Finding the right accountant should be one of the first things you do once you’ve set-up your business; but it isn’t as simple as just going with a recommendation; accountants are all very different and so the perfect accountant for a friend or family member is not necessarily going to work well for you; it is important therefore to do a bit of ground work, make a checklist, ask questions, explore your options and make a careful choice. Here are ten top tips to help you on your way.

1. Make sure that you choose a qualified accountant. Anyone can call themselves an accountant but check that yours is a member of one of the main three professional bodies: The Institute of Chartered Accountants, The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants or The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants; if things go wrong you’ll have some redress through their professional association or institute.
2. Pick an accountant appropriate to your needs. Accountants come in all shapes and sizes. Be aware of what different types of accountants can and can’t provide for you; think about what is important to you and your firm, because your accountant will probably be your main business advisor and for small businesses in particular may end up as a sort of unofficial finance director.
3. Look at their shop window. An accountant’s website should give you an idea of how seriously they take different aspects of their job, as it is where they advertise their wares. Check that they take things like tax adviceat least as seriously as ‘compliance’ work like filing documents correctly and on time as it will be the tax advice that saves your business money.
4. Focus on fixed fees. Accountants rarely all charge in a uniform way, making it hard to compare like-for-like, many still traditional charge an hourly rate which can be very hard to budget for, some will provide an estimate for the year, but do be aware that estimates are just that and as such are subject to change. Ask for a completely fixed fee as it allows for confident budgeting, but ensure that the fixed fee is all inclusive and that you have it in writing.
5. Get more than one quote but don’t go overboard. It is sensible to get comparison quotes, but advisable to limit the number to only three or four as it is very easy to become bogged down with a surfeit of information. Speak to a couple to get a feel for prices but don’t have a week of accountancy meetings in your diary it will prove counterproductive.
6. It is personal so choose someone you like. If your gut tells you that ‘this’ accountant ‘understands’ and cares about the success of your business, you are probably right as accountants aren’t often good salesmen; go with your instincts as it will be a long and important relationship.
7. Don’t loose all control. It is often a bad idea to have everything in the hands of your accountant, small businesses benefit greatly from doing their own bookkeeping for instance and it will certainly lower your fee.
8. Be a little bit far-sighted. An accountant being next door to your premises does not mean that they are necessarily your best bet and it is certainly no indication of quality or convenience; today’s information technology allows us to explore options much further afield, and so if you find a great accountant at the other side of the country who is happy to act for you don’t feel restricted to your local area.
9. You are not trapped. If you make a bad choice and are unhappy with your accountant it is easy and painless to change to another. Accountants should behave professionally with clients wishing to move and usually do.
10. Don’t make it an afterthought. If you leave finding an accountant until the last minute you will end-up with a compromise. Don’t wait until the business has been running for a year before putting one in place. There is important work to be done right from the outset, so make finding an accountant a priority.

Of course having the perfect accountant for your business is no guarantee of success but at least if you choose carefully and give yourself time to think, you’ll be starting off as you mean to go on.

Good Luck