How to Find an Accountant You Can Trust for Your Business
Hiring an accountant for your business is like hiring a plumber for your pipes. Sure you could do it yourself, but wouldn’t you rather hire an expert? One of the many reasons people struggle to handle their own accounting is the fear of trusting their finances and personal information to a stranger. That is certainly an understandable reason to hesitate. However, there are measures you can take to hire an accountant you can trust for your business.
Step One: Determine what you need an accountant to do. Do you need them to handle payables and receivables, or are you more concerned about quarterly tax filings? Are you looking for someone to compile financial statements on a regular basis, or to simply perform the task once in order to apply for a business loan or to present to investors? Define what you need an accountant to do before you set out to find one you can trust.
Step Two: Ask for referrals. One of the best ways to find any kind of provider, whether it's a lawyer or an accountant, is to ask people you know and trust for referrals. The presumption being, of course, that the accountant has an established history working with people you know and trust, and is therefore trustworthy for your business needs too.
Step Three: Schedule an appointment. You have your list of the tasks or responsibilities you need an accountant to handle. Once you have a handful of potential accountants to contact, start at the top of the list and make appointments to meet with them for a consultation. This doesn’t have to be face to face, and in our virtual world it often isn’t - however, scheduling a bit of time to chat with a potential accountant is highly recommended.
Step Four: Ask questions. In addition to making sure they’re ready, willing, and able to take you on as a client, make sure they have experience with your sized business, the tasks you need accomplished, and that they have the time available in their schedule to be responsive to your needs. It’s important to find an accountant who isn’t just trustworthy, but who also isn’t too busy to return your calls.
Step Five: Recommendations. Ask your potential accountant who they’ve done business with, and if you have doubts about them don’t be afraid to also ask for recommendations of people you can contact to make sure this is the right accountant for you.
Step Six: Establish a system of how communication and documentation are going to work. If you set this up ahead of time you'll know when to anticipate a call back from your accountant or when you need to have your paperwork together for your quarterly returns.
Step Seven: Shake hands, sign agreements and take the necessary precautions to ensure a professional and accountable relationship on both sides.
Hiring an accountant you trust can be an intimidating process. However, there are steps to take to ensure you’ve found not only an honest accountant, but one that will work well with you and your business.
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