that they were afraid to open the door to their client so they could understand the work that was being done? I can think of a few reasons why a bookkeeper wouldn't explain what was going on, and none of them are good. I also know what can happen next when a bookkeeper doesn’t explain the numbers or keeps them hidden:

💸 Cash flow surprises that lead to bounced payments or strained budgets

🚩 Missed red flags like overdue invoices, rising expenses, or compliance issues

🤝 Erosion of trust between the owner and the financials meant to guide them

🔒 Over-dependence on one person—a serious risk if that person leaves or makes mistakes

Your financials are more than numbers. They’re the story of your business.

A great bookkeeper acts as a translator, not a gatekeeper. They give you the clarity and confidence to make smart decisions- because you actually understand what’s going on under the hood.

If you're a business owner, ask yourself: Do I truly understand my numbers?

If not, it might be time for a better conversation.

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