When I was in Israel earlier this month, I was faced with a challenge. I needed to understand something, but no matter how hard I tried on my own, I simply wasn’t able to make sense of what I was hearing.
You see we had rented an Israeli cell phone for our trip because with two young daughters at home, we wanted to be sure we could remain in constant contact with our loved ones here in the States. It was nearing my bedtime late one evening and we hadn’t spoken to our girls since the day before. I flipped open the cell phone and dialed the international call home. But the call wouldn’t go through.Â
And the pre-recorded message that was supposed to inform me as to why the call wasn’t connecting? It was in Hebrew. The few words I did understand did not allow me to comprehend the message.
I started seeking assistance by asking the people who were with me to listen to the message. But none of my companions spoke fluent Hebrew either. So that didn’t help matters much.
So I decided to ask a total stranger for help. It’s not always easy to ask for help and when you’re in a foreign country, the language barrier can often make it even more challenging.
Sure enough, this kind gentleman could understand the message in Hebrew, but his English wasn’t fluent enough for me to understand his translation.
My search continued. Because of my persistence, I was able to find the assistance I needed. I struck gold when I approached the hotel concierge. Not only could he comprehend the Hebrew message, he could convey it to me in perfect English! The message finally made sense!
Early this week I was talking to prospective clients and I kept hearing the same story from different people. And each time I was reminded of my experience with my rented Israeli cell phone.
It is not, unfortunately, uncommon for business owners to have negative experiences with bookkeepers. Just this week I was speaking with a business owner who told me that he was exasperated because he’s dealt with EIGHT different bookkeepers over the course of the past two years and he had just about given up before he came across my company’s website. He explained that he loves to practice law, but cannot stand being in the dark when it comes to the money aspects of running his business.
He had just about given up in his pursuit of a bookkeeper. But just like me in Israel, he knew that the end result was significant enough that he needed to continue his search.
If you’re a business owner and you don’t understand the message of your business’s books, don’t give up your pursuit of a bookkeeper who can speak a language that you understand. You may feel just like me and my situation in Israel, where it took my multiple attempts to find someone who could not only understand the message, but also relay that message to me in language I could easily understand. But don’t give up. It is possible to find a solution!
If you want to understand your business better, you simply need to connect with the right bookkeeper for you! I certainly don’t know how to speak fluent Hebrew, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t ask for help when I’m in Israel.
If you’re a business owner who wants a better understanding of your business’s money matters, please feel free to reach out and connect with me today. Heart Based Bookkeeping can be your bookkeeping concierge and we can turn your business dollars into sense!
By Jessica Reagan Salzman