ARE YOU RUNNING THROUGH ACCOUNTANTS?
June 7, 2019
Written by Teresa Oliver
There are only two reasons why this is happening:
1. You are corrupt
2. You are not vetting them properly
You are corrupt
Yes, I said it! Not everyone believes in following the law. The rules, however, can be broken, rewritten, or worked around in an ethical way. The entire tax code is built on, and continues to be, on rules being broken, but in a lawful, ethical manner.
If you and your business is corrupt, there is no cure for your problem of running through Accountants. My advice: GET IT TOGETHER! There is no shortage of ways the right Accountant can help you make and save more money while still reducing your tax liability.
You are not vetting Accountants properly
Every other problem that may arise is because you did a piss poor job of vetting. Selecting an Accountant is nothing to sneeze at; you need to make sure that your personalities, both personal and professional, are aligned.
The role of an Accountant is to compile the transactions of your business into clear, dollar $ based reports ready to be analyzed and used for decision making.
Use my checklist below to see if your Accountant stacks up.
P.S. If you do not have an Accountant, not tax preparer, to help you with the day-to-day of your business, you are doing yourself a disservice.
P.P.S If you started doing your own books because you were tired of being burned, you are now wasting valuable time, read MONEY, on something you are not trained to do, nor are passionate about doing.
How to successfully vet an Accountant or Bookkeeper
Checklist
1. Before the CONSULTATION – PREPARE
☐ Research the firm.
☐ Compile a list of questions relevant to your pain points and your expectations.
☐ Have a clear goal that you would like the Accountant to help you reach.
☐ Know your budget.
☐ Know all the software you use and the processes you have in place.
☐ Make a list of what you want to do and what you do not want to do.
☐ Ask yourself if you are willing to work with an Accountant that has no experience in your industry? If so, on what basis?
2. DURING the CONSULTATION – LISTEN
☐ Take notes.
☐ Ask questions that will reveal a determining characteristic of their personality.
☐ Ask if they will train you.
☐ Ask about communication? What can you expect?
☐ Ask about price increases.
☐ Answer their questions honestly and thoroughly
3. AFTER the CONSULTATION – REFLECT
☐ Compare your prepared lists and the answers; did they answer your questions.
☐ Were you inspired by them? Did they make you feel like the impossible is possible?
☐ Are you ready to commit the time and money necessary to be successful in the solution they presented to solve your problem/s?
☐ Do you like them?
☐ Are they qualified to solve your problem?
☐ Do you have more questions? Send them an email
NOTE: Do not get caught up in the emergency of your situation and
skip pertinent steps. You are looking for a permanent solution, not a
temporary one.
HAPPY HUNTING!
