When you think about golf and professional golf in Germany, names such as Bernhard Langer, Sophia Popov, Sandra Gal, Martin Kaymer and Marcel Siem usually spring to mind…

Having produced a long list of players to have reached the upper echelons of the game, Germany can certainly boast a history of consistently shaping the very nature of European golf at the elite level. But as we see in each and every successful golfing nation, producing great players requires solid structures and foundations to have been constructed and managed by the organisations responsible for the game’s governance. Germany is no different. What interconnects the above-mentioned players is that a PGA of Germany Professional has in some way, shape and form, influenced every stage of their games.

So, if German golf is thriving, the PGA of Germany must remain as strong and as influential as possible. To find out more about the ways in which it is doing this and about the wider German market, we spoke to PGA of Germany Professional, Stefan Quirmbach, who has played a central role within the PGA of Germany as its President for over 20 years. Throughout his sit-down conversation with CPG Chief Executive, Ian Randell, he shared his insight into the German golf industry and some of the most significant contributions he and the PGA of Germany have made to its growth.

Here are just three.

The organisation was not always the ‘PGA of Germany’

“When I started my apprenticeship in 1984, the organisation was actually called the ‘German Golf Teachers Federation’. This placed the members at a disadvantage because to a certain extent it limited them to experts in coaching and nothing else. At the end of the day, PGA of Germany Professionals are just that, Professionals” Stefan recalled.

“At the time, it was an association of good, collegial friends, and you had the feeling: ‘yes, they all understand each other very well’. But what I felt was that colleagues did not really talk honestly and openly about their profession. When they talked, everyone said at first that their shop was running well and that the hour book was full – but when you talked to the individual a bit more intensively, that was not always the case. The Professionals in the clubs at that time perceived themselves as golf instructors, and the situation was simple: the PGA Professional was there on the driving range giving lessons and usually he ran the shop. At that time, I had the feeling that the actual situation of golf Professionals in the clubs did not match the role we were supposed to have been playing. I did not feel comfortable with that.”

So In 1997, the organisation reorganised and became the PGA of Germany, enabling a new internal structure to be brought in, driven by Stefan himself, whilst also enabling them to utilise the PGA brand – something that Stefan places an incredible amount of value on: “We reformed the organisation into the PGA of Germany. Everybody in golf knows the three biggest letters are PGA. It is a highly marketable asset and attachment to have. It was clear back then that we needed to have this label.” This has meant the standards of the PGA of Germany Professional have increased and the German golf industry is becoming more and more reliant on their skills and expertise: “I feel now we have one of the best PGAs in the world. We have a reliable structure and the organisation has the respect it deserves in Germany. It is highly reputable and influential across the industry. It is enabling us to represent our members wholeheartedly. There is now a sense of pride amongst our PGA of Germany Professionals to wear the badge on their shirt.”

PGA of Germany members are more crucial than ever to the game’s commercial growth, and perceptions have changed

Throughout Stefan’s early career, industry attitudes to PGA Professionals were very different to present day. There were only 17,000 golfers playing the game in 1966 and the sport was, like most countries in the mid-twentieth century, considered very elitist. For Professionals, their reputations were not fully recognised by clubs: “When I started my training with Henning Strüver at the Frankfurt Golf Club in 1984, he told me that two years before he was only allowed on the terrace of the clubhouse – but not in the clubhouse. And when I chose this profession, my mother said to me: ‘You are going down to the lowest social level I know!’.

Not one to sit on his laurels, Stefan was spearheading change within the industry, through careful planning and a radical change in structure and educational delivery. PGA of Germany Professionals began to receive internationally recognised standards of education and training, meaning they could better meet the demands of the industry. “We really believe in education here in Germany. If you work on the education of your members, you improve their skills and in turn, professionalise the profession. This increases respect, trust and reliance on each of our members. We do continuously review and adapt our education to ensure we stay relevant and the workforce maintains its suitably for the demands of the market.

“The role of the golf Professional has changed radically in the last 40 years, thank God: we are all commercially minded and educated now. The profession of golf Professionals is now recognised as a business, and therefore the Professional himself is valued much more. That is also one reason why I do not want to be called a golf teacher. We are the basis of the game, but beyond that, we are also the ones who are highly competent in many other areas of the golf market. That is why I was also very happy when we changed our name from the German Golf Teachers Association to the Professional Golfers Association of Germany in 1995, because this reflects what we do much better.”

This rise in standards has also meant that the quantity of highly-trained professionals is increasing too: “When I first started, we had roughly 30 apprentices each year on the apprenticeship. Now, this number is more like 65-80 apprentices. This means we are able to satisfy the market with more highly skilled and knowledgeable PGA Professionals.”

So how does this reflect for the commercials in German golf? Well, the maths is quite simple: a highly-skilled workforce that is, as Stefan puts it: “incredibly engaged and wants to drive the game forward” means that golf clubs are far more commercially driven as they are now managed by PGA members and the connectivity between organisation and professional is as strong as it has ever been. “I wanted the association to be recognised in the golf world as a highly attractive business partner and that a partnership with us professionals is desirable for companies. Ultimately, this helps the association to be in a better financial position. There is definitely still room for improvement. I envisaged an association whose members proudly show their students and customers that they are PGA golf professionals. Because such a self-image then also radiates to the association’s partners. This is significantly better but we must continue to engage across our membership.”

The PGA owns and manages the Pro Golf Tour

The PGA of Germany owns and manages a number of different assets, which has enabled the organisation to grow and deliver a successful commercial programme consisting of revered brands such as Allianz, BMW, T-Mobile and Titleist all choosing to collaborate and partner with the association: “We first published our own golf magazine – pro!golf – which highlighted the association and our activities and was very important for our perception in the market.”

Another of these key assets if the German Pro Golf Tour: “At the time, the Pro Golf Tour was actually called the EPD Tour. Taking ownership of the tour was important for the organisation. With the purchase of the then EPD Tour, now the Pro Golf Tour, in 2005, we clearly committed ourselves to the promotion of professional tournaments.” But the work did not stop at the acquisition phase. Stefan and his board changed the way the tour was managed, primarily to ensure it enhanced the reputation of its players: “Whilst we wanted to increase playing opportunities for our members, reducing the bureaucracy that surrounded it and placing ownership into the hands of the Professionals was important too. For example, we stopped having referees on the tournaments. It meant that the players had to self-police their rounds, become more open and honest and really, this helped to increased and drive the reputation and credibility of all our members playing on the Pro Golf Tour.

“Every time we have stood for election in the past 21 years, we have brought new projects forward, sometimes internally and sometimes externally oriented, which were close to our hearts and which we ultimately successfully implemented together with the managing directors.”

Final Thoughts…

Through Stefan Quirmbach’s leadership and contributions, the PGA of Germany has shaped and developed its business significantly to ensure its PGA Members receive the highest possible standards of education and support services, whilst also enabling the organisation to further its role as a leading and influential voice for German golf. This has meant both organisation and member has increased its influence and reach to the amateur golfer and ensured that the game grows in both relative and absolute ways. German golf is thriving and with the structures and foundations that have been set by the PGA of Germany, the future looks bright for golf in the country.

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59club’s ‘We are in this together’ Campaign, has seen the interactive Golftell Member Communication app and newly released survey templates that reflect the current situation facing the hospitality and tourism industry, added to their existing complementary offering, all free of charge through May 31, 2020.

“These are extraordinary times. Many managers are trying to figure what, if any, services should still be available, and what people will want when you re-open” said Simon Wordsworth, founder of 59club.

“Customers will remember those who took the time to touch base with them, to ascertain their needs and wants during the unprecedented time when they knew you were simply hoping to remain open, and latterly during the challenge of being forcibly closed.

“Navigating unchartered waters and relying only on substandard communication tools like social media and non-reply emails does a disservice to the manager, staff, their members and guests. We want our friends and colleagues in the tourism and hospitality industries to have everything they need to weather this storm.”

Please visit www.59club.com and follow the COVID-19 actions to instigate your FREE license, any additional support can be directed to your local 59club division who are waiting to help!

1. My59 Metrics

My59 Metrics is an analytical platform that provides comparable data around the industry’s operating rates, such as gross profit, turnover, membership revenue & attrition, purchasing rates, stock levels, average monthly sales, payroll, staffing levels – and many other variables.

All data entries remain anonymous to anyone other than the club’s sole key account holder. It is able to generate comparable data against venues of a similar nature, allowing you and PGA Professionals to make decisions around your financial operations. Venues can filter the results by business style (private, resort, etc), by county/region, by venue size (number of holes) and by course style (parkland, heathland etc). Additional functionality is available within a premium licence.

2. Golftell Communication App

The interactive Golftell Member Communication app creates a new channel for members to privately communicate directly with golf businesses’ management, with the ability to provide as much or as little feedback as the member wishes to supply. During times of closure, the app can be used to reflect on previous experiences and communicate on any matter relating to the organisation for when normality resumes.

The app channels member feedback within the following areas: course condition, food quality, general facilities and customer service levels, applying an average rating of great, good, average or poor which contributes towards the clubs own satisfaction rating as well as adding into the industry-wide data pool.

3. Survey Tools

The survey tools assist PGA Members to glean feedback from its customers, members and staff amid the current crisis at specific times when the facility continues its limited offerings, at times when the offering/operation is forcibly closed, during the clubs renewal process, when dealing with membership cancellations and in the run-up to the club/facilities reopening.

The templates contain a bank of pre-set questions already available within the platform, enabling adaptation of the survey to create tailored questions. Built in demographic filters, allow further analysis based on member age, gender, membership category and status, playing frequency and location, making feedback easy to manage and segment.

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Despite the obvious and well-documented challenges this has posed to industries, in particular golf, PGA Professionals have adapted to an incredibly difficult situation admirably. You only have to spend a few minutes on social media to see their drive and determination across the world to maintain both their golf games and enthusiasm, conducted under a cloud of doubt and uncertainty as to when they will return to work and the course.

Your clients and customers will no doubt also be itching to get back onto the course, back to playing in weekly club competitions, back to hitting balls on the range and back to having lessons with you. So how, despite having limited ability to interact directly with them, can you continue to build and maintain a rapport? How can you use this time to increase your relevance and prepare your business for when the play button on society is hit?

Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool and something you or your employers will have been possibly engaging with or utilising in some form already. Established mainstream channels such as Facebook and Twitter provide solid bases to create exposure and generate valuable conversations with your existing clients and potential customers, providing it is done in the right way for you and your business.

Don’t stick to just Facebook and Twitter however. LinkedIn provides a professional platform to collaborate with other businesses. Instagram is a fantastic channel for golf clubs to visually present their business – clubs are utilising closed courses to generate fantastic on-the-ground and aerial drone footage, undisturbed, that can be uploaded across instagram, websites and for future content purposes.

There is no doubt other channels such as TikTok [a video streaming site that’s use has surged very recently] will continue to be popularised as tastes and trends change. Keeping an eye on these, learning how to use them and applying them correctly might help you to digitally converse with new audiences and develop your social reach.

Vlogging

At face value, vlogging [creating video content around topics and instructional areas] seems complex. This previous article helps to simplify and break down first of all what video blogging is, how to actually create a great vlog, and then how to effectively deliver it to your audience.

In essence, it requires a small space to be able to explain and demonstrate a shot [if it is a coaching vlog], a camera or smartphone to record yourself and ultimately, oodles of energy and enthusiasm. For sure, it can be daunting to even the most confident of people to film themselves talking but remember that it is you and your knowledge that customers come for week-in, week-out. The only difference is that you are creating that conversation with them through a screen now instead.

Email Marketing and Weekly Check-ups

Remaining relevant is a constant battle we as PGA Professionals face in even more certain trading conditions. Ever-growing competition from clubs, teaching academies and driving ranges keep each and every one of us on our toes to ensure we innovate and improve, so that our clients continue to demand the products and services we offer.

Therefore, in the absence of clubs, teaching academies and facilities, and in fact any form of consumer demand during this crisis, relevancy is ironically, almost irrelevant to a degree.

Front page headlines, news articles and press conferences around the world thoroughly document the challenges and threats of COVID-19, and are obsessively occupying the front of everybody’s minds right now – for good and obvious reasons. So how do you replace, or at the very least, remind people that there is light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to their golf games, their golf club and their favourite past time?

First, you need a client database to be able to activate and engage with.

Second, you need an hour or two each week to set aside and create some engaging forms of online communication. This can be as basic as a generic text message such as the one below, or a multispread newsletter that covers what you, a PGA Professional who is eager to maintain their own golf games has been up to, simple step-by-step coaching tips or generic thoughts on the game’s current trends, and why you are looking forward to making this summer the best yet for everyone. You will find people have more time on their hands right now, so engaging them with longer pieces of content should be really useful and effective!

…”Hi [first name]!

How are you? Have you managed to get any form of golf practice in on the garden? 

If you are limited for space and time, try setting up some simple putting drills in your front living room, or a chipping net with some foam balls to keep the your game ticking over. It won’t be long before we are through these current difficulties and back out onto the golf course and I am really looking forward to seeing you back!

If you would like some more tips and drills to practice at home, or anything else, I am here to help.

[Your name]”…

Thirdly, you need to deliver the content. If you have a large database of text messages to send, you could generalise the message to apply to a large group. You could then create a themed WhatsApp group that includes various sections of your client base, such as parents of respective golf classes to send info through and maintain their engagement.

However you do it and whatever you write, if you maintain the thought of ‘I am here and available for when we return to normal life’ at the front of your mind, your message will remain relevant, be well received and at the very least, replace a negative with a positive for your clients.

Final Thoughts

We are all involved in a current national and international effort to defeat this virus, and I first and foremost wish you all and your loved ones good health throughout this challenging period.

Right now we have a duty to follow and enact upon the strict social measures delivered by our respective governing authorities. The quicker we do this, the quicker we get through it and the quicker we can walk back out onto the golf course.

However, I urge you to use this enforced downtime to engage and re-engage with your customers and clients as much as possible. The optimist in me believes a booming feel-good factor of festivities and consumer spending is an inevitability once our lives and liberties are re-instilled. By using this time effectively, you can position yourselves effectively to take advantage of expected surges in demand and make up for any bump your business is currently experiencing.

During its annual general meeting, the former ASG changed its name to Swiss Golf and the roles of public golf organisations were more clearly defined and integrated into the national association. Swiss Golf, alongside ASGI (Association Suisse des Golfeurs Indépendants) and Migros GolfCard, have also created a common sports fund – Supporting Golf Together. Each of the three major players contribute CHF 500,000 per year to the national golf game to help it grow.

The Swiss PGA also benefits from the Supporting Golf Together Funds. Swiss PGA President Keith Marriott: “The Pro is the prime contact for a newcomer to a club or a public golf organization. The Swiss PGA Pros thus play an important role in recruiting new members.

“In addition, a Pro can make a significant contribution to making a golfer feel comfortable and to retain him/her as a member of the club. These facts had slipped a bit out of sight in the past.

“Meanwhile, both the members of the Swiss PGA and those responsible in the Swiss golf clubs and associations are aware that the role of a Pro is not just limited to golf lessons and so our Professionals have to be educated. Therefore, the annual contribution of CHF 180,000 out of the Supporting Golf Together Fund supports the Swiss PGA in continuing its efforts to provide the Swiss PGA Pros with all the necessary skills and knowledge.”

“The Swiss PGA has already focused on education and training in the past and has invested a lot of work in these areas. Our three-year comprehensive apprenticeship programme is constantly reviewed and adapted to the current needs of the golf market, which we received international recognition for when The Confederation of Professional Golf honoured it with its highest possible certification – Gold Standard ” explains Keith Marriott.

What also pleases the Swiss PGA President  is the fact that the excellent training of the Swiss PGA professionals is already bearing fruit: “It is quite simple: the better educated the golf instructor, the better the golf lessons and the greater the chances that young golfers will reach a level that will allow them to compete internationally at the top.

“The victory of the Swiss men in the Amateur European Team Championship and the associated promotion to the first division is the latest example in a series of success stories.”

But the Swiss PGA wants to consistently progress. “In order to ensure the highest quality education and training, we must invest continuously and stay focused,” says Keith Marriott. “The financial contribution from Supporting Golf Together Funds is not a donation. The Swiss PGA provides valuable additional services with additional education and training modules focused on current strategic topics” says Marriott.

The perspective of the Swiss PGA is shared by the three contributing organizations and their representatives in the Supporting Golf Together Funds. “The work of the Swiss PGA Pros plays a key role in the promotion and development of golf in Switzerland – especially when it comes to creating new golfers,” says Swiss Golf Director Barbara Albisetti.

She is convinced that the Swiss PGA and its members will continue to shape the development of Swiss golf in the future. ASGI Secretary-General Pascal Germanier agrees: “We want to support the Swiss PGA and its members so that golf lessons in Switzerland will continue to be of high quality and that golf will be attractive to more and more people. The contribution from the general sports fund is not sponsoring, the CHF 180,000 must be earmarked for education and training and promote the development of golf in Switzerland.”

The Swiss PGA, Swiss Golf, ASGI and Migros GolfCard are also in agreement that the training and further education of Pros should focus more on marketing and club management in the future. “It’s already the case today that our Pros are actively helping to attract new golfers and motivate them to join a club or public golf organization. Our training and further education courses are no longer just golfing techniques. In the future we will place even more emphasis on strengthening the ‘soft skills’ of our members, says Keith Marriott.

These are words that are well received by partner organisations: “We maintain a good and constructive cooperation with the Swiss PGA and we are happy if we receive support from their members,” says Pascal Germanier. Hans-Peter Schild, Head of Migros GolfCard and Sponsoring Migros Golfparks, has a positive perspective on the development of Swiss golf recently: “The cooperation of all golf organisations in Switzerland has started well after the crisis and all parties are aware that we can achieve more together. Personally, I very much appreciate the open and honest communication between those responsible”.

In this sense, Schild expresses his wishes to the Swiss PGA: “Ten percent of Swiss PGA Pros are employed by Migros and work in our golf parks. They generate 90 percent of Migros GolfCard’s new members – a percentage that has remained stable over the last few years.

“I would be delighted if Swiss PGA Pros in the future act more neutral about the offer of public golf organisations and therefore assure a good turnover of newcomers who do not want to join a private club.”

In addition to the support from the common sport fund, the Swiss PGA receives additional funds from Swiss Golf to promote professional tournaments in Switzerland. Migros Golfparks supports the Swiss PGA logistically by providing premises for training and further education events as well as for tournaments.

To do this you would have to start by listing the personal, financial and professional goals that you wished to accomplish this year.  Often these plans fall by the wayside.

To prevent this, you need to ask yourself if you have made any progress and you need to review your goals.

lt is important to periodically monitor the progress you are making with your finances.  The halfway point of the year is a good time to reflect on your goals, take stock, and determine if you have lived up to your own expectations.  lt is an opportune time to identify any festering problems and start to make adjustments if necessary.

With barely six months left to go this year, if you have not made much progress, it may seem overwhelming.  Try to find some time for yourself- an hour is all you need -to review your finances. If you have made some progress in the goals mentioned below, you are on the road to financial health.

Budget

The first step to take is to put a budget in place.  A budget is one of the hardest things to prepare; yet it is one of the most important steps to take to address your personal financial issues.

Do you have a clear idea of how much you are spending each week or month?  Have you tracked your expenses for a period and developed a clear picture of what can be cut back?

You can use one of many online tools or just simply get out a notepad and track your expenses on paper. You will make much more progress if you have a clear idea of where all your money is going.

Reduce Your Debts

The second step is to try and reduce your debt. Do you carry less debt today than you did at the beginning of the year?  Until you start to face up to your debt, it will continue to grow.

The general rule of thumb, and the fastest way to reduce your debt, is to tackle your highest interest rate debt first.  By automating your debt payments and making incremental principal payments each month, you will soon find your debt is under control.

Don’t ignore your debt or wish it away; if it becomes a burden, approach your lender and discuss the possibilities for rescheduling to make it more manageable.

Build Savings

The final step is to start building your savings.  If you don’t have a budget in place and you haven’t paid any attention to your debt, it will be difficult for you to save; they are all connected.  You need to find the discipline to draw up a budget and reduce your debt before you can increase your savings.

Most financial advisors suggest that you should save at least 10 to 15% of your income.  Have you built an emergency fund over the past six months?  If you are suddenly faced with unexpected job loss, major car repairs or medical expenses, you will be better prepared to cope with it if you have this cushion to fall back on.

The easiest way to grow your savings is to automate it by putting a direct debit in place so that you won’t be tempted to spend all your income.  It will instead be directed to an appropriate savings vehicle.  Most mutual fund companies make it easy for you to be able to do this with your savings and investment plan.

The difference between those who attain financial security and those who do not is simply the discipline to take control of their financial situation.  If you are on track, congratulations!  If not, don’t worry, there is still some way to go this year to put things right, but you need to get started now.

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This article was written by Nimi Akinkugbe and appears courtesy of Corporate Golf Magazine and was sponsored By FBN Capital Asset Management, as published in Forbes Africa June 2014.

@jaredhecht

Inaccurate bookkeeping–whether your books are simply out of date or in total disarray–will cost you plenty in the long run. Here are some of the expensive dangers of bad bookkeeping.

You’re a busy business owner. There are so many tasks and clients clamoring for your attention all day long that bookkeeping is probably the last thing on your mind. And as stacks of invoices, expense receipts, and other paperwork pile up, it gets ever more tempting to tell yourself you’ll deal with them tomorrow…or next week…or next month.

Small business owners frequently hope to save on costs by going the DIY route for bookkeeping rather than hiring a professional bookkeeper. That’s all well and good provided you have the time and the know-how to keep accurate records. But inaccurate bookkeeping–whether your books are simply out of date or in total disarray–will cost you plenty in the long run. Here are some of the expensive dangers of bad bookkeeping.

Obscures the Big Picture

Your books provide a snapshot of your company’s financial viability. Without good records, that snapshot will be out of focus. Inaccurate bookkeeping results in inaccurate reports about your cash flow.

Your business may be struggling financially, but without a paper trail, you won’t be able to clearly see what’s causing the problem. Worse, you may not be able to tell that there is a problem.

Causes Costly Mistakes

Miscalculating profits or costs due to bad bookkeeping can be disastrous. Overestimating your profits when filing taxes needlessly increases your taxes owed, while underestimating them can lead to an audit and fines. Miscategorizing assets (for instance, long-term assets that depreciate over time) and expenses can lead to your paying more in taxes than you need to.

Even a small error can snowball over time if it’s not caught early. If you’re not regularly reconciling your books with your bank statement, this type of innocent mistake may go unnoticed until it causes significant damage to your finances.

Increases Your Chances of Being Audited (and Tax Penalties)

Filing taxes late or having exemptions, expenses, or deductions that don’t add up raises red flags with the IRS [tax authorities]–leaving you vulnerable to an audit. “Even if you have all your ducks in order and can defend your deductions and support your income, the process is still time-consuming, costly, and nerve-wracking,” says Bonnie Lee. How much more unpleasant will an audit be if your ducks are not in a row? And then there’s the matter of any irregularities an audit may turn up, and the penalties that go with them.

Minimizes Your Tax Deductions

You have to document expenses to claim them when you file your taxes, right? Misplaced or overlooked receipts prevent you from being able to claim expenses as write-offs. And without accurate books, your accountant won’t be able to spot every deduction you are eligible for. Make sure you are getting every tax advantage you deserve.

Leads to Payroll Problems

Just as with any other aspect of your finances, payroll is affected by inaccurate records. You may be over- or under-compensating employees on their paychecks or with benefits, and not even know it. And an error that carries over to an employee’s W-2 [wage/remuneration records] from your own records causes tax problems for them as well.

Increases Your Invoicing Cycle

Without accurate records, you won’t be able to keep straight who owes you what–which means it will take you longer to organize and send invoices. And the longer it takes you to invoice outstanding accounts and get paid, the longer you’ll go without those funds. Or you may overlook sending an invoice at all, and never receive payment. Cleaning up your books will help you speed up and streamline your invoicing so that you can get paid in a timely fashion.

Racks Up Late and Overdraft Fees

Falling behind on your bookkeeping makes it easy to fall behind on bills as well. The Fresh Diet CEO Zalmi Duchman estimates that hiring a bookkeeper to keep his records in order saves his company “$500 to $1,000 in late fees per quarter.” Likewise, inaccurate books may result in overdrafting accounts and all the related fees.

How much could your business be saving on fees? (That’s a trick question–how would you know how much you’re currently losing in late fees without accurate books?)

Limits Your Financing Options

Messy books can seriously limit your options for getting loans. Ami Kassar tells the story of a client in a bind who needed money fast. But due to his six-months-out-of-date books, the best he was eligible for was a cash advance.

Small business owners who need a loan–particularly in an emergency–may find themselves in a similar situation without accurate, up-to-date financial records. Don’t let bad bookkeeping stand in the way of loan opportunities.

Is Expensive and Time-Consuming to Fix

Once your books are a mess, they will take money and time (lots of each) to get in order. It’s a hole that’s difficult to dig out of–but absolutely necessary. You’ll need to hire a bookkeeper just to make sense of your current records and to set you up with a system for the future, regardless of whether they take over your bookkeeping long-term.

If your books are chaotic, or if you see that you’re consistently falling behind on your record-keeping, it’s time to bring in a professional bookkeeper to help safeguard your business from these pitfalls.

Your financial records should guide all of your business decisions, such as when to hire more staff, seek a loan, or invest in equipment or inventory. But your decisions will only be as good as the information you have.

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This article originally appeared on Inc.com – to view the original article visit http://eur.pe/217p1eK.