What area for Accountant advice

[Digger]

hello all ,
The common advice for budding entrepreneurs is to first contact an accountant - FOC for first meeting I believe.

However - generally this advice says "local" - but what if your intended business location is say a hundred miles away ?

Is it worth striking a relationship with an accountant local to where I am now? or nearer to where I will end up?

thanks in advance for any advice :wink:

 

[Gillie]

It works both ways .... what kind of relationship do you want with your accountant ie are you comfortable in only talking to them and not seeing them?

There are some excellent people on line who can deal with all things without meeting you and there will also be some good people local to you ... whichever you use, make sure you are happy with it and make sure you use someone who has been recommended to you from an existing client if possible.

 

[Kent Accountant]

I totally agree with Gill. The best way to get an accountant is by personal recommendation. Personally I would go for someone local to where your business operates so that you can speak to them easily during the working day. Whether you use an "online" firm or a local firm depends in my opinion on the type of buisness. An IT contractor would be fine online. A High Street shop could benefit from local input. As an aside, accountants get their best clients by recommendation as well which is why the business referral groups can be very effective

 

[DuaneJackson]

I've got through 3 or 4 different accountants until I found one I was happy with. They've all been local to me apzrt from the one I am with now.

I don't think it matters of the accountant is local or not.

 

[Digger]

Thanks,
I had thought along the lines that it wasn't important for location - but just the simple act of sending in the books once a year might be something of a pain for a long distance relationship. Also I am slightly deaf -and it can be difficult to lip read over the phone. So after what you have mentioned I'm thinking that local to the business is the way to go in my case.

 

[Shropshire Bogtrotter]

The most important factor with an accountant is that you build up a good relationship with them and that they understand what you do and what you want to achieve.

A good accountant will provide you with sound business advice and not just make sure all your paperwork is correct. Help on things such as profit improvement, benchmarking, succession planning, etc. should all be there as your business develops.

As previously mentioned in the thread, don't be afraid to talk to several accountants until you find one that you are happy with. We have a number of clients who are still with us despite moving to the other side of the country or even abroad, because they value the relationship and our knowledge of their business.

Any initial discussion should be free of charge, so all it will cost you to look around is time.

Good luck.

Jon Stanton
Peters Elworthy & Moore - Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors

 

[KM-Tiger]

Is it worth striking a relationship with an accountant local to where I am now? or nearer to where I will end up?

Having tried both ways, I would strongly suggest near to where you will end up.

For routine stuff, distance does not matter, but when you will need your accountant most is when you have some difficulty or trouble, and then to easily arrange a face to face meeting will be vital.