Should You Hire a Bookkeeper or Do It Yourself?

You’re grinding ranked games, juggling sponsorships, editing content, managing collabs, and now you’re supposed to reconcile your books too?

For esports players and creators, bookkeeping usually ranks somewhere between “I’ll get to it later” and “I’d rather do literally anything else.”But the truth is, how you track your income and expenses decides how solid your business really is. If you want to make a living from this long-term, your numbers can’t live in chaos.

So let’s answer the question: should you keep doing it yourself, or bring in someone who lives and breathes this stuff?

What Bookkeeping Does for You

Bookkeeping is visibility.

It’s how you see where your money comes from, where it’s going, and what’s left after the noise. When it’s done right, you can:

• Track multiple income sources (streams, payouts, sponsors, affiliate links)
• Spot patterns in your revenue and spending
• Plan for taxes instead of reacting to them
• Make decisions with real numbers, not guesswork

If you’ve set up an LLC or S-Corp, you already know: good records are the foundation of everything else you do financially.

What a Bookkeeper Handles

Think of a bookkeeper as your business’s financial operations lead. Their job is to:

• Record and categorize income and expenses
• Reconcile accounts to make sure everything matches your bank statements
• Deliver monthly reports that show where your money’s going

They’re not there to plan your tax strategy, that’s your CPA’s role, but they are the ones keeping your foundation solid so your CPA can do their job effectively.

If accounting is the strategy, bookkeeping is the execution. You need both to win.

Doing It Yourself: Where It Works (and Where It Doesn’t)

DIY bookkeeping makes sense if:

• You’re early in your career or income is still inconsistent
• You have limited expenses
• You’re comfortable using tools like QuickBooks, Wave, or Notion templates

But it falls apart when:

• You start missing transactions or miscategorizing expenses
• You lose track of what’s deductible
• You’re too busy creating to keep your records up to date
• You have no monthly clarity on your cash flow

If you’re going the DIY route, build in a safety net. Have a CPA review your books quarterly or annually to catch errors before they turn into problems.

When It’s Time to Bring in a Bookkeeper

You’re ready for professional bookkeeping when:

• You’ve got multiple income streams (ads, sponsors, merch, affiliate links, payouts)
• You’re operating as an LLC or S-Corp
• You’re earning $75K+ and want to plan taxes strategically
• You’d rather spend your time creating than tracking expenses

The real value is better decisions, fewer surprises, and a system that scales as fast as your career.

Finding the Right Fit

You need someone who understands digital income, things like Twitch payouts, YouTube AdSense, sponsorships, merch platforms, Stripe, Ko-fi, Patreon.

They should:

• Know how creator income works
• Speak the same language as your CPA
• Adapt as your business evolves

Bookkeeping is personal. You want a partner who understands your world and keeps pace with how quickly it moves.

Let’s Make Sure Your Setup Matches Your Ambition

If your financial setup still lives in spreadsheets, it’s fine for now, just remember that growth happens fast in this space, and your systems need to keep up.

Good books mean clarity. Clarity means better moves, anywhere from reinvesting in your setup, hiring help, or just understanding what your next tournament or campaign actually earns you.

If you’ve followed this far through the series and started to understand how to pay yourself, estimate taxes and deductions, this is the last piece that holds it all together.

If you want to make sure your bookkeeping supports everything you’re building, book a 30-minute strategy session with me. We’ll look at how your setup’s working now and what it should look like if you want it to last.

About Dark Horse CPAs

Dark Horse CPAs provides an integrated suite of services including tax, accounting, fractional CFO, and wealth management to small businesses and individuals across the U.S. The firm was established to transform the client experience by offering personalized, high-quality services that small businesses and individuals deserve. As Dark Horses in their industries, these businesses benefit from advanced tax strategies and accounting insights typically reserved for larger companies. With a nationwide presence and a team of dedicated professionals, Dark Horse CPAs is committed to your success. Get a quote today.