Starting a new business is an exciting adventure that is filled with highs and lows, and with new things to consider. The best part of a business is that you get to create something you are passionate about, and the worst part of a business is the mountain of paperwork, documents, forms, and deadlines that require your attention. All of those forms and documents are the main reason people hire an accountant to keep their business records, but how do you find the right accountant for your needs?

There are several things to consider before you choose the right accounting professional for your business needs. You should look at the amount of experience the accountant has, where their offices are located, how busy they are, and if your budget will allow you to hire them. These are the basic things to consider about this type of professional.

Experience

You know that you want an accountant that is licensed to practice in the state that you live in. These individuals should have degrees from the colleges they attended, and they need to have some experience in working with the types of business you are starting. Not all business paper work is the same. The records you have to maintain for a used clothing shop are quite different from the records a small construction business must keep. You want to hire someone that has experience in the type of documents your business will need to file and maintain. You never peel an orange to make an apple pie.

You are looking for an accountant that is knowledgeable in the type of business you are going to operate. The best place to start looking for someone that has that type of experience is to start asking other business owners who they use. You can ask ten different business owners who does their book keeping and you will likely get several different answers, but you might also get one name several different times.

Reputation

We are not saying that an accounting professional that has just started will not be able to do the work you need done. We are saying that when you hire an experienced professional that has a reputation for doing quality work, then you will be hiring someone you can depend on.

When you are talking about your finances and the records for your business, then you need to have someone that you can trust completely working on that information. You hear too many horror stories of accountants that ran off with someone’s money. Find a professional that has a solid reputation.

Check the Better Business Bureau and see if any complaints have ever been filed against the person you are considering hiring. Ask for references and actually follow up on those references, and ask people you know if they have heard of the person, or if they know anything about them. The Chamber of Commerce in your town can also make recommendations about people who operate businesses near you.

Location

The physical location of the person that you hire to do your accounting may be very important to you, or it may not matter at all. Only you can decide if location is a discerning factor in your decision of who to hire to do this work for you.

If you like to look the person who does the work for you in the eye, and have regular meetings with them where you bring documentation and things of that nature to them, then you need to have someone that is close to your physical location. I would suggest hiring someone that is no more than twenty minutes away from your business location.

If you do the majority of your conferences via email, and text messages, and you are comfortable using accounting software that the professional can access from a remote location then you could have an accountant that is physically located on the other side of the world. The location problem is decided by the type of business you run, your personal preferences, and the amount of comfort you have in doing things via email and text message.

Hiring an accountant is an important move for a business owner. Hiring the right accounting firm can mean the difference between business success and failure. Take plenty of time and give a lot of consideration before you choose the accounting firm to handle your needs.