Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should
"I'm sick of hearing that DIY bookkeeping is always wrong."
Honestly? Same. Every Bookkeeper on the socials is on the same band with of how bad DIY Bookkeeping is so wrong. I don't believe that line, and I don't like installing fear into my clients.
Bookkeeping is a bit like painting your house.
Anyone can do it. You can buy the paint. You can grab a roller. You can watch a YouTube tutorial.
But… sometimes a professional just does it better.
And in business, "better" doesn't just mean neater. It means safer, faster, and smarter. And sometimes even cheaper…
Let's talk about why.
DIY Bookkeeping: Not Wrong — Just Risky
Plenty of business owners start out doing their own books.
It makes sense:
- You want to save money
- You think "it's just data entry"
- You know your business better than anyone
And yes — you can do it yourself.
But bookkeeping isn't just typing numbers into software. It's:
- Knowing what to record
- Knowing how to classify it
- Knowing when something is wrong
- Knowing what the ATO expects to see
- Knowing the software and its savers and its quirks
Most mistakes aren't dramatic. They're subtle:
- GST coded incorrectly
- Wages not reconciled
- Super calculated wrong
- Reports that look fine… but aren't
That's the danger.
Bad bookkeeping doesn't always look bad.
What a Professional Bookkeeper Really Brings
A professional bookkeeper doesn't just "do your data entry".
They bring:
1. Training and experience
They've seen the common traps before — and fixed them.
2. Compliance knowledge
They understand:
- BAS and GST rules
- Payroll obligations
- Superannuation
- STP reporting
- Award and entitlement structures
That's not intuition. That's education and ongoing training because we have to to keep ourselves registered
3. Systems, not just software
A good bookkeeper:
- Sets up your chart of accounts properly
- Creates workflows
- Reconciles regularly
- Flags issues early
- Keeps things clean year-round
Not just at tax time.
4. A second set of eyes
When you do your own books, you're checking your own work.
A professional spots things you don't even know to look for.
That's not incompetence — that's human nature.
Time: The Hidden Cost of DIY
Business owners often say:
"I'll just do it myself to save money."
But:
- How long does it take you?
- How confident are you in the result?
- How much stress does it create?
- What else could you be doing instead?
Your time is valuable.
Your energy is limited.
And bookkeeping usually happens at night, on weekends, or when you're already exhausted.
That's not efficient. That's survival mode.
The Painting Analogy (Because It's Perfect)
You can paint your own house. And it can be an ok job.
But a professional painter:
- Prepares the surfaces properly
- Uses the right products
- Works faster
- Gets a cleaner finish
- Spots issues (like rot or water damage) early
- Owns the right tools
- Knows the correct product to use in each situation
A professional bookkeeper does the same:
- Prepares your financial data properly
- Uses the right codes and processes
- Works faster
- Produces cleaner reports
- Spots issues (like cash flow problems or compliance risks) early
Same job.
Very different outcome.
When DIY Might Be Fine
DIY bookkeeping can work when:
- Your business is tiny
- You have very few transactions
- No employees
- No complexity
- You genuinely understand what you're doing
But as soon as you have:
- Staff
- Growth
- GST
- Multiple income streams
- Inventory
- Compliance obligations
You're not painting a bedroom anymore.
You're repainting the whole house.
The Real Question Isn't "Can I Do It?"
It's:
"Is this the best use of my time and risk tolerance?"
Because:
- You can do it
- But professionals do it better
- And better bookkeeping means:
- Better decisions
- Better cash flow
- Less stress
- Fewer nasty surprises
- A healthier business
Final Thought
DIY bookkeeping isn't "wrong".
But pretending it's the same as professional bookkeeping is like saying:
"Anyone with a brush is a painter."
True…
but not all paint jobs are equal.
And in business, the finish matters.
