No matter how good you are at numbers, you’ll have to hire a business accountant at some point.
Now that point could be from the get-go to help you set up your company right or it could be during the business growth phase. Remember, as your business scales, you’ll have more customers, business partners, and employees. You’ll need someone to manage your cash flow and ensure your business stays the course.
There are also other situations where hiring an accountant becomes a necessity. Let’s say you need a business loan or about to buy another company or sell yours or if the IRS has come to audit you.
Whatever your reason for hiring an accountant, don’t settle for just any person or company who offers their services. Read on for the best tips on how to choose an accountant for your small business.
Consider Location
If you need someone who can go to business meetings with you, limit your search to accountants who work nearby. But if location isn’t an issue, you can outsource financial tasks to a freelance accountant or a company like Taxland.
There are many accounting services that dont need to be nearby another example is remote QuickBooks bookkeeping. The important thing is you hire an accountant who understands the tax laws relevant to your business.
Assess Your Accounting Needs
A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) could help if you need someone with more training to handle your business financials. But for bookkeeping, payroll, and other basic accounting stuff, hiring an accountant who charges by the hour is a good option.
Now, if you’re already using accounting software, find an accountant who knows how to use that particular software. It will save you a lot of time and effort since you don’t need to onboard a newbie to the system.
Don’t Rush the Process
You have a list of candidates, and you’ve already compared their qualifications and experience. Knowing what to look for in an accountant is a must, but you shouldn’t skip the interview process.
Ask each candidate for their references. See if you can negotiate fees. Find out how they plan to help you grow your business.
These are all important things you might miss if you hire someone based on their resume or rates.
The Best Business Accountant Will Help Your Company Grow
Maybe you only hired an accountant to help you get through tax season. But there are many ways the right accountant could help take your company to the next level.
That’s why if you’ve decided to hire one, don’t think of him or her as someone who’s only there to render accounting services. The best business accountant is a partner who can help you focus on growing your company and an advisor who can show you how to do it.
Want More Business Advice?
The tips listed here will hopefully help you find the right business accountant. But if you need more advice on how to find an accountant for small business, you can check out what to look for when hiring a tax accountant. What to do if you missed the tax deadline is also a good read.
For more business articles, don’t forget to check out the rest of our blog.
