Small businesses start with limited investments. Any help and hiring to the business will cost the owner. It is tough to decide which cost to incur and which one to curtail. The financial matters of a business are not such in which attention should be paid to save cost.
Small business owners looking to save money consider hiring accountants as an unnecessary expense. Some businessmen think that it would be expensive to hire an accountant. However, an accountant takes care of some time-consuming business activities like taxes. Comparison will likely cost less per hour pay an entrepreneur saves by utilizing his precious time and energy.
Appointing an accountant to manage business accounts allows the entrepreneur to keep his mind cool because an expert handles his business details.
Some Questions That May Clear the Confusion
Here are some of the questions an entrepreneur should ask himself when deciding on the need of hiring an accountant for a small business:
Can I Handle My Business Accounting on My Own?
How much knowledge does an entrepreneur have about accounting? Does he know about the types of bookkeeping systems? What is an Income Statement? These are questions that need genuine answers, and nobody except the businessman himself can answer these questions.
If the response to the inquiry is no, it is time to introduce an accountant to manage business finances.
Am I Tech Savvy?
Perhaps, use of computer software and apps is common in everyday life. Using some apps daily does not make the user an expert in that particular field. Accounting for small businesses is not child’s play. Today’s accounting system depends on technology. New software keeps on coming, which helps in accounting but creates confusion for some not-so-professional.
The small business owner needs software that tracks the invoices and expenses as well. Still, these apps and software cannot operate on their own and need your precious time.
How can an Accountant Help Me?
Understanding what change an accountant can bring to the business is the foresightedness of the businessman. It may help in taking a better decision whether or not to appoint the accountant. An accountant can help in financial analysis, data management, generation of financial reports, etc.
Do I Have Enough Time to Handle My Accounting Myself?
Accounting of a firm requires complete concentration. It demands your heart and soul in one direction. The nature of the business may demand the owner to be on-road constantly or have regular meetings with clients.
The owner is continuously on the phone or replying to the mails; it could be anything. Whatever the reasons are, a simple question is, does the entrepreneur have enough time to handle the accounts book himself.
It will be a great relief to hand over the responsibility to a professional who takes some amount and will do your work systematically to meet the statutory compliance of accounting practices.
Am I Acquainting with the Process of Filing Tax Returns for Small Businesses?
The new small business owners are not acquainted with the tax filing procedures. It is challenging to deal with accounting and taxation procedures along with concentrating on the business. It is one of the reasons why so many small entrepreneurs hire accountants for sole traders.
The owner’s precious time is not for filing tax returns but for making new business deals and satisfying the existing clients.
Can I Bear the Expenses of Hiring an Accountant?
There are no fixed or standard rates to hire an accountant. The fees depend on the individual requirement and paying capacity of the business owner. The work experience and education of professionals are important factors that decide their professional charges.
The average cost of hiring a certified public accountant (CPA) to file a tax return ranges from £35 per hour (for common services) to £150 per hour (for complex accounting work).
Will the Absence of Accountant have any Impact on the Business in the Long Term?
Analyze and evaluate the business conditions. What will be the condition of the business 5 or 10 years from now? How much do you need an accountant in the future? If the accountant is not with the owner, what will be the consequences?
Advantages of Hiring an Accountant
Hiring an accountant helps the business in many ways and has plenty of advantages. Here are a few benefits of hiring an accountant:
- The accuracy of books increases
- Least accounting mistakes
- The owner has more free time for other productive tasks
- Helps to make decisions in the right direction
- Minimize business expenses
Accountant for Long Term Business Prospects
Hiring an accountant helps small business owners to do business with a peaceful state of mind and achieve newer heights with accounts in the perfect position.
An experienced accountant can help the business owner during every stage of their company’s growth and development. Hiring an accountant can make life easier for the entrepreneur, and he can concentrate on what he does the best. The small business owner’s specialty is running the business. Leave the financials to the accountant.
