| Why do business owners seek the advice and council | | | | on what you hear during that first interview, yes |
| of new business accountants? Don't you have one | | | | interview - you are interviewing them for this important |
| already? Is your current business account | | | | role in your business, you will be able to tell who you're |
| unsatisfactory in some way? Are you disappointed | | | | dealing with if you are listening. |
| with their results? Why? | | | | There is a test that I always recommend called the |
| It seems unlikely in the extreme that a business would | | | | NIH Syndrome Analysis (Not Invented Here Syndrome) |
| have been successful for five, ten, or twenty years | | | | that will help you see them for who they really are. |
| without qualified business accountants on the payroll. | | | | Small business accountants, for one reason or another, |
| So what's up? | | | | often fall into the trap of believing that the last good |
| Typically, from my experience, business owners like | | | | idea to come along was theirs. And if they know more |
| you who are looking for a new business accountant | | | | about you and your business than anyone else it |
| relationship are looking for someone to help navigate | | | | becomes easier and easier for you to go along with |
| the complexities of current and future tax laws and | | | | their brilliant ideas without question. |
| the hard to understand tax regulations faced by all | | | | The bankruptcy courts and tax court records are |
| businesses and businesses like yours in particular. | | | | littered with examples of situations where business |
| Aren't you looking for someone to provide tax planning | | | | accountants and other professionals let their clients go |
| advice so you can make the most of your day-to-day | | | | down the wrong paths quite innocently and quite |
| and long term efforts? | | | | unintentionally - because they were blind to the ideas |
| Naturally you want someone more technically savvy | | | | of others. |
| than the business account you already have or you | | | | Tax planning, planning period, is a never ending process |
| would not be ready to consider making a change, or is | | | | and the landscape and opportunities are in continual |
| there another reason? My observation is that while | | | | flux. Unless your small business accountant is willing to |
| business owners expect their accountants to | | | | listen to you, keep up to date via continuing education |
| understand the tax laws and how they apply to them, | | | | certifications, and call in specialists on your behalf when |
| they are also looking for someone they feel | | | | they are in doubt, you are not going to be pleased with |
| comfortable with. | | | | the results. |
| During their initial interviews with business accountants - | | | | Here is a simple tip. Listen for them to say, in response |
| where they will most likely come to the conclusion | | | | to a question you ask, "What would you suggest?" or |
| whether this one or that one is the best accountant for | | | | "What do you think?" or "What have you heard?" or |
| them, they will most likely make their decision based on | | | | "What do you think might work here?" or something |
| their "gut feeling" about the person they will be telling | | | | along those lines. Listen to their reply to your reply. If |
| their deepest darkest secrets to for years to come. | | | | they ask your opinion and offer relevant feedback, |
| Naturally small business accountants, all professionals | | | | something your BS detector deems worthy of the sort |
| for that matter, want you to ask them questions during | | | | of person you want as a professional adviser - you |
| those initial interviews. They are ready for that with | | | | are on the right track toward the selection of the right |
| volumes of pat answers. What you should be looking | | | | small business accountant for you. |
| for are the kinds of questions they ask you. Each time | | | | If they do not ask "What do you think?" or something |
| they ask a question it tells you a little more about their | | | | similar, they are depriving themselves of the current, |
| point of view in tax matters and many other things. | | | | and possibly best, thinking on the subject because you |
| Of course you are looking for the best planning for | | | | know your business better than anyone and you have |
| your business you can get. However if you don't like | | | | been thinking about this for some time and no doubt |
| their perspectives on matters not related to tax laws | | | | have discussing it with your mastermind group of |
| you may hesitate to take them seriously on the issues | | | | successful contemporaries. |
| for which you are engaging them. You are not looking | | | | Also, if they don't ask "What do you think?", it's not |
| for a new buddy, finding excellent small business | | | | possible for them (and you) to test their assumptions. |
| accountants should not be some sort of popularity | | | | You will never know when they do not fully |
| contest and this is not a "rent-a-friend" proposition. | | | | understand the problem, issues, history, etc. |
| Nevertheless you need to respect them on several | | | | And most importantly of all, they are not helping you |
| levels in order to work with them successfully over | | | | think the matter through and they are showing a |
| time. As a successful business owner you have a well | | | | disrespect for your opinion that will not sustain a |
| developed and ultra sensitive BS detector, so based | | | | productive relationship over time. |