If you have a dynamite CPA helping your business, you know you can rely on that person for far more than the periodic tax filings required of your company.
Your great accountant thinks about your whole business, all year long (not just at tax time). You don’t have to think about it: whenever you have an accounting chore or a question about finances or long-range planning, you can just pick up the phone and call your CPA.
You’re probably aware that it’s a great idea to take a mid-year look at your firm’s tax situation… so, while you’re talking with your accountant about that, have them also take a mid-year “pulse” on the overall financial health of the company.
The best accountants are more than tax advisors: they’re full-service, “one-stop shops” for advice and help of all kinds. Your CPA should be your business’s trusted financial thought partner… even if your company is very small.
Even if it’s just you!
Your Accountant Can Help With Lots Of Things…
… Even if it’s not a service your accountant performs directly, the best accounting firms have close connections with specialists who can help you with just about anything your firm needs for robust “holistic” financial health.
Here are just a few things for which many successful small businesses turn to their CPA:
- Payroll. This can be one of the biggest headaches a small firm faces. But a great CPA can help. Some accounting firms will do your firm’s payroll themselves; for others, it makes more sense to coordinate with a “white label” payroll specialist to make sure your employees get the best service every pay day.
- Start-up. Even before the doors are open, one of the smartest moves an entrepreneur can make is to engage a great CPA firm to help set the business up for success, from filing registrations and business name paperwork to establishing a chart of accounts to keep everything running smoothly from day one.
- Bookkeeping. Turn that mountain of receipts, payables, receivables, etc. over to your accounting firm, and not only will things be professionally buttoned-up, but your accountant will also know the day-to-day details that make them an even smarter resource for financial advice. And if you’ve fallen behind, your CPA can help you catch up.
- Planning for the future. A great accountant can serve as a “contract Chief Financial Officer” for a small firm that otherwise couldn’t afford the services of a highly-paid CFO. From product and market expansion to retirement and succession planning, your CPA should be able to provide you with excellent wisdom.
- Personal finances. Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or owner of a small business with a handful of employees, your accountant can help make sure your personal financial health is robust, too. And if personal financial planning isn’t your CPA’s “thing,” it’s certainly an area in which your accountant can provide an excellent professional referral to a specialist.
… And An Excellent CPA Provides Great Service, Too
Like attorneys and doctors, accountants tend to be very busy people. And an unfortunate trend in recent years is that busy professionals aren’t usually seen as great providers of customer service.
Almost all accountants are smart enough to help your business with a variety of financial advice, from start-up to succession. But if you can find one who also returns your calls and emails and helps you without judging, grab that business relationship… and never let go!
As a business owner, you often feel like you have to do it all. And you certainly have to make sure it all gets done! But don’t forget: when it comes to keeping your small company’s bottom line healthy, a top-notch CPA can “do it all,” too. Give your accountant a call, and see how they can help you in ways you might not have considered before.