Should You Hire Bookkeepers Who Are Overseas? Here’s My Take.

So here’s something else to think about as you grow your business: who is actually doing the work behind the scenes?

This came up in two separate conversations with potential clients just this past week—and up until now, I’ve never had anyone ask me this question before. Both of these business owners wanted to know, “Are you going to have someone foreign doing our bookkeeping?”

Let’s just pause right there—because that question hit me a little differently.

There are plenty of bookkeeping firms that do hire foreign help. And honestly, if that works for them, cool. I’ve even had people reach out and say, “Hey, I know a company that can help you scale with offshore bookkeepers—they’re trained, they know what they’re doing.” And sure, I’ve listened. But it’s not something I’ve seriously explored. It just doesn’t sit right with how I want to build my business.

For me? You’re not going to have someone foreign doing your bookkeeping.

I want to work with a team that’s all here in the US. That’s important to me. All of my employees are local—except for one who was local and then moved a few hours away but still works remotely for us. I know them. I trust them. I’ve trained them. We’re on the same page about how we show up for our clients.

That being said, this isn’t a post to knock offshore bookkeeping. But I do think this is a topic that’s going to come up more and more as business owners grow and start outsourcing. You need to know what you’re comfortable with before it becomes a decision you’re forced to make in a hurry.

Let me tell you why those two potential clients asked about it.

One of them just has a strong stance on data security and didn’t feel great about their business info being shared outside the US. The other one? They had already worked with a firm that used foreign bookkeepers and… it just wasn’t a good experience.

They told me:

• “They didn’t understand my business.”
• “I could tell things weren’t being done correctly.”
• “There was a communication barrier.”
• “The time difference was a struggle.”

And listen, I know a lot of offshore bookkeepers work crazy hours to match our time zones. That’s not easy, and I respect the hustle. But at the end of the day, if it’s not working for the client—and it’s not producing clean, accurate books—it doesn’t matter how cheap or efficient it seems.

So here’s my two cents:

As your business grows and you start thinking about hiring help—whether that’s a bookkeeper, VA, or another support role—ask yourself:

• What kind of team do I want?
• Am I okay with outsourcing overseas?
• Do I want everyone in the US?
• What are my non-negotiables around communication and time zones?
• How will this impact the quality of service my business gets?

You don’t have to make that decision today. But it’s a whole lot better to know where you stand before you’re in the thick of it and scrambling to bring someone on.

At Lookout Bookkeeping, we prioritize real relationships and strong communication. That’s why we keep things close to home. You’ll know exactly who’s working on your books—and that they actually understand your business.

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