Let’s be real – crunching numbers is not everybody’s favourite business, and unless you are a financial specialist, it shouldn’t be.
Running your own business or being a freelancer is already enough of a challenge; therefore, making sure your numbers add up, and you are getting the right amount of refunds on your taxes should not be one of them as well.
The good news is that there are plenty of specialised accounting firms out there that can help you with this; all you have to do is find the right one.
Here are some things to watch out for and questions to ask when trying to find your perfect accountant match:
Certifications
Once you know which services you will require, making sure that your accountant has the right education and certification in this field is paramount.
A lot of accounting services do not require your service provider to be a chartered or certified accountant, but if you are looking for someone to audit your business or deal with loans, you might want to make sure that they have the qualifications in their bag that are necessary.
Money
Yes, I know you thought you were doing this to never have to think about money again, but the truth is you never should let your money out of your sight.
An accountant is only there to assist you in working with it efficiently and effectively. But at what cost is another question.
This is another important thing to watch out for when looking for an accountant. Will they charge you fixed rates or hourly rates based on how much of their time you are requiring? And what will work best for your specific situation?
Location
You might prefer having someone in your vicinity, but thanks to Zoom and co. that is not absolutely necessary anymore these days.
With this comes a lot of flexibility when choosing your accountant as well; because you are no longer bound to the firms in your block, you have the freedom to go after any Brisbane Accounting Firm you prefer, whether that is due to fees or background.
Experience
Not just the years of experience count, but also whether these years of work are relevant to your business. If you are a small restaurant owner, you probably are not going to align with an accounting firm that has only been employed by large-scale architecture firms thus far and vice-versa.
As with any partner, you will need them to understand your needs. Therefore, look for accountants that have worked in similar fields before and can empathise with you.
References
There is nothing better than some good old word of mouth to determine whether you found the right fit. Ask some of your friends or family that run businesses which they are working with, and the right choice might be closer than you know.
Otherwise, you should always check whether the firm/ accountant can provide you with suitable references that are relevant to your field of work. If there are no references displayed on their website, feel free to ask them directly for it.
Once provided with references, put in some time and check up on their background of them. Call these referees up and ask them some questions that concern you. It’s always great to hear from someone else how they experienced a specific service and whether they are truly happy first-hand.
Software
If you are already working with specific software in your company, make sure that the accountant’s software matches yours.
Even if you are not using a specific software at the moment, you might be familiar with one more than with others and would prefer your accountant to use a certain software over another so that you can follow the process and understand what is going on.
You also don’t want them to waste your time having to familiarise themselves with your systems first, so make sure they know their stuff just as well as yours.
Conclusion
Whether you are looking for someone to look into your taxes or to assist with bigger financial projects, looking into these few checkpoints will help you in making the right choice when looking for a reliable accountant firm.
And last but not least, trust your gut. Accountants are highly likely to become an integral part of your business’ financial strategy; if something feels icky, don’t give in and seal a deal too fast.
