If you have been running a business for a while, and have just decided you need to hire an accountant, congratulations – your business must be growing faster than anticipated.
After all, this is usually when you think to hire one – rarely do people prepare well in advance and hire an accountant as soon as they open up shop.
Your choice of accountant will determine how your business will grow further – as an accountant can truly help take you to the next level, if they are knowledgeable enough in your line of work.
Having said all that, here are a few tips on how to hire the best accountant for your small business.
What Do You Actually Need?
Most people feel there are only two types of tasks accountants do: keep books and do taxes. This is of course nonsense. While there are certainly accountants who focus on one of these aspects of accounting, there are also those who are happy to take on a wider variety of tasks.
Before you start doing interviews, make sure you actually write down what you need as a business. Is it taxes, is it bookkeeping, is it mentoring, is it securing future funding, etc. Once you have all this down on paper, you can move on to doing the research.
Bear in mind that not all accountants will offer package deals – for example, if you are looking for someone to help you form your company and be there for you afterwards, then Accountant Online is the type of company you are looking for. On the other hand, if you need just a tax accountant, then go for someone who specializes in precisely that.
Where To Find Candidates?
You can either go by recommendations, or start looking yourself. If you know someone who runs the same type of business, ask them for a reference, as word of mouth is still one of the more reliable ways to find any service provider.
On the other hand, you can go online and start a search – bearing in mind the services you just listed above. Don’t be caught up in someone’s flashy commercial. You already know what you need, so don’t let Google steer you away from that.
How To Know Someone Is The Right Match?
This is the tricky part. There are several factors to consider, not all of which will be based on the actual services and the work you need done.
If you need very specific services, than you should focus on the experience the accountant you have in mind has in that particular area. If you are looking for a broader deal, then you should look for the best package available, at a reasonable price you can afford. On the other hand, you also need to bear in mind that you need to be able to trust this person and communicate with them well, so working with someone you don’t like is not the way to go.
If you simply don’t feel comfortable with the person, even if all their qualifications are all right, move on – there are so many accounting firms available, that you will easily find a right fit in every way. Remember, you want to grow, and not simply stagnate forever.
Even though finding an accountant may seem a challenge, if you do your research right, and if you take the time to do it, you will surely find the best person for the job.
