Breakups are hard. That goes for professional relationships, as well as romantic ones. When you’ve worked with someone for years, or known them as a childhood friend, it’s pretty difficult to look them in the eye and say, “It’s not me, it’s you.”
Although it’s difficult to change accountants, it’s sometimes necessary for the success and growth of your company.
Having a great accountant is vital to a company’s financial health. I’ve met with many clients throughout the year, who’ve complained that their previous accountant neglected to give them any proactive advice on improving their business. Unfortunately, many accountants simply react to client demands, rather than extrapolating data based on current or historical data to help clients navigate upcoming issues in the present.
Additionally, bad or lazy accountants often give clients wrong or outdated advice. An accountant’s advice is usually not fact-checked by their clients since over 80% of small business owners believe their CPA to be their trusted advisor.
Bad accountants, and their misguidance, are one of the main reasons I’ve written this post. Hopefully, after reading this article, you’re better able to understand:
So what are some reasons you should switch accountants? Well, there are several reasons that I could think of as to why you’d want to leave your accountant:
When you’re hiring an accountant or CPA to help you make sense of your financial statements, it’s critical to evaluate their experience with your industry or type of business. If you’re an e-commerce company, for example, you’d want to hire an accountant who understands the unique challenges you face, like frequent product returns and sales tax-related difficulties. Similarly, a dentist should look for a firm that offers the best dental accounting services for their needs and goals. Whatever your industry,
If your accountant is avoiding phone calls with you or is late in responding to your emails, it may be time to look for someone more attentive to your needs. When an accountant is slow to respond, they’re either overloaded with work or they’re not giving you the proper attention.
Timely responses are vital to making customers feel appreciated, which is why Cherly Meyer suggested that accountants establish a response policy within their firm. Like any company, accounting firms can get too busy to respond to client calls in a timely manner. But a good accountant will make every effort to respond to your emails or calls as soon as possible.
According to a 2014 study done by The Sleeter Group, 72% of business owners left their accountant or CPA because they weren’t offering them sound business strategies. Instead of just helping you complete a tax return, a good accountant should provide solutions to help you overcome financial obstacles or properly react to tax updates. It’s important to remember that the real value of a CPA lies in extrapolating historical trends to assess future opportunities.
Many times, traditional accountants focus on tax-related issues, believing that forecasting, cash flow consulting, debt reduction, or revenue optimization are the exclusive domain of CFOs. But savvy, progressive accountants like those at MBS Accountancy understand that strategy and advice are an integral part of advisory accounting.
Many businesses prefer to stick with long-time accountants, but changes in your business’ management or structure can also mean it’s time to change accountants. As your business grows, your accountant must continue to provide updates and advice that help you maintain and improve your company’s financial health. This goes back to picking an accountant with experience in your particular industry.
Similar to my previous point, changes in your accountant’s firm can make it evident that you need to find a new accountant. For example, if your accountant decides to build a niche in an industry other than your own, you will need to find a different accountant. Or, perhaps your main contact leaves the firm, and you don’t work as well with your new point of contact.
As Toba Beta said, “Value is more expensive than price.” When it comes to partnering with an accountant, you’ve likely got a specific price range you can afford to pay someone. But, if someone provides you with advice that doubles or triples your return on your investment in them, their value has just surpassed their price.
This is what many great accountants are noticing today. In a post for Firm of the Future, I discussed how accountants should focus on providing business advice, not just compliance-related work. In other words, modern accountants need to provide businesses with strategy, not just “check the boxes” on tax paperwork and regulatory compliance. This mindset is missing in many legacy accountants who’re still using paper documents, instead of cloud accounting.
Most accountants will charge you a fixed hourly rate for their services. This means that the longer they take, the more you pay. On the flip side, the faster they work, the less you pay (within an hourly rate pricing model).
Fortunately, Sage’s 2020 Practice Of Now report noted that 43% of accountants became more efficient after incorporating critical tech integrations into their firm’s workflows. However, modern firms aren’t just using technology to work faster: they’re changing how they charge for accounting services.
Traditional accountants charge a fixed hourly rate to do accounting and bookkeeping tasks, while modern accountants like those at MBS Accountancy have incorporated value pricing. Value pricing involves charging a fixed fee for a specific result or desired outcome. It’s a great alternative to hourly billing, which incentivizes accountants to log more hours to increase their fees. Value pricing focuses on results. Hourly billing focuses on time spent. Which do you prefer?
By now, you’ve hopefully gained a better idea of whether or not you should change accountants. If you’ve decided that your accountant isn’t a good match for your company’s needs, the next step is to figure out what you should look for in your new accountant.
In addition to expertise and experience, there are 3 traits to look for in your new accountant:
As you consider an accountant, be sure to consider how well they communicate with you. Excellent communication is what separates a good accountant from a bad one. When you meet with your accountant, they should be able to clearly articulate their insights on your financial data and performance – without you needing to become a CPA to understand them.
Because advising forms a large part of modern accounting, it’s vital to hire an accountant who’s able to work well with you or your financial team. If you’re hiring an accounting firm, evaluate whether its CEO tends more toward collaboration or domination with their staff.
The best accounting professionals are committed to continually learning about their industry and their clients’ industries. An accountant with this perspective will make sure that they or their company are always advising you based on the most current tax regulations or best practices that are best for your industry.
At MBS Accountancy, we also dedicate ourselves to improving our services for clients. For example, we use LastPass, a leading password manager, to store and manage login credentials, making sure this information is safely stored and protected against hackers and data thieves.
We also use and train businesses on how to use QuickBooks Online® for their accounting, since it enables them to securely view their financials from anywhere, at any time. By operating more efficiently, we can provide better value for our clients, and focus on helping them develop and achieve long-term financial objectives.
Though it sounds like a lengthy process, there are only 3 main steps required to change accountants:
When you’re searching for a new accountant, there are many places to consider looking. While recommendations from friends and family members are helpful, it’s helpful to remember that their accounting needs may differ from your own. While I certainly don’t want to discourage you from getting the opinion of a family member or recommendation from a friend, here are some additional places to look as well:
Once you’ve found a great accountant, it’s time to break the news to your existing accountant. I’d highly recommend reviewing your engagement letter, if they provided one, to see whether there is a timeframe they request you to give them before discontinuing their services.
This step is jointly handled by your current accountant and your new one. Once you’ve informed your existing accountant of the transition, they’ll work with your new accountant to switch your information over.
Then, it’s time to congratulate yourself! You just gave yourself a much-needed upgrade and will hopefully benefit from more strategic advice from your new accountant.
