How to Find a Good Accountant for Your Business

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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(4 Ratings)

The right accountant will help you develop sound financial policies and strategies for your business.

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Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Day Planner Calendars
Accountants
Computers
Office Software

Step 1

Ask other business owners in your area to recommend an accountant.
Step 2

Check with a trade association in your industry. The association may be able to recommend an accountant familiar with issues specific to your type of business.
Step 3

Call the Better Business Bureau to check possible complaints against accountants that you are considering.
Step 4

Ask several accountants to submit proposals so that you can compare rates and services.
Step 5

Call your local or state professional licensing board and make sure that the accountants you are considering meet all licensing requirements.
Step 6

Conduct a personal interview with each accountant before you make a selection.

Tips & Warnings

Remember, an accountant isn't an everyday bookkeeper, so don't rely on your accountant to do your everyday bookkeeping. This gets extremely expensive and can take your accountant's focus away from the bigger financial picture - such as taxes and investment growth.
Make sure you and your accountant agree on how aggressively he or she will handle issues such as income reporting and tax deductions.
An accountant is not necessarily a certified public accountant (CPA). A CPA must undergo testing and certification and is held to higher standards than an accountant who is not certified. If you will need audited financial statements for things such as bank loans or surety bonds, consider choosing a CPA.

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