Where the time goes
No single follow-up takes long, which is why chasing is easy to underestimate. The time is spread across the month: checking which clients have sent what, writing a reminder, answering "which statement do you need?", and opening a file only to find it's last month's.
How to bring the number down
- Fewer follow-ups: send a clear monthly checklist with a due date, the same every month.
- Faster follow-ups: use ready-made reminder emails that list only what's still missing.
- Fewer wrong documents: say exactly which account and which month, and catch mistakes when the file arrives rather than when you start the books.
Get these hours back
Reqmora sends each client their checklist, follows up automatically on only what's missing, and checks each uploaded PDF or photo is the right document for the right month, telling the client straight away if it isn't.
No card needed.
Questions
- How much time do bookkeepers spend chasing clients for documents?
- It depends on the firm, which is why this calculator lets you set each number. Small follow-ups add up: three five-minute follow-ups for each of 30 clients is seven and a half hours a month, before any wrong documents.
- What counts as a follow-up?
- Every message asking for documents: the first request, reminders, calls and texts. Include the time spent checking what's already arrived and what's still missing, which is often longer than writing the message.
- Why include wrong documents?
- A statement for the wrong month or a blurry photo means opening it, noticing the problem, writing back and checking the replacement. It's chasing too, and easy to leave out of the estimate.
- What hourly rate should I use?
- Use what an hour of the person doing the chasing costs, or what you'd bill for that hour if it went on client work instead. The second is usually the more honest number for a firm owner.
- Is this calculator free? Do you keep my numbers?
- It's free with no sign-up. The sums happen in your browser, and none of your numbers are sent to us or saved. We only count how often the calculator is used.