Selecting the right accountant can take your business to the next level. You can expect him or her to do more than cleanly process your documents and file necessary declarations.
What do you look for when selecting a bookkeeper?
We have listed a few important conditions so that you as an entrepreneur can test whether an accountant suits you:
You get an explanation in human language
A good accountant is able to explain complex matters in human language. Do you have a concrete question like: do I choose a sole proprietor or a company?
Then you need an explanation that you, as a layman in the business world, can understand. Only then will you also be able to make the right decision as an entrepreneur.
✅ Your accountant suits your ambitions and plans
If you have all the plans ready for your company to grow into a multinational with several branches worldwide, you should choose an accountancy firm that can support you in this. An office that also has people available with knowledge of international taxation, for example.
On the other hand, are you self-employed in secondary occupation and simply want to expand your hobby into self-employed activities? That’s great, but make sure your accountant also fits in with those plans. A lot of accounting firms are becoming more selective in accepting self-employed in secondary occupation (who do not have growth plans).
Of course, you can always use accounting software Dexxter to take charge of your sole proprietors’ accounts yourself in such cases.
✅ You have a click with your accountant
Accounting is about money, ambitions, plans, … . Sensitive matters that you need to discuss with your accountant. That is why it is important that you feel comfortable with your accountant.
You want to be confident that he or she will put you on the right track with specific advice and that you can always fall back on your accountant if necessary.
Your budget and bookkeeper are geared to each other
It is important to know in advance (by estimation) what your accountant will cost on an annual basis. This way, you can also know whether your bookkeeper matches the budget you have in mind.
There are offices with a lot of expertise and experience in specific areas, which obviously comes at a cost. It may be that you actually need this expertise, but just as well this means you are going to overpay for a relatively simple bookkeeping service.
Wondering how much an accountant costs on average? Be sure to take a look at our blog article where we discuss this in more detail here.
How can you assess (in advance) whether a bookkeeper suits you?
Bookkeepers are legally required to always offer a free initial meeting. This gives you the opportunity to get a first feel for who is sitting in front of you and how he or she can help you further.
So feel free to search for accountants in your area and make some appointments. It is not an unnecessary luxury to make an initial visit to several bookkeeping firms.
What if I don’t find a bookkeeper?
We are kicking an open door in when we say that accountants have been in high demand for years. Invariably, a job in accounting is among the top 10 bottleneck occupations.
Accounting firms see fewer and fewer new collaborators entering the sector, forcing them to make strategic choices. This is precisely why more and more accounting firms are also starting to focus on certain sectors or certain customer types.
Entrepreneurs who increasingly fall by the wayside are, for example, self-employed students and self-employed in secondary occupation. But we have also noticed that sole proprietors in their main occupation are finding it harder and harder to find an (affordable) accountant.
This is precisely why we have developed accounting software Dexxter! Specifically aimed at self-employed students, self-employed in secondary occupation and sole proprietors in main occupation. Dexxter provides you with all the tools you need to take charge of your own bookkeeping.
Did you know?
Dexxter also offers independent accountants who support you with targeted advice. You take care of your own bookkeeping: purchases, sales, personal income tax, vAT declarations, customer lists, etc.
Even if you’ve read concepts above that mean little or nothing to you, no worries! Dexxter has an extensive learning centre where we explain everything in human language, 100% tailored to the small business owner.
