How do small businesses find a good accountant or bookkeeper?
Hi everyone, I’m looking for some honest advice from small business owners.
I have 6+ years of professional fund accounting experience, including several years as a senior fund accountant. My experience includes month end close, reconciliations, journal entries, financial statements, and working with complex fund structures.
I’m currently studying for the CPA and recently left my job. I’ve been considering providing accounting services to small businesses, but I’m trying to understand the perspective of business owners before I make any decisions.
I’ve never worked directly with small business clients, so I’m curious what business owners actually look for when choosing someone to handle their books and accounting.
For those of you who use an outside accountant or bookkeeper:
• How did you find the person you currently use?
• What made you trust them with your business finances?
• Would you consider someone with a strong accounting background but no previous small business bookkeeping experience?
• Do you usually look for someone local, or are you comfortable working remotely?
• What services are most valuable to you from an accountant/bookkeeper?
I’m not trying to sell anything here. I’m just trying to understand what small business owners actually want and whether my background would be useful in this market.
I’d really appreciate any honest feedback, especially from people who have hired or currently work with an accountant or bookkeeper.