Potential Clients Looking for a new accountant (or a first accountant)? Here are our thoughts in regards to the process.
	Selecting an Accountant. Selecting an accountant to work with is a decision that should not be taken lightly. You want to select someone who is not only professional and competent, but who is also a good fit for your business. Owning and operating a small business can be extremely rewarding as well as extremely challenging. Having the right accounting and tax professional to work with can help in taking on those challenges with confidence. That individual or firm should not only provide quality needed services such as tax return preparation, but should also serve as an advisor and guide to help you better run your business. In regards to selecting an accountant to work with, we encourage you to check out at least a few accountants before making a decision. You may want to contact the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants Referral Service at (614) 764-2727. The service is free to you (the members each pay a nominal annual fee to participate). When you call, they will ask you a few questions about the type of business you have, the type of services that you are in need of, etc. They will then use that information to give you the names of three or four CPAs that may be a good fit for your needs. All CPAs that are members of the referral service must offer you a complimentary consultation of up to 30 minutes. The purpose of the consultation is to allow you and the CPA to see if each would be a good fit for the other. By checking out a few CPAs, you can make a better decision in selecting the one to work with. We are not trying to turn you away from our firm; however, we want you to work with the accountant/firm that is the best fit for you and your needs. Recommendations Meet with at least a few accountants! To get some names, you can call the referral service noted above, ask friends and business acquaintances, etc. When you call to schedule an appointment, ask if the accountant offers a complimentary consultation. During the consultation, your focus should be on finding out more about the accountant or the accounting firm, not on asking a list of accounting and tax questions. Keep the meeting to an established time limit as time is valuable to an accountant (the time spent on your complimentary consultation is time that he or she cannot spend on billable work). The following is a short list of questions that you should consider asking when you meet with an accountant. · What is her/her/the firm’s experience and credentials? NOTE: Beware of getting blinded by credentials. · If a CPA firm, does the firm undergo peer review? If so, when was their last peer review and what was the outcome? · What services does the firm or individual offer? · What types of clients does the firm or individual work with? · If you should you become a client, what staff person would you be working with? Who supervises that individual? · Does the firm or individual utilize temporary help or subcontractors for professional services? Does the firm or individual outsource any of the services that would be provided for you? · How does the firm or individual charge for services? · What happens when the staff person assigned to your account is out ill or such? · Does the individual/firm have references? You may want to see if the individual is a licensed CPA and/or the firm is registered with the Accountancy Board of Ohio and, if so, if the licensee and/or firm is in good standing. You can do this online by visiting the Accountancy Board of Ohio’s website at www.state.oh.us/acc/ (under “Information,” look under “For Consumers” and select “Look up CPAs/Firms”). If you do not have Internet access, you can call them at 614-466-4135. We Do Not Outsource! You are probably aware that many businesses are outsourcing much of their customer service and technical support functions to companies outside of the United States. Now, some accountants and accounting firms are doing the same thing. Outsourcing of bookkeeping, payroll, and tax return preparation is becoming more and more common amongst CPA/accounting firms. When outsourcing is utilized by the firm you are working with, your bookkeeping, payroll, and/or tax return may actually be completed/prepared by a third party service provider, either here in the U.S. or overseas. This may or may not be directly brought to your attention. It will most likely at least be covered in the service agreement that you sign with the firm. Amongst accountants, outsourcing can be a controversial topic. The primary advantage to the accountant who outsources is decreased cost to the firm to provide services to their clients, which in turn increases the accountant’s profit margin and in some cases allows the firm to provide the service at a lower cost to their clients. The disadvantages are where the controversy over outsourcing comes in. The primary disadvantage, in our opinion, is that the accountant is taking full responsibility for services that the accountant did not perform. There are other disadvantages such as concerns over how the client’s information is transmitted to the third party service provider and the qualifications and experience of the individuals who are actually doing the work. Outsourcing may be a good fit for many firms. However, it is not for us. When you come to us for service, we are the ones who provide the service, from start to finish. By NOT outsourcing, we maintain total control over your information and the service being provided which allows us to ensure that you receive excellent client service! In Closing..... If you would like to find out more about possibly working with our firm, we offer a complimentary 30-minute consultation for prospective business clients. We also offer such consultation to individuals with tax problems. The purpose of the complimentary 30-minute consultation is for us to find out more about your situation and what you are in need of assistance with and for you to find out more about us, what we can do for you, and any general recommendations we may have in regards to your situation. The purpose of the complimentary 30-minute consultation is NOT for us to provide free service or consultation. To find out more about working with our firm, check out our New Client Welcome Memo. In regards to references, we will provide references upon request to those seriously considering establishing a relationship with our firm. We limit providing references in this way as we are firmly committed to keeping our client’s information confidential and maintaining their privacy in general.
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