Running a business can be hectic, you have so many competing priorities and so many demands on your cashflow. This can lead to many business owners making the decision to handle their finances themselves thinking they’re saving money. While it’s a real asset to learn bookkeeping basics, cash flow management and your tax obligations, hiring an accountant to oversee your finances has many additional benefits. Leaving your books to a pro will also free up your time so you can focus on serving your clients and implementing plans for growth. Here are a few ways an accounting professional can help you save money that you can reinvest back in your business.
Finding Money
There’s no one more suited to discovering “found” money than an accounting professional. Hire an accountant to sort your books and systemise your bookkeeping; better record keeping is the easiest way to allow you to quickly see – on a monthly, weekly or daily basis – where your money is going so you can cut costs. Keeping your accounts up to date will also help you understand which of your business investments yield the greatest returns so you can be more strategic about spending. An accountant can spot trends that you can take advantage of to earn greater profits – and even find savings with vendors, staff and operating expenses. Hiring someone to manage your accounts will also reduce the costly errors that are commonplace when business owners try to manually track their expenses.
Avoid tax penalties
Your accountant should be your trusted advisor when it comes to staying up to date with the latest regulations for small business taxes. They can provide you with expert advice on how to maximise your benefits and minimise your taxes each year. Don’t underestimate the cost savings of hiring someone to complete your tax forms correctly and submit them on time. Penalties for small businesses who neglect to file their taxes on time – or at all – can quickly add up; the longer you wait to file, the more interest you’ll be charged and the likelihood you’ll incur additional penalties. A business that is already struggling may not be able to pay a tax fine and find themselves closing their doors. If your small business is ever audited, having an accountant on board will let you rest easy knowing you won’t be hit with a penalty for errors or omissions. Also don’t be tempted to choose your accountant based solely on cost. May sure you review experience and what you get for your money. I know clients who have tried to save on paying an accountant only to discover later that they could have saved thousands in tax if they had got the right advise. For many businesses the savings you can make in tax, cost reductions and improved profits by hiring a great accountant far outweigh the fee they charge. It’s all about the value the add not the cost of the service.
Your accountant possesses business knowledge that can help you make more informed decisions, plus from the insight they gain from doing your financials they are in the perfect position to assist you make plans for the future, improve your performance and grow your business. Rely on your accountant for advice when you draft or revise your business plan; those key insights on assessing profitability will help you move your business in the right direction – and avoid wasting time and money on strategies with a lesser chance of success. Look to your accountant to help you determine your most valuable clients, how much money you need to invest in a growth plan and which marketing strategies yield the best ROI. Having someone you can rely on to help set targets and monitor your progress is an invaluable asset that can help you not only save money, but earn higher profits.
The bottom line? Your accountant can do much more for you than simple bookkeeping or ensuring you’re on the right side of the tax authorities. Hire a small business accountant that is dedicated to helping you improve your business performance. So before you simply hire an accountant on price or use the same accountant you have always used, take the time to look around and see what service you can get elsewhere and you’ll be doing a lot to help increase your chances for long term growth and success.
If you are looking for an accountant to partner with your business, help improve profitability, reduce costs and achieve significant growth then speak to one of the team at Omnis Group today. As cloud specialists we can help you systemise your business to save you time and money, whilst making it easier to manage with real time financial information.
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