As a small business one of your most trusted advisers will be your Accountant or CPA. Depending on experience, this individual may play different roles within your business from bookkeeping to to business advisory and tax services. Beyond monthly bookkeeping and record-keeping a skilled Accountant should provide you with insight on how the information that has been recorded through a period can help you make better business decisions.
When hiring a new accountant be sure to find out if they are familiar with your particular industry. Here are some skills/attributes you should look for when hiring your next accountant/CPA:
1. Is he or she familiar with your industry? If so how much experience does he or she have in working with similar businesses in your industry?
2. Can your new accountant give you more insight on how to make better businesses decisions for your company? This comes down to the present needs of your business. If your business is at a stage where you are beginning to have significant profits and expenses are increasing, it is important to have the expertise of an accountant who can go beyond delivering you monthly reports and give you insight on your financial reports.
3. What specific area is your accountant an expert in? If you find that you have a complicated tax situation and need tax planning, it may be best to hire a tax accountant or a CPA with experience in tax and tax planning.
4. Does your Accountant have experience in making sure you are compliant with Sales and Use taxes in the states where you operate your business?
These are just a few skills you should look for when hiring an accountant. Lastly, it’s always great to have a great professional relationship with your accountant. After all, you will be working a lot with he/she.