10 Things To Ask Your Accountant

This is a quick checklist of a few things that you, as a new business, should expect to ask your accountant (or potential accountant).

1. What will you do to help my business?

2. What guarantees do you offer?

3. Do you offer fixed prices?

4. How long will it take you to prepare a set of accounts?

5. Can I expect to have a tax planning meeting before my year end?

6. Will you recommend my business to others?

7. Can you show me some testimonials / case studies from existing customers?

8. How often can I expect to see / hear from you?

9. Can you refer other people who can help my business?

10. Can I expect to receive proactive advice?

Answers / explanations ? what you should hear when you ask these questions.

1. They should list a number of things, possibly even answering some of the other questions. A good response would include, introducing you to other professionals, potential customers and networking groups; referring your business to other customers of theirs; proactive advice and support ? recognising that you might not know the right question to ask, so they shouldn't wait until you ask to offer advice where relevant.

2. Again expect several, around services standards, turnaround time for work etc.

3. Yes.

4. 30 days (60 max)

5. Yes, as standard (and included in fee)

6. Yes, its our policy to do so.

7. Yes, they should have a selection. (The fact that they ask for them will also tell you something about the type of firm they are ie forward thinking, proactive)

8. This should be more than once a year! You should at least expect newsletters, occasional invitations or recommendations even if you don't have any work done during the year.

9. Yes, they should have a network of reliable professionals who can help you.

10. Yes, should be matter of course, see 1.

© Copyright Julia McDaid 2003 www.startupright.co.uk

Julia McDaid is a business coach and author, specialising in helping business start ups. For more information on these issues or on coaching for new business owners, see http://www.startupright.co.uk or enrol on Julia's unique Start Up 101 ecourse, where you can go into each question in a lot more depth. Julia also publishes a free ezine 'Secrets of the Successful Entrepreneur' ? to sign up just send an email to ezine@startupright.co.uk

---

10 Great E-Commerce Businesses You Can Start Now

If you've been thinking of starting a business on the... Read More

Performance-Stress-Motivation: 7 Sanity Saving Business Boundaries

The lack of strong boundaries is one of the chief... Read More

7 Keys to Running a Successful Business

Although dentistry may appear to be different than other types... Read More

The Top Ten Reasons to Hire a Coach

1. You have a big goal and you want someone... Read More

Start Your Own Website in 10 Easy Steps

If you're a beginner, starting a website doesn't have to... Read More

Positioning Your Company for Debt Financing

Positioning Your Company for Debt Financing:There was a time in... Read More

How To Move Your Business Online in 7 Steps

So you have set up your company, fairly established and... Read More

Seven Ways to Get the Most Out of the Next Training You Attend

Sometime soon you will be attending some training. It may... Read More

Business Goals - The 10 Commandments

The Ten Commandments of Goal Setting While it's good to... Read More

10 Compelling Reasons Not to Downsize

Almost daily, newspapers, business magazines, radio and television carry reports... Read More

10 E-mail Organization Tips

Who doesn't have issues with organizing their inbox!? I receive... Read More

10 Dos and Donts Of Customer Services

Email etiquette is the key to help calm down anxious... Read More

Top Ten Tips: Where to Get the Best Business Books Now!

There are many places you can get books, and I... Read More

Shaking Your Money Tree: Seven Ways to Make Quick Cash

Does your business have a money tree you can shake... Read More

7 Things You Can Do To Weather The Lows Of A Business Cycle

Hey, as hard as this may be for you to... Read More

Surviving When Clients Arent Rolling In

As the holiday season starts to settle in, the workload... Read More

Seven Ways to Improve Your Results with Follow-up

What follows is a bold statement, but sometimes it takes... Read More

Top Ten Tips for Online Publishing Success

Use the checklist below to make sure your article, tip,... Read More

How To Use The Power Of Focus To Build Massive Momentum In Your Business

Getting focused on what you want to achieve and creating... Read More

7 Tips on How To Prepare for Business Events

Are you scratching your head after business events wondering why... Read More

Increase Exposure, and Profits With Powerful Memorable Business Cards Using These Ten Strategies

Your business card is a valuable piece of real estate... Read More

7 Tips On Getting Ready To Put Attraction Marketing Into Action

Attraction marketing is about making a customer for life not... Read More

Top 10 Steps to Build Your Professional Practice Now!

1. Examine everything in your office from the view of... Read More

How To Make Money With Your Junk Mail

The term "junk mail" is a well-known term. To... Read More

Business Attire: 10 Tips to Perfect Your Look

Being appropriately dressed is essential in making good impressions in... Read More

How To Take Daily Big Rock Actions To Jumpstart Your Business Into Massive Momentum

Do you know exactly what actions you need to do... Read More

After Hurricane Katrina - Seven Things You Can Do

If you are like me, you are living some distance... Read More

The 10 Biggest Mistakes People Make Managing Organisational Performance

mistake #1: rely just on financial statementsProfit and loss, revenue... Read More

Why Clarity Is Essential To Building Massive Momentum In Your Business

Clarity is an absolutely essential ingredient for you to achieve... Read More

Ten Top Performance Management Tips

Talk to Your People Often By building a great... Read More

Top 10 Ways to Start a Business For Less Than $500

We've heard numerous success stories of Internet entrepreneurs like Jeff... Read More

Top 10 Ways Websites Makes Me Suffer

I believe some people create and publish websites for the... Read More

Tips to Starting your Own Busniess

The 9-to-5 grind can make you feel like a just... Read More