As creative professionals the thought of having to organise your accounts is not usually something that fills us with excitement. Unfortunately having your accounts done properly is essential for any business. Your accounts must be organised and correct, and we know that your creative business is your life, we highly recommend you find someone to do this for you. Don’t worry though, there are becoming more and more accountants that understand the freelancing world, and are prepared to take the hassle out of trying to be your own accountant. CRUNCH accountants have some excellent experience working with freelancers and small businesses so we spoke to their Senior Accountant Laura Hughes and asked what we should be thinking about when choosing an accountant.
1. What is the most important thing to look for when choosing a new accountant?
There are a few absolute fundamentals to look for, such as qualifications and experience. Accountancy qualifications are a bit tricky to understand – you don’t just take an exam and you’re suddenly an accountant. It takes years to become fully qualified, and there are always more accreditations an accountant can apply for once they’re qualified.
Accountancy as a profession is quite like medicine – most accountants will have a specific area of expertise. Some will be highly-skilled in personal and family tax, others in business tax, others in auditing and account preparation. Finding an accountant with the specialism to match your needs is, obviously, very important.
Aside from professional acumen, it’s also really important to find an accountant who is friendly, and has a passion for their job and clients. This is a person who will be helping you manage your money through potentially some very tough times – if you get along with them and be totally honest with one another it’ll be that much easier.
2. What is it about your company that makes people want to work with you?
We’re bringing something new to the table. Traditional accountants don’t offer a good service for small businesses (especially freelancers and contractors), and we wanted to change that. All our clients get access to real time cloud software that tells them how much tax they owe at any time, and we always charge a flat rate. We also have a really good reputation built amongst the small business community, which has been built up over years of good work and taking care of our clients.
Our users tend to be tech-savvy early adopted types, and usually sign up one or two friends once they come on board.
One final note:
Whether you are choosing a new accountant or web designer to work with Fashion Rider always recommends you do your research and consider all your options.
If you’re still unsure don’t forget Fashion Rider is here to help. Please don’t hesitate in getting in contact and let us take the stress out of if for you. Also if there are any different areas we can help in just let us know.
What is your experience of getting your accounts done?
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