‘Ask the Accountant’ – Why Should I Hire You?

Q: “Why should I hire you as my accountant”?

A: “You want an accountant that will go the extra mile for you and your business.

A firm that has plenty of experience, across a number of sectors. One that also keeps their finger on the pulse of what is happening in your sector.

A firm that is approachable, professional and proactive should be on your list.

We believe that if we work with our clients, then the working relationship will benefit both parties.

You accountant should be able to help you make sense of the numbers, not just churn them out for you. A good set of accounts and accounting systems can mean the difference between a company flourishing and closing down.

We know that we offer our clients the best customer service there is. We are genuinely interested in each of our clients and take pride in knowing your business inside, out.

Don’t take our word for it though!

Check out our testimonials page to find out what our clients think about us”.

https://caas.org.uk/testimonials/

‘Ask the Accountant’ – Tax

Q: “What steps will you take to prepare me for tax season?”

A: “We work with our clients throughout the year, to avoid a year-end rush.

There’s no reason that year-end needs to be stressful, especially if we’ve been preparing your accounts over the last 12 months.

This is beneficial for both parties – it means you know what you owe in tax well before submission and it means we can advise you proactively, rather than reactively.

We believe it’s better to work in real time, rather than always looking back”.

Ask the Accountant

Q: “How Do You Keep Up to date?”

A – “We use various social media platforms, to keep abreast of current trends and movements. We always want to be moving forward and avoid becoming stagnant.

With regards to education, all of our employees are encouraged and supported in their continued professional development (CPD).

We use a variety of training sources, including Business Gateway, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Intuit and Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).

Recent training for the practice has included GDPR, tax and health and safety. It’s important for us to keep up to date with everything, not just accounting”.

Ask the Accountant

Q: “When is the best time to employ an accountant?”

A: “Starting your own business can be intimidating, from registering with Companies House to choosing whether to become a Limited Company or Sole Trader.

Then there are the bits in between: do you have a business address? Can you open a business bank account? Are there any grants or loans that could help you with your startup?

It’s for these reasons that we feel it’s best to employ an accountant right at the beginning. The money spent on their professional advice could be the difference between success and failure.

Not every accountant specialises in offering startup advice, so always do your homework. Ask them what type of enterprises they have assisted before and get a feel for whether they are the best fit for your business.

Don’t be afraid to walk away if you feel it won’t work!”

Ask the Accountant

Q: “How do you communicate with your clients?”

A: “We offer a number of forms of communication here at C Allan & Son.

We love seeing clients in person, however, we know that our working hours are normally your working hours too, therefore we can communicate via Skype (mostly for meetings), email and Slack.

We use cloud-based accounting packages and can share information via this platform. Some clients choose to upload their receipts and invoices at night, for us to work on the next day.

We also travel to provide services such as training and audit preparation. We have been lucky enough this year to take in Shetland, Bath, Warminster and Southampton.

We do take initial enquiries via social media, but would always continue communication via email or telephone thereafter, to ensure your personal information remains safe”.