Why the “Messy Middle” Is the Best Time to Hire a Bookkeeper (3 Reasons to Start Now)
- merehamrick
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
My mom & I have a saying: “Party Ready”
It’s when the house is sparkling clean, not a single fingerprint on a glass nor a speck of dust on a baseboard. All the practical clutter is safely tucked away. Tablescapes and decorations are in place.
The house simply sparkles
It feels amazing as we step back to admire our handiwork and are so proud of what we accomplished. It’s one of my favorite moments.
a few of my fav parties from years past
I feel soooo excited to have people come in to my home and to know all the tasks are done so I all I have to do is hit play on the carefully curated playlist and enjoy being with my guests.
Ummmmm Meredith, I thought this was a bookkeeping blog post????
Yes yes, it is, stick with me. I promise I have a point
My mom’s house can be “Party Ready” at the drop of a hat.
My house? Errmmmmm, it is “Party Ready” like .0001% of the time.
We have a busy life.
The Manager is a 4yr old with an arts supply habit I strongly encourage (stickers and crayons and construction paper, oh my!), I am a solopreneur and Blake has his lists & script revisions sprinkled around the house.
We’re in the Messy Middle of life.
If someone unexpectedly stopped by, I'd be sprinting through the house shoving everything into guest room (aka where projects go to never see the light of day again) or coat closet...which holds everything but coats.
If someone were to go into my guest room, I would be mortified. Absolutely mortified.
I barely go in there myself.
Asking someone to take over your bookkeeping can feel a lot like inviting them into the chaos of the guest room.
Gulp.
I hear this all the time:
Meredith, I totally need you as my bookkeeper. Whenever I get this mess cleaned up I want to work with you!
Everyone wants to hand over “Party Ready” books when in reality, you’re in the Messy Middle of your bookkeeping.
You’re busy doing all the things…meeting clients, posting on Sochie Meeds, Networking, making/doing the thing your biz does…
...meanwhile, your bookkeeping tasks slowly slide lower & lower on the priority list.
Maybe you feel unsure of what you’re doing.
Maybe it’s piled up so much that it’s overwhelming AF.
Maybe you simply don’t have enough hours in the day.
Whatever the reason, it can feel uncomfy asking someone to join you in the mess.
Especially when all you see on IG are highlight reels and financial peeps sing the praises of how they helped their clients crush it (and yes, I am guilty of that too).
But here’s the thing. The best place to start - and high key my fav place to start - is the messy middle.
And here’s why:
(cue up the Black Eyed Peas)
1) Let's get it started!
To make informed financial decisions, you need accurate financial reports like, today. And as much as we wish our Profit n Loss statement would magically appear in our inbox, it needs all these little tasks to be done first:
categorizing transactions
reconciling accounts
matching receipts
organizing expenses
And real talk, if you haven't had the time to do tackle those little tasks by now, the odds of suddenly finding extra time next week (or next quarter) are pretty slim...
If you diiiiiid find a extra time, would you rather:
Spend it reconciling bank accounts?
or
Spend it growing your business or taking a well-earned break?
Which brings me to my next point...
2) Your time
As a small business owner, your time is the most valuable resource you have.
side note: have you ever calculated how much - like actual dollar amount - your time is worth? Thaaaat is an enlightening exercise!
On average, it takes a small business owner 10-15 hours a month to tackle all of their bookkeeping tasks.
That's 120-180 hours per year!
Imagine what you could accomplish in your business if you had that time back AND had accurate financial reports magically appear in your inbox?
3) Organizing chaos is my jam
I aaaabsolutely love taking chaos and turning it into order.
I love creating systems and challenging myself to make it the most efficient and effective system possible.
I find it incredibly satisfying.
But most importantly, being in the messy middle with you will allow me to:
learn how your business operates
understand your workflow & tools
see what's working and what needs improvement
create bookkeeping systems that actually fit your business
Instead of forcing a generic system onto your business, we build one together that supports how you work.
When you take all of that and put it together, The Messy Middle becomes the starting point for transformation.
You gain:
organized, accurate books
monthly financial reports with insights
a trusted partner cheering for your success
confidence making data-driven business decisions
time back to do the things you love
all the gold stars for being prepared from your CPA come tax time
Together, we move from the Messy Middle to a financial environment that's (you guessed it) Party Ready
You know I had to bring it back.
I really do love a Dad Joke
And that is neat!
If your bookkeeping currently looks a little more "guest room chaos" than "party ready" dont worry - that's where I come in! As I mentioned above, it's my jam.
Meredith Hamrick provides bookkeeping services for small businesses and entrepreneurs who want organized financials and clear monthly reports.
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