Top 5 things to look for when hiring a new accountant for your land surveying business?
If you’re like me, you probably don’t spend a lot of time thinking about your accountant. You know that they’re important and that it can be expensive to get audited by the HMRC, but beyond that, you probably don’t have a lot of contact with them. So what should you look for when hiring an accountant? As someone who has hired many different accountants over the years (some good ones, some bad ones), here are my top 5 tips:
Obviously, the most important thing is that they are qualified and certified.
Obviously, the most important thing is that they are qualified and certified. As a land surveyor, you’ll need an accountant who has passed a series of examinations administered by their state association and/or national organization. The tests include: CPA (certified public accountants), CMA (certified management accountants), CPTAs (certified public tax advisors) and CPAs in business valuation.
Many land surveyors have been surprised at how willing other professionals are to share information about their process of finding an accountant so I thought it would be helpful to provide some resources here:
Do your research on their history.
- Look at their website and social media. There are many ways that you can get a sense of the quality of an accounting firm based on its website and social media presence. If they have a professional-looking website, this is a good sign they know what they’re doing.
- Search them online using Google, LinkedIn, Facebook and Yelp reviews as well as any other review sites available (Glassdoor). This will give you an idea of how people perceive their work overall – whether it’s positive or negative feedback.
- Check out their portfolio of work done for other companies in similar industries to yours: What types of projects did they work on? Did those projects meet client expectations?
They need to be accessible to you and return your calls/emails/texts in a timely fashion.
You need to be able to reach your accountant easily. A good accountant will have a good system in place and be responsive when you contact them. You should never feel like you aren’t getting their attention or that they are not returning calls, emails, or texts in a timely manner.
You need to feel like you can trust them with all of your information. This is someone who will have access to your most personal confidential data, including financial records, legal documents, employee files, etc.
There are a few things to keep in mind when hiring an accountant for your land surveying business. First and foremost, you need to feel that you can trust them with all of your information. This is someone who will have access to your most personal confidential data, including financial records, legal documents, employee files, etc. In addition to trustworthiness and confidentiality of information, there are other qualities that make a good accountant:
- They should be knowledgeable about the industry they serve (in this case land surveying).
- They should be accessible throughout the year and not just during tax season.
- They should be able to manage their clients’ expectations regarding when certain tasks will be completed (for example payroll preparation).
You want them to know the ins and outs of the industry. They should be able to provide expert advice on how to save money on taxes, what insurance policies you should have, which deductions you may be missing out on, etc.
- They should be able to provide expert advice on how to save money on taxes, what insurance policies you should have, which deductions you may be missing out on, etc.
- You want your accountant to know the ins and outs of the industry. You want them to know how a land surveyor’s business operates so they can best advise you.
Hire an accountant that you like and trust!
Hiring an accountant is a very important decision for your business. You should hire an accountant that you like and trust!
- Like – An accountant is usually someone you will be working with on a regular basis, so it’s great to have someone that you enjoy getting along with!
- Trust – An honest and reliable accountant can be invaluable when running a small business. If they are not being honest or trustworthy in any way, then this quickly becomes one of the most important aspects of your decision making process when hiring an accountant for your land surveying business.
Conclusion
When you are looking to hire a new accountant, there are many things to consider. It can be overwhelming trying to figure out how to find the right fit for your business. However, if you follow these guidelines and make sure that they’re experienced enough in land surveying work (or at least willing to learn), then I am confident that you will find success!