For most small businesses and startups, having an accountant on your side can be crucial to your business’ success. Accounting experts are responsible for maintaining accurate records, analyzing information, and performing some routine duties to streamline your company’s accounting system. However, finding the right professionals can be a bit daunting, especially if you’re a new business startup. At some point, you have to get to know the people you’ll be working with and expect them to assist you in bookkeeping, payroll, and tax obligations. To help you get the top outsourced cloud-based accounting experts for your business, here are a few questions you must ask before hiring:
- How long have you been operating in the business?
Of course, you always want to work with accounting experts like Tristan CPA – Boston’s Small Business Certified Accountant who have a proven track record of experience and existence for small businesses and startups. Remember, the expertise and skills of these outsourced professionals can help make your company flourish. So, it’s essential to ask them how long they have been serving business owners like you in the market. This is to make sure you’ll only deal with the best people.
- Do you have experience working with my type of business?
In addition to knowing their track record, it’s also essential to ask the firm about their experience with the kind of business you have. Most accounting professionals handle accounting processes differently depending on the individual needs of the companies. That’s why outsourcing a firm that completely understands how your business startup works can be very beneficial.
- What kinds of accounting services do you provide?
Another factor to consider when hiring accounting experts is the kinds of services they can offer to your small business. After all, top accounting firms in the market usually provide a wide range of services from bookkeeping to payroll, billing, and tax preparation. If you need all of these services, then you should outsource them to an all-in-one firm.
- How will you help me achieve my company’s goals?
If you want the accounting experts to improve your company’s bottom line, never hesitate to give them a complete overview of your financial situation. If they analyze what you’ve given, they’ll more likely come up with some ideas and accounting principles, such as how you can hold more money into your pocket. Remember, one of the duties of these accounting professionals is to utilize all legal means to reduce your tax exposure.
- Do you use the best accounting technology for your services?
With today’s evolution of modern technologies, the accounting industry also adopts the latest accounting software and businesses to streamline processes and responsibilities. In such a case, ask your potential accounting experts if they use the best cloud-based technology for their services like bookkeeping processes. On the other hand, you should also ask them about any accounting programs they can recommend to make sure they’re familiar with the systems you currently use.
- How much do you charge?
Ask the accounting professionals whom you’ll be working with how they bill their clients as well as the billing options. Typically, most accounting firms charge their services on an hourly basis, but others also bill a fixed-fee rate. If, for instance, they give you a monthly rate, find out what’s included in there: it may be the printing of a profit and loss for you, preparing monthly journal entries, or even balancing the bank statement. In the end, you should bear in mind that rates alone aren’t the only determining factor when hiring accounting experts. What’s important is that you know what to expect from them.
- How do you communicate with your clients?
You need to know what form of communication your prospective accounting experts will take. In most cases, they communicate via Skype, teleconferencing, emails, and other online services. Aside from electronic communication, ask if they’re going to conduct face-to-face meetings, including how they will send financial documents and additional relevant information. Be sure you take into account the security measures they take when communicating sensitive data electronically.
- Can you give any references?
Like other hiring decisions, no references means having no deal with your prospective accounting experts. Besides, you have to know from other companies that the professionals you’re considering can stick with their promises. If they fail to give you any references, your transaction with them should be ended shortly.
Conclusion
With this list of questions in place, you can start assessing the suitability of your potential accounting experts. The more you do consistent questioning, the more you can spot trends in the way they provide answers. Considering the number of reasons why working with accounting professionals is vital for small business owners like you, doing research can help you make the right hiring decision going forward.
