3 Tips for beginners looking for accounting services

How to find the right accountant for the job

Finding the right professional for any job can be tedious at best and impossible at worst. This is because outsourcing certain tasks to service providers, especially in a saturated market, can take a very long time depending on the scope of your project.

From the boring motions of comparing quotes to the slow progress of ensuring your accounting services provider understands exactly what you need, there are so many things to consider. When it comes to finding the right accounting services for your business, the sentiment remains since the person you hire will be handling one of the most important aspects of your business: the finances.

Some advice when looking for the right accountant

If you want the best possible services, then it’s important to find a service provider that is highly skilled and experienced. The best way to do this is through thorough research which means getting on the phone and talking with the references that the people you’ve shortlisted provided you.

Knowledge base

There are many types of accountants, finding one who has expert-level knowledge about the accounting services that you need can save you a lot of time and frustration. When discussing your needs with an accountant, you should be prepared to test the prospect with as many practical and non-theoretical questions as you can to ensure that he/she fully understands what you need and that they are able to deliver.

Flexibility and adherence to strategy

When comparing accountants, you should remember that their goal is to provide excellent customer service in whatever solution they are providing, something that will vary between different accountants. A good service provider should also be able to work within budget and in line with your requirements.

To get a good idea of whether your prospects can do this or not, you’ll want to take a long look at their portfolio of work and assess their references. When you encounter any red flags, don’t be nervous to raise those issues with your service provider; if the prospect is any good, those are the kinds of issues they will want to tackle with you before starting with your work.

Tech savviness

An accountant needs to be able to use new accounting concepts and technologies in order to stay competitive. Therefore, it is very important to investigate your prospect’s technological savviness, especially if your business relies on cloud technology to operate.

Pro-tip: Good accountants should be able to offer the option of on-demand accounting or full-service accounting.

Now that you know what it takes to find the best cloud accountant, get in touch with us today!