Saturday, 26 November 2011

Small Businesses: Outsourcing Accounting

By Randy Keenean


A small business owner usually sets out by actioning every job or task related to the business themselves, from actioning sales and invoicing to the monthly accounts. As a business develops there become more and more administration items that need to be finished and for someone running the business single handed this often means less time for the actual money-making side of things.

A key area for someone having small businesses is to reduce costs and save money. To outsource a few of the time-consuming administration duties, even if at first it does not appear like a outstanding idea, is a way to reduce costs. Initially this may look like another expense but the truth is that, as a business gets going, there comes a point where all of the tasks can't be finished by a single person and the options are limited to either taking on an employee to help out or to outsource. Where a business gets to this point, a first responsibility to think about outsourcing is bookkeeping and accounting.

Ensure you know what is required.

Choosing to run a small business is a enormous decision in itself, it involves using personal interests, skills and passions. Moreover, due to your standing as a small business owner, it is not an automatic talent to be good at accounting and bookkeeping. When this becomes apparent, it is time to outsource to a bookkeeper or accountant. Outsourcing your accounting requirements to a qualified accountant that your accounts are dealt with by time-served professionals. Those professionals will render your business with precise accounting and business management advice, and so the business owner can focus on the main job of earning money.

What is the Cost of Outsourcing?

When first looked at, accounting outsourcing can appear to be expensive, chiefly if viewed strictly on the hourly rate. A qualified accountant or bookkeeper will be far more productive with their time than you are able to be. Therefore, if you are looking at cost in this way it is important to bear this in mind.

A beneficial way to make a decision on whether to outsource or not is to think about how much time you spend doing your own accounts at the moment. This way you can put a solid figure to the amount of hours you spend each month. Once you have worked out how much of your time your are spending doing your accounts then figure out how much more money your business could have pulled in if you had spent that time working instead of doing administration tasks. If money earned exceeds that of the cost of an accountant to do the accounting tasks, it is time to consider outsourcing.

Choosing the Accounting Service That is Right for You.

Putting aside the size of your business, there is a format that is recognised for submitting your accounts to the Inland Revenue. This scheme is the identical for a small business or a large company. Even though a small business may only have a few entries in their accounts, the identical information is demanded at year end. Consideration of the future growth is important when looking for the correct accounts service for your business. It is key because, an accountant may be first-class with your current situation but may not be have the qualifications enough to tackle your business needs as it develops and grows.

Embarking upon the First Step

When you have selected an accountant appropriate for your needs as a small business owner, you need to make sure that you give them all of the required information to get started. Once they have this information, then they have a base to build from, working in a direct way for you. A crucial item to remind yourself of is that having good links in communication and a free flow of information allows the outsourcing procedure to run more smoothly.

When the small business owner chooses to outsource accounting duties to a qualified professional, a broad amount of pressure and liability is removed.

The business is then can function with greater advantage because the right skill sets are in the right places. Outsourcing accounting responsibilities can also clear pathways into larger business resources, you will be able to draw on the business experience of your accountant who can give you educated pointers that can help your business flourish.




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