How much to hire an accountant for a new small business?
Let me rephrase my question. I know every accountant has different hourlys so I want to know how long does it usually take for an accountant to help me get set up properly with my small business?
I need the accountant to help with the basics of ensuring that I’m keeping track of everything and have a proper process of doing it. How long does it take them? Or are there proper online resources that I can refer to for this?
Thanks!
June 26th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
It sounds like you may need a business manager or a lawyer more than an accountant.
June 27th, 2010 at 12:06 am
Talk to several local accountants and ask them your questions. See who gives you the best answers and options.
Accountants can help by: doing your taxes, preparing financial reports, keeping the books, giving financial advice, just auditing to make sure things look correct, or a variety of other options. How much it costs depends on how many of these services you use.
June 27th, 2010 at 12:49 am
While I recommend having an accoutant you should buy an accounting software system. I am a QuickBooks ProAdvisor as will as a Microsoft MPAN Consultant and have also used Peachtree. There are many more out there on the Market. I like the QB stuff because it is so user friendly, however, they all do basically the same thing. An accountant is important and I do want to take anyfrom that honorable and needed profession, but at the same time in answer to your question as stated above I have yet to find one that is inexpensive for a new small business. The accountants that you do talk to should recommend some sort of accounting software and whichever one they recommend, if your going to engage the accountant is the one you should use. The important thing here is that you can do some of the stuff yourself, or hire the consultant or proadvisor or whatever peachtree call them to set up your bookkeeping.
The set up should include soft ware installation, company set up, banking set up, Chart of Accounts, item that you sell or services that you provide, with pricing both cost and sales. Vendors lists and customer lists if you have already started business. The list is short but there is also a learning curve attached to anything as a ProAdvisor my normal instruction is based on the abiltity of the student (company person) and their ability to do data entry. I can be with a client anywhere from 5 hours to many days depending on the complexity of what they need. I will show them how and in what order to enter things. This is the least that you should expect from someone when setting up your books. I don’t believe that anyone will tell you their prices on this venue but you should look around. Contact me and I will give you a link to how to find a ProAdvisor in your area as well a link to my web site.
Just remember that the more you can do yourself the less expensive it will be. But like anything else is life you get what you pay for.