Looking to hire an accountant to help you grow your business?
A good accountant can help you with more than just paying your bills on time– they are a trusted advisor that can help your business thrive.
Here’s the top things to look for when choosing a new accountant.
Someone who’s proactive
When it comes to getting the most out of your accountant, communication is key– on both sides.
It’s important to avoid an accountant who doesn’t return your calls, who sends you unexpected bills and who talks to you in a language you don’t understand. This will create barriers and most likely lead to more problems than it solves.
Instead, look for an accountant who can help you grow your business, someone who’s proactive, who returns your calls. Someone who’s just a call, text, or email away. Someone who can answer your questions and get back to you that same day. Someone who’s as invested in your business as you are and who is focused on helping you get to where you want to be.
Someone who knows your industry
When it comes to accounting, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. No two businesses are the same, so what works well for one business will be completely different for others. That’s why it’s important to find an accountant who understands your industry. That way, they can help you implement a good accounting setup for your industry and advise you on how best to run your business.
An accountant with good industry knowledge will be an important advisor and sounding board to support you on your journey.
When choosing an accountant, someone with a strong understanding of the ins and outs of your industry is best placed to advise you on industry-specific technology to help you streamline your business.
Someone who understands your business
Every business is different. Not everyone fits into a neat category. That’s why we recommend finding an accountant who can tailor their solutions for you and your individual needs.
We all have our own goals we’re working towards and our own unique purpose that drove us to start a business in the first place, so it’s important to find an accountant who wants to learn more about your business, your goals, and where you want to be.
When choosing an accountant, look for someone who understands that your business might not fit perfectly into the box that someone has tried to place it into. Take the time to find someone who deeply understands your business so they can help you grow in line with your goals and ambitions.
Someone who understands technology
Look for an accountant who uses leading accounting software like Xero, FreeAgent and QuickBooks. Accounting software can transform what you do and revolutionise the way you handle numbers in your business.
If an accountant isn’t using online software and accounting apps, they’re best avoided in favour of someone who does. They’ll be far better placed to help you grow a thriving business!
When choosing an accountant, look for someone who can help you implement technology to gain huge efficiencies in your business. A good accountant will use these tools to help your business raise finance, ensure you get paid on time, manage your team and manage your finances.
Believe it or not, accounting technology is rapidly improving and there are now over 800 apps that plug into Xero alone. That's a massive pile to sift through and pick the best for your business. A good accountant can help you get set up on the right software that gives you a bird’s-eye view of your entire business. They’ll also help you keep your finger on the pulse with accurate data that helps you visualise how your business is performing, so you can make the right decisions that benefit your business in the long run.
Someone who can help you grow your business
A good accountant can help with more than just compliance work like accounts, tax returns, and payroll. They can work closely with you to help you grow your business.
These things need to be done in order to keep you compliant with the law. That’s why you’ll often hear accountants refer to this as ‘compliance work.’ But a good accountant will use this work as the core to offer you more high-value services designed to help your business thrive.
If you’re invested in growing your business, look for an accountant who offers more than just the compliance stuff. Advisory services like cash flow forecasting, fundraising and strategy are all aimed at helping you expand your business and get to where you want to be.
An accountant who’s passionate about helping you grow your business will be your most valuable advisor. They’ll take the strain away from you so that you can keep your focus where it should be, on growing a profitable business.
Thinking of working with us? Here are 6 things you should know.
