Starting a new business can be tough. Most small business owners have a million ideas of what they want to do with their business, and maybe a special set of skills that they can market to their customer base. But in all the hustle and bustle of getting a new business off the ground, there are some steps that deserve special attention in order to ensure that your business has staying power for years to come.
One of these important facets of creating a new business is finding the right accounting help. If finances aren’t your strong suit – and even if they are – having a great accountant can make the difference between a successful startup and one that crashes and burns faster than you can say “quarterly estimated taxes.”
Today we’re going to take a look at QuickBooks ProAdvisors, and how they can be a priceless asset to your new entrepreneurial adventure.
What is a Quickbooks ProAdvisor?
Simply put, a Quickbooks ProAdvisor is a professional CPA, accountant or bookkeeper that is certified by Intuit in the use of Quickbooks software for small business. One of the easiest ways to find a ProAdvisor is through Intuit’s directory of certified advisors in your area. [LINK: http://proadvisor.intuit.com/search/index-standalone.html?v3#/landing]
Intuit’s directory page is searchable by location, as well as by services provided, industries served, and client reviews & ratings. Using these powerful search features can help you narrow down which advisors are highly ranked in your area and whether they provide the right services for your business. It’s also a great way to verify that your ProAdvisor has the credentials they claim.
What Services do Quickbooks ProAdvisors Offer?
Each Quickbooks ProAdvisor offers different services based on their industry and experience. Some common services that are offered include:
• Quickbooks File Setup. Your ProAdvisor can help you link company bank accounts, set up products and services, create a director of customers and vendors, etc.
• Quickbooks Training. Many ProAdvisors offer training services for you and your employees on how to use Quickbooks to manage your company’s books.
• Bookkeeping Services. This type of service is a bit more hands on, and will involve working with your ProAdvisor to create invoices, pay bills, and prepare/reconcile financial statements.
• Payroll. If your ProAdvisor offers payroll services, it may be good to have their help with producing payroll deposits, paying payroll taxes, handling correspondence with state tax agencies and the IRS, and creating W2s.
• Periodic Review. One of the best services a ProAdvisor can offer is periodic review of your businesses finances. This can help you manage your business’ budget, make better short- and long-term financial decisions, plan for capital expenses, and more.
• Troubleshooting & Support. In addition to Intuit’s customer service team, your ProAdvisor can provide great customer support for your Quickbooks account, with the added bonus of being familiar with your specific business needs.
How Do I Know if They’re Good?
This is the trickiest part of finding good help of any kind for your company, and Quickbooks ProAdvisors are no exception. There are three basic steps you can take to help you determine whether a ProAdvisor is going to be the right fit for your business:
1. Check their customer ratings and reviews. Between the Intuit search directory, Google and Facebook business reviews, and even local review and recommendation sites and community boards, you should be able to get a good idea of how a ProAdvisor has performed for past clients.
2. Interview them. Just like hiring an employee, you should always interview an accountant or ProAdvisor before bringing them on board to handle your personal or business finances.
3. Ask for references. A good ProAdvisor will be more than happy to provide references from other clients that they’ve worked with, so you can talk about the services they provided and how satisfied that client was.
