One in five small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners spend nearly a full working week each month on financial admin, according to a recent national survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The research, commissioned by accounting tech company Dext, found that 21% of SMB owners spend between 21 and 40+ hours per month on non-revenue generating tasks like invoicing, payroll, reconciliations and compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Built for Bigger Things<\/em> study, which surveyed 500 SMB leaders across industries and regions, also revealed that 30% manage their finances entirely on their own, often using outdated and manual processes that are slow, error-prone and inefficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than 40% said they now spend more time managing finances than growing their business, while 42% admitted they\u2019ve missed out on new opportunities because of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What’s going wrong?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond the economic pressures of 2025, many small businesses are struggling with a lack of efficient financial systems and ongoing support. Poor planning, outdated tools and inconsistent record-keeping are keeping owners reactive instead of proactive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The time they\u2019re spending on admin is just a symptom of a bigger issue: without proper bookkeeping systems in place, owners are constantly reacting to problems rather than steering the business forward. This reactive approach makes it harder to plan, invest and grow with confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5 common pain points \u2013 and how bookkeepers can help solve them<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To understand what\u2019s going wrong, it helps to look at where time is currently being lost and how a good bookkeeper can make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1. Manual systems are holding businesses back<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Many SMBs still use spreadsheets or paper-based systems to manage their books. This wastes time and increases the risk of costly mistakes. A bookkeeper can help you switch to automated, cloud-based tools that improve accuracy, save hours each week and give you up-to-date financial insights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2. No clear picture of performance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Without regular reconciliations, cash flow tracking or reporting, it\u2019s easy to lose sight of how the business is really performing. A bookkeeper keeps your financial data clean and current, so you can make informed decisions about spending, staffing and growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3. Under-utilising bookkeepers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Too often, business owners see bookkeeping as a simple data-entry task. In reality, a good bookkeeper is a key financial partner who helps you stay compliant, manage cash flow, and spot trends before they become issues. They\u2019re the bridge between your day-to-day numbers and your bigger financial goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4. Not adopting modern tech<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Modern bookkeeping tools automate time-consuming jobs like invoicing, payroll and expense management. Cloud bookkeeping systems mean you and your bookkeeper can access real-time data anytime, anywhere no more late nights chasing receipts or trying to reconcile the books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5. Burnout from admin overload<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Financial admin doesn\u2019t just eat into business hours, it\u2019s mentally draining. Many SMB owners feel overwhelmed and stretched thin. By outsourcing bookkeeping tasks, you free up time and mental space for what really matters: running and growing your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So what\u2019s the fix?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s simple: get support, streamline your systems and stop doing everything manually.<\/strong> It\u2019s not about doing more; it\u2019s about doing things better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re a small business owner in Sydney\u2019s Inner West, and you\u2019re ready to reclaim your time and get your books working for you not against you, reach out for a chat. A friendly local bookkeeper can help you spend less time on admin and more time growing your business.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" One in five small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners spend nearly a full working week each month on financial admin,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":359,"featured_media":470,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_eb_attr":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
A professional bookkeeper can help you modernise your processes, keep your accounts accurate and give you the clarity you need to move forward with confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n