Business owners like to get into some overly complicated or even dodgy deals from time to time, which may be OK if you’re on your own but may not, in my opinion, be such a good idea if you employ staff. “Tone at the top” is what auditors call it: owners should be leading by example to encourage staff to work hard and to help prevent their staff from committing fraud and other unethical practices.
Nor do many owners realize how much extra time it takes their staff to unravel and understand the complex deals that are presented to them to work with and record. I have even known of first class bookkeeping staff who have left their job because they were fed up with the continual stress of having to cope with complex deals, missing information, overdue deadlines etc.
This is especially true in a small community such as the one I work in where word gets round quickly and good staff are hard to find. I think in the long run a successful business is built on good ethics and sound business practices – even your customers will thank you for it.
