As your small business gets more extensive, you would have more and more transactions every day. It would be harder to track everything and make good decisions. In this case, you might need to hire an accountant to manage your financial accounts. Hiring one would be a crucial decision you have to make as the owner of your business because you are putting sensitive financial information in the hands of a stranger.
Thus, here are the top 5 things you should ask before you hire the accountant:
1. What is your level of experience in the industry I am in?
An accountant must not only be able to give you an accurate financial report but also provide even more value by explaining what this means for the company. With this, the accountant must have an adequate level of experience in the industry you are in to give advice. They must understand what the company does and how it earns a profit. Also, as every industry has different accounting and tax environments, past experience should have familiarized them with the specific industry's structure and operating environment.
2. How can you help achieve the goals of my business?
This question would elicit more knowledge on the accountant's experience, industry knowledge, and platforms utilized. It will also show you if the accountant understands where you want to be and how to bridge the gap to go there. With this, you can determine whether the accountant can fulfill the growing needs of your business with the skills and capabilities they can bring to the table.
3. How much would it cost?
It is essential to be clear on the costs of services the accountant offers. It will make you gauge if the services and capabilities of the accountant match the cost. Also, as a business owner, you should consider if it fits the budget you have allocated for it. There would be professional accountants that charge a fixed rate for every transaction or hour. Thus, you should make sure that it is proportional to the quantity and complexity of the task.
4. How available would you be?
You must ask this question to have a background on the accountant and their processes in providing the service. It would show how efficiently they can manage clients' needs considering their capacity. Also, it helps you plan better if you would know when you can expect the work done from them and arrange other responsibilities dependent on this. On the other hand, you would understand the accountants' boundaries when talking and calling about work.
5. What other services can you offer me?
It would be beneficial to hire an accountant that does not only provide audit and tax work. It would be more efficient, consistent, and advantageous for you as the owner to hire a person who can do more than one job. Even if they may charge extra for other services, you would only have one person to look for regarding that matter. With this, it will also mean that you have one less person to train about the company and without other people to pass the work to, it would make the service delivered faster to the customers.
In need of accounting services for your business? Get in touch with us at info@greenpointconsultancy.com or visit our contact page for your inquiries.
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