We have a severely dyslexic and dyspraxic client. He is a wonderful builder who finds it increadibly hard to keep records. Does anyone know of simple bookkeeping techniques he would find easy to follow?
Thanks
Victoria
Victoria Iurieva
Replies (8)
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Alistair..........A Spike, Really !!?!?
Are we really as a profession going to advocate people putting a metal spike on their dashboards ????? I would think accurate book keeping would be the least of their worries.......
40 years
After 40 years, I've come to the conclusion that virtually all my clients are dyspraxic/dyslexic at some time.
There's a lot of good advice here
But you might also try the British Dyslexia Association (0118 966 8271) as they will almost certainly be able to help.
One way of making sure that nothing is forgotten is to have your client to carry a dictaphone. Then they can record all important info on it for later. I have seen this used very successfully by colleagues who are dyslexic.
Another good idea is one I picked up from from a friend who is a painter It is similar to John's box suggestion. What my friend does is put every receipt on a spike on his dashboard. Like the box, they are all there but with the bonus of being in purchase order (to the delight of his bookkeeper).
twelve envelopes
Write EVERYTHING on a bit of paper - provide a tear off pad. Put in envelope for the month. Pay cash in intact and draw cash to pay for bills (if you must pay in cash). Duplicate book for invoices (saves losing the copies).
Separate bank account, separate credit card (no need to get specific business ones, just separate from private). Keep statements in 12 envelopes. Job sorted.
By the way, I had a very severly dyslexic client about 6 years ago who had a bookkeeper paid for by the DSS as it counted as a disability. She was incredibly artistic and hard working and had part time lady running after her for the paperwork. Don't know how she got it set up - she was the type who would have badgered until she got help though.
A box
A box in the cab of his van with a hole cut in the top. He puts any piece of paper he gets into the box and gives it to a bookkeeper once a week to sort out.
If he's a builder, let him build. Why try to turn him into a bookkeeper? If he wastes several hours each week to do something (probably incorrectly) which a decent bookkeeper could do in half an hour, he could earn more than enough to pay the bookkeeper by spending more time doing what he knows how to do.
This might work
I find the best way to try and organise clients, if I'm doing the bookkeeping, is to provide one lever arch accounts file divided into the following sections
Bank statements
Card receipt summaries
Credit card statements
Sales invoices unpaid
Sales invoice paid
Supplier invoices unpaid
Supplier invoices paid
VAT returns
Card & Cash receipts in a plastic sleeve
Another sleeve for paying in books & cheque books
All he needs to be able to do is put the paperwork in when it arrives and move stuff from unpaid to paid section
This may not work for everyone but, for me. it's a simple comprehensible starting point.
Alesha