Tips For Choosing the Right Accountant For Your Small Business
Not everybody is great with numbers and so many small businesses choose to hire accountants to help balance the books. It is one of the most important aspects of business, so deep thought should go into choosing the right accountant for your business. There are several areas that you should address as a business owner either during the interview process or when looking over CV’s.
The first thing to investigate is the candidate’s qualifications. This is normally done prior to meeting with the candidate during the stage when you are making a short list. There are two recognised accountancy bodies in the UK so ensure that the applicant has the appropriate qualifications with regards to this and be aware as to whether they are a certified or chartered.
The next step is to see how much the accountant charges. Is it an annual fee, monthly fee or do they want to be paid an hourly rate. You should compare and contrast all of your options but don’t just choose an accountant because they are the cheapest option. As a small business your accountant is also likely to be from a smaller firm or be an independent accountant. For this reason you should budget how much you are willing to pay for accountancy and not punch above your weight.
The next step is to gauge what your relationship with the accountant will be like; after all this is the person who will be working with your finances and will therefore need to be someone you can trust. The only way to gauge this is through the interview. Does the candidate give good eye contact? What’s their body language like? Follow your instincts on whether the applicant seems trustworthy. Also make sure you feel that the applicant is professional. Whilst you will want to get along with your accountant you are not looking for a new friend, you want someone who will do their job efficiently and to the best of their ability.
The final step when choosing an accountant is to make sure that they are willing to keep in touch with you throughout the year. Most people think that they only need to stay in contact with their accountant once a year but this is a fallacy. Realistically you should stay in regular contact with your accountant. You should ensure that when hiring an accountant they are willing to meet your requirements all year round.
Having an accountant is vital for all businesses large or small and is not something to take lightly. Numbers are key to business success and having an accountant is the perfect way to ensure that all your businesses numbers are in order.
If you are looking for accountants Basingstoke then Langdowns DFK is perfect. Whether you are looking for an independent accountant Basingstoke or chartered accountants Basingstoke Langdowns will be able to meet your need.
