If you work in a specialist field it’s worth considering an accountant that has experience in your business sector or industry. They’ll know the ins and outs of the field, be able to help give you specific advice and be proactive. Here at Gooding Accounts we meet with all new clients to fully understand the needs of their business and match them to a client manager with relevant expertise.
Taking the cheapest option might not always be the best decision. A low-cost accountant might charge on top for any additional work such as phone calls, queries or meetings. Or they may do the minimum possible for the amount you pay with a low service level. Before you join them, an accountant should always give you a quotation which gives full detail of what’s included in your fees.
It’s important to consider what value financial advice has to the growth of your business. Your accountant should be able to offer proactive advice to help save on tax and improve profits – but this can only come if you pay them enough to allow them time to look in detail at your accounts.
It’s a common theme that business owners can struggle to understand their own financial statements. It’s essential that your accountant takes time to ensure that any communications they send are clear and easy to understand. Explain to them where you need some additional help – a good accountant will take the time to guide you should you need some additional explanation.
Apart from completing the work you’ve agreed a good accountant should be proactively making recommendations to help reduce your tax burden and improve your profits. It’s important to remember that this may not be possible, but it’s always worth asking the question if you’ve not spoken to your accountant in a while.
Here at Gooding Accounts we believe that communication is key to a great relationship between client and accountant. Our team is structured a little differently from most traditional accountancy firms. Rather than working in groups focused on a particular specialism such as VAT, we work in a number of small teams (or Pods) who supply every single one of the services a client needs. Each pod is co-located and work closely together, so the entire team will be aware of what’s happening with your account day-to-day. Every single client is allocated a dedicated client manager as a first point of contact, but if for any reason your usual contact is unavailable one of their pod will likely be able to help so you’re not left waiting for an answer.
Everyone has bad days, but if your accountant consistently shows a lack of interest in the success of your business it might be time to start thinking about switching. Here at Gooding accounts our passion is to empower business owners to grow successful business and we celebrate our clients’ successes. Our award-winning team are here to help guide you every step of the way.
If you’re left waiting for days for the response to a quick question or have no visibility of how long it might take your accountant to complete a piece of work you may need to step in. If your accountant doesn’t specify how long it will take to answer a question or complete a task, make sure you ask – and follow up if they don’t deliver on time. If they consistently don’t reply or take too long to come back to you it might be time to think about moving on.
If you are always taking the lead with regards to questions and deadlines it might be a sign that it’s time to discuss your relationship. If your accountant always waits for you rather than reaching out to you it could be a sign that they don’t value your business. Perhaps it’s time to look for a firm with a more proactive approach?
If the thought of meeting or talking to your accountant fills you with dread then it may well be time to think moving on. You should feel confident to reach out to them with questions and the relationship should be open enough that you don’t have any unexpected unpleasant surprises. If you work with a larger firm you could ask to have an alternative individual deal with your accounts. Here at Gooding Accounts we take particular care to match all of our business owners with a Client Manager who we feel suits their personality as well as their business.
If you’ve followed our tips and you still see no improvement it might be worth investigating alternative accountants. Most will offer you a free, no obligation meeting and quotation for the work you require to help you find the best fit for your business.
Our friendly and helpful approach to accountancy, ensures that you understand and are in tune with your finances. Our committed team will communicate with you every step of the way so that you understand the position of your financial affairs – get in touch today.
