Hiring an accountant to work for your small business is a great way to ensure your finances are handled correctly. Before hiring an accountant, you want to ensure you find a quality accountant. Take your time as you search and be thorough with your process.
Verify Their Qualifications
The very first thing you should do is make sure the person you are hiring is qualified for the job. You should check with them to see what certifications they have. There are several types of qualifications available, so you should first determine the needs of your business and then seek out an accountant who has those certifications. While reviewing potential candidates, you should ask them about their experience. This should include the amount of time they’ve worked as well as the type of work they’ve done. Again, you want to make sure they can handle the needs of your business.
Look Into Their Background
In addition to qualifications, you should also run a background check on your potential accountant. Conducting a background check can give you peace of mind. You can review their criminal record (if they have one) as well as any other pertinent records. The background check can give you information on their employment history, education, credit report, work qualifications, and even social media profiles. You can learn more about them and whether or not you can trust them in your place of business.
Get References
You can learn a lot from the candidate themselves and from a background check. However, if you want to be thorough you should also consider asking for references. Your candidates’ references can include past employers, former colleagues, business contacts, and anyone else who can provide information about candidates in a professional setting. The references can tell you more about their personality, their work ethic, and how well they did their job. This can be the final step in determining if a candidate is what you’re looking for. When you contact references, ask them about the candidate’s performance including if they were dependable, got their work done, and did it well.
Your accountant can take a lot off your plate. You can trust that your finances are being handled by a professional and you can focus on other aspects of your business. For further peace of mind, take your time when choosing an accountant so you can find the best one for your business.
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