Business Owners Reveal Why They Go Online To Find Their Accountant

milk-cookies Tina Casaceli, proprietor of Milk and Cookies Bakery located in New York’s West Village, says finding a good accountant is not as easy as one might think. Dissatisfied with the lack of service she was experiencing with her old accountant, Casaceli took her search for a new accountant to the Internet which led her to GoodAccountants.com, the nation’s fastest growing online accountancy referral service. According to Casaceli, she was immediately matched by GoodAccountants with a great accountant whom she now trusts with her life.

Business owners like everyone else in today’s digital milieu, are using the Internet for everything from placing help wanted ads, purchasing airline tickets to booking a hotel room. As technology increasingly dominates our lives, it also diminishes the level of human to human interaction we experience each day. No one asks for directions anymore, instead they rely on their vehicle’s navigational system when traveling to an unfamiliar destination. Similarly, business owners are no longer relying on existing relationships to identify their B2B partners but instead are using online search and social media to make these choices, which includes the selection of their accountant.

“The idea that word of mouth is still a viable way to build an accounting practice is as unrealistic a proposition as expecting a sixteen year old to use a telephone book,” says Johanna Laurent, President of GoodAccountants.com. “Today, the Internet dominates every aspect of the way we run our business and there’s just no getting around it,” she adds. “Business owners are comfortable using it to find whatever it is they’re looking for just like the rest of us,” explains Laurent.

Monique Tatum, the owner of a New York City based public relations firm says she experienced so much difficulty finding an accountant on her own she decided to go online to search for one. She successfully retained the services of Better Accounting Services for $25,000 a year, after a Google search led her to GoodAccountants.com, where she was matched with the Brooklyn, New York based accountants.

Sohin Shah, the Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of IFunding, a web based, real estate, cloud funding platform, recently retained his bookkeeper from GoodAccountants.com for an annual fee of $24,900.

The fact is, business owners are no longer relying on ‘word-of-mouth’ to find their most trusted advisers but instead are relying on Internet search and social media to make these choices. “If you’re growing an accounting practice today or any other professional services business you have to be connected to the Internet in a very big way in order to benefit from the technology that is now all around us,” says Laurent. “We are the industry leader providing the best possible platform for accountants who are looking to grow in today’s digital world,” she adds.

The CFO Shake-Ups Keep Coming: The Latest Change of Hands

(image courtesy of meadjohnson.com)

(image courtesy of meadjohnson.com)

As the business world turns, more companies are changing and searching to find a CFO to help with their business success. One of the biggest shakeups this week was the resignation of Mead Johnson Nutrition Company’s CFO Peter Leemputte. As long as Leemputte doesn’t work for another company before March 13, 2015, he will receive his generous separation benefits package. His replacement, Charles Urbain, was the senior vice president for the company. Urbain managed both human resources and stakeholder relations, and will slowly be adjusting into the new position throughout the next few months. In other related news, Susan Riley was hired by Vestis Retail Group, LLC. Previously, she was working for the company as the interim CFO, and before that she was an independent consultant with the company. The company owns a variety of stores that sell clothing and sporting goods. Details on the compensation packet she received were not disclosed to the media at this time.

A good CFO can dramatically change the success of a company, and you can be set up with highly qualified applicants at Goodacountants.com. You can find a CFO replacement that is going to please shareholders, entice stock buyers, and help improve your company.

Make Your Business a Pillar in the Community, Not a Trend with Financial Guidance

If you want a new business to make it in today’s economy, it’s all about the numbers. It’s reported that 80 percent of new business owners will fail in the first 18 months after they open their doors, often because of poor money management by the business owner. Not just overspending, but not saving, investing and budgeting where it’s necessary all play a part in new business failure. With bookkeeping services for small businesses, this chaos can be avoided.

A professional bookkeeper or CPA will look at the costs you have to run your business, as well as your profits, to see where you need to save money and where you could potentially save money. The bookkeeper will budget all of your business accounts, like the checking account, payroll account and savings or investment accounts. If you have loans on any equipment or other items, they will also help manage the loans.

The idea when owning a small business is to minimize or eliminate debt. This allows you to be as profitable as possible and reduces your risk of bankruptcy. The bookkeeper can help you pay off the loans you have faster, so you can gain more equity in your assets and your business. They will also be a valuable source of information for tax related matters.

You want to find a CPA that does bookkeeping services for small businesses who is also a tax expert. Many CPA professionals are also tax accountants, and they can help you pay less to the government. They will let you know what purchases to make to write off expenses, how you can save on payroll tax, and what amount you should to donate to charity.

The accountant can come in and do a financial analysis of your business to see if you are missing money, losing money, and what is going wrong. They will reform your budget, create a new plan for you to follow, and help you start investing your money more wisely so you can put money back into your company and plan for the future. Find an accountant to get you on the right financial path at Goodaccountants.com.

Do Your Skills Add Up to be a Good Accountant?

If you are considering a career in the field of accounting, there are some character traits and personal habits that may indicate this is the right career path for you. To be an accountant, you have to do more than just be good with numbers and calculations. You have to provide a service to others, especially if an accident happens and you need immediate assistance. You have to be personable, responsible, and diligent. People want to find an accountant they can connect with and trust, since money is a vital part of life.

If you are an analytical thinker always thoroughly thinking through every move and decision, this may be the field where you strive. If you always weigh out the risks and the gains of every situation and you make sure that you know all of the details before you decide on anything, chances are that you will have a strong career in accounting.

An accountant needs to be organized and very detailed, because all of your calculations are going to require it. You have to be able to pay attention and stay on task when starting a project, and be able to go over your own work to look for flaws. Working with numbers and calculations is an everyday component, so you should enjoy doing math, analyzing gain and loss data, and have general banking skills.

There are many people and small business owners who would much rather let an expert handle their checking and savings accounts. When people are ready to find an accountant for their personal finances or for business financial management, they want to find an accountant who is certified. You will want to get a degree in finance so you are properly trained, and then take the necessary testing to become a CPA.

Find an accountant that can mentor you while you are in school, or while you are preparing to get certified, so you can see what your potential work day could be like. If you are positive that you want to manage money, work with clients, and be an accountant for the rest of your life, start by getting enrolled in an education program and map your route.

The Financial Information Every Business Owner Needs: CPA Insight and Benefits

Half of businesses will fail within the first 5 years of operation, but you don’t have to be in the bottom half of that statistic. A CPA is the professional you need to keep your business spending and budget tight, while making the right financial investments for a long lasting future. The American Institute of Certified Personal Accountants has now launched a website to show the more than 28 million business owners in America, how a CPA can help their business.

A CPA can go beyond bookkeeping and payroll, and can do an audit of your business. Small business accountants can determine if employee reports are accurate, if money is missing from accounts, or if you have people stealing from you. They will evaluate expenses and spending to determine your needs and to see what can be cut back. The accountant will work to help you lower the amount of business debt you’ve accumulated or required for startup, while gaining equity in your business assets or commercial property.

The CPA is trained to help you with mergers, risk management, contracts, expansion and more. The business finances will be documented properly and organized, and the CPA can give you tax advice. The CPA can help the business save money for emergencies and so you have a cushion, and they can also help with personal savings goals.

The more profitable the business is, the more money the business owner has for savings, retirement and for other investments. The launch of the website from the AICPA is a great tool that all business owners can take advantage of to gain success. Get your business finances on the right path with a professional from Goodaccountants.com.

A CFO Shakeup Can Rock Your Stocks

A great way to spark interest in your company, to bring change and ignite stocks, is by changing the CFO. A new CFO will bring attention and can please shareholders, and many dominant companies in America have recently used this tactic. Newell Rubbermaid Inc. has named interim CFO John Stipancich as the permanent person for the job, and David Oaks has received the CFO title at DDR Corp. At the mail distributing company Pitney Bowes Inc., the CFO Michael Monahan has also been given the title of chief operating officer, which came with a hefty pay raise.

If you think it’s time for a change and you could benefit from some new blood at the top of the company, you can find a CFO service that has qualified applicants. Find the person who has what it takes to improve your company at Goodaccountants.com, and be the next company to reap the benefits of the shakeup.

Rejoice During Tax Season Instead of Fearing Your Deadline

If you want to breeze through tax time without a care in the world as a small business owner, you need to have your accounting and tax documents managed by a CPA. The CPA doesn’t just work to prepare statements at the end of the year, they are filing and preparing all year long. They help you make financial decisions throughout the fiscal year that are going to help you pay as little as possible to Uncle Sam.

The accountant will know what purchases are deductible when you file, without allowing you to go overboard with receipts and write-offs which can draw unwanted attention by the IRS. The CPA attends yearly conferences and receives the changes that will be implemented for that tax year, so they are always up to date with tax information. This is all knowledge that you may not have time to learn, and time you don’t have to spend. You can find a CPA that will manage your finances and taxes wisely.

If your business doesn’t pay the right amount of taxes to the city, state, and federal departments throughout the year, you will have a mess when it’s time to file. The CPA makes sure that you are paying out to the right places all year long, so you don’t owe large unexpected amounts of money when you file. Doing your own taxes and making mistakes can be costly, and unintentional mistakes can put you at the risk of tax fraud.

If you are audited you will have to hire a tax attorney that specializes in small business cases, and the IRS could force you to close your doors during the investigation. The CPA can submit error free financial statements to reduce your chances of an audit, and to save you headaches and stress. Find a CPA with lots of small business experience for the best results.

Don’t risk dealing with tax dilemmas or a financial crisis because of poor financial management. If you aren’t great with numbers, you don’t have enough time to dedicate to your company accounting and taxes, and you worry about taxes all year long, it’s time to find a CPA at Goodaccountants.com.

Is Bookkeeping the Worst Part of Business Ownership? Don’t Let it Cost You Everything

If you are one of the 40 percent of business owners that thinks accounting work is the worst part of owning a business, and you are spending over 80 hours a year trying to manage your own books, conserve your valuable time and outsource the work to small business accountants. Having an accountant doesn’t just save you time, but the accountant can make your business more profitable.

About 80 percent of entrepreneurs fail within 18 months of opening for business, and this is avoidable. The accountants are going to input your financial data, manage your bookkeeping and payroll, total the amount of money going out for expenses, and look at your profits. You will get financial statements at the end of each month, quarter, and as needed, to determine where you need to save money, and to see how profitable your business really is.

Small business accountants can help you reach profit goals by reducing spending, they can set a budget and payment schedule to pay off debts and gain equity, and they help business owners save money to invest back into the business. They work to keep your documents error free, and you don’t have to learn or buy the computer programs to manage your own books. You also get financial guidance and advice from a professional. All of these things are favorable, but it’s during tax time that the true value of an accountant is appreciated.

If you aren’t taking out the right amount of taxes, you make an accounting error, or you file incorrectly when you go to submit your tax documents, you can get audited. A tax audit caused by submission errors will cost money in legal fees, and it will take time to compile the financial information requested by the IRS. It can also put you at a higher risk for an audit in the future.

Small business accountants and tax preparers have your financial information compiled for the year, they know what expenses are deductible, and they attend annual conferences to stay up to date with filing changes. Throughout the year they will let you know if you need to donate, spend money on the business, or stop hiring for a more beneficial tax return.

The majority of business owners are already spending around $1,000-$5,000 for their small business accounting needs. Why not use this money more wisely, and let small business accountants at Goodaccountants.com handle your business finances to save time and improve financial success.

Company Shakeups A Good Reminder It’s Time to Find a CFO

A number of companies have recently undergone a CFO shake up, including Oregon-based Northwest Natural Gas Company, whose current CFO Stephen Feltz is set to retire. The organization is currently searching for his successor.

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan-based TriMas Corporation, a manufacturer of products used in the aerospace, packaging and energy industries, announced on Monday, January 12, that it named Bob Zalupski as its chief financial officer effective immediately. He was the company’s vice president of finance, corporate development and treasurer, with a total of more than 30 years of business and financial management experience. He succeeds Mark Zeffiro, who will become CFO for a forthcoming spin-off business from TriMas.

Unilife Corporation, out of York, Pennsylvania, a leading developer and supplier of injectable drug delivery systems, has appointed David Hastings as its CFO. Hastings was previously CFO at Incyte Corporation and is expected to join Unilife on February 23, succeeding interim CFO Dennis Pyers.

Finally, Tucson, Arizona-based Providence Service Corporation, a social services and transportation company has announced that Robert Wilson will leave his role as CFO, but will stay at the company through the first quarter of 2015. The business is currently seeking to find a CFO to take his position.

With so many CFOs moving around, it’s a good reminder that your small business needs to find a CFO. You don’t need to have a large company in order to take advantage of a CFO’s services to improve the future of your organization. A qualified CFO can be beneficial to all types of companies in many different ways.

You might receive much-needed advice on the structure of your business as well as being able to access unbiased, professional financial advice to help your company grow. A CFO can help with cost control measures, government regulation, capital acquisition and much more. They can review all of the procedures within your organization, identify and fix problems to maximize productivity too.

While locating the right person for the job may seem like searching for a needle in a haystack, the good news is that you can find a CFO easily just by contacting GoodAccountants.com. With access to a long list of highly qualified candidates, you might just find the perfect CFO for your business that can help take it to the pinnacle of success and beyond.

The Importance of Finding an Auditing Firm For Your Small Business

An auditing firm can offer a number of important services to any small business, including monitoring compliance with its own polices as well as federal regulations, detecting and preventing fraud. In fact, a smaller organization may need these services even more so that a large company as it cannot afford a government fine, waste or employee fraud.

While most small businesses like to think they know their employees extremely well, and believe they’d never steal, unfortunately, things like embezzlement, fraud and malfeasance can and do happen more often than you might think. Any business that relies on trust alone can be extremely vulnerable by failing to take important steps to protect the business. Studies have found that long-term employees are actually the most likely to commit a fraudulent act – and, an employee who seems loyal and devoted by never taking a vacation or sick day, may actually be doing so for fear of exposing fraudulent activity.

While internal controls are a must, they generally aren’t enough. Often times, these controls aren’t properly enforced or designed. Or, they may not be updated when changes occur in the business. It’s essential to stay on top of the financial condition of the organization, ensuring that time is taken every month to review bank reconciliations and the checking account as well as conducting internal audits and testing procedures.

Of course, as a small business owner, your time is precious. Using your time wisely, such as to grow the business, is probably what you’ll want to focus on. By finding an auditing firm, these services will not only be provided for you, but it’s actually more effective. Internal auditors can’t effectively critique a company’s internal process as they’re a part of the business. External auditors can observe the operation from the outside and determine where the company may be wasting time or money in addition to critiquing accounting practices and general operations.

By finding an auditing firm, you’ll have access to professionals who can recommend ways in which to tighten accounting practices, reduce waste and even promote greater efficiency too.

Finding an auditing firm that will best meet the needs of your small business can be quickly and easily accomplished by contacting GoodAccountants.com with access to thousands of qualified firms in your area.