Should Your Bookkeeper Be Doing Your Accounts Receivable?
In most small and midsized businesses, the bookkeeper wears many hats. Beyond keeping the books accurate and up to date, they’re often tasked with handling Accounts Receivable (A/R)—sending invoices, following up on late payments, and even chasing down delinquent accounts.
At first glance, it might seem logical to group these responsibilities under the bookkeeper’s role. After all, they’re already managing the numbers, right?
But here’s the problem: A/R collections requires a very different skill set—and a personality that most bookkeepers simply don’t have.
The Problem with Combining Bookkeeping and Collections
Accounts Receivable isn’t just about recording payments. It’s about ensuring those payments actually come in. That often involves:
-
Following up persistently on unpaid invoices.
-
Chasing down delinquent accounts.
-
Having firm (and sometimes uncomfortable) conversations with clients about overdue balances.
These tasks require someone who’s:
✅ Assertive and confident in communication.
✅ Persistent without being abrasive.
✅ Comfortable navigating potentially tense client situations.
Most bookkeepers, by contrast, excel at organization, accuracy, and maintaining clean financial records—not acting as collections agents.
When collections isn’t handled effectively, the impact on a business can be severe:
📌 Cash flow suffers.
📌 Client relationships can become strained.
📌 Even profitable businesses can find themselves in financial trouble.
What’s the Solution?
The obvious answer is to find a full-time bookkeeper who’s also skilled at collections. But in reality, that’s often not possible—these are two very different roles, and it’s rare to find someone who excels at both.
✅ The better approach? Split the roles.
-
Keep your bookkeeper focused on the books: Accurate financial reporting, reconciliations, and ensuring your numbers are clean.
-
Hand collections to someone with the right temperament for the job:
-
In smaller businesses, this could be your office admin—the person who’s organized, assertive, and not afraid to follow up.
-
For larger collections or sensitive delinquency issues, the responsibility might need to be escalated to the controller or even the business owner.
-
Another option is to keep collections and cash flow management in-house while outsourcing the bookkeeping to ensure clean, accurate financials without overloading your internal team.
Final Thought
However you decide to handle it, make sure your approach isn’t sacrificing your cash flow, your client relationships, or the accuracy of your books.
Getting the right people in the right roles can make all the difference between smooth operations and financial headaches.
If you want to explore outsourcing your bookkeeping or accounting functions, feel free to reach out.
