What makes a great Accountant

A friendly welcome, quick response times, specialist knowledge…

Clients want different things from their accountants nowadays, but there are some backbones that all accountancy firms should strive for if they want to provide a high level of service.
We have put together qualities we believe elevate a good accountant to greatness, qualities we have adapted in our practice in order to stand out.

Specialist knowledge
Some accountants specialise in providing tax advice to large corporations. Others work primarily with smaller businesses and start-ups or concentrate on a certain field such as construction. Accountancy is such a wide-ranging field, you can’t be a specialist in everything.

We believe that choosing the right accountant is crucial for any business big or small. You can engage large accounting firm that does not have expertise in dealing with small businesses. Although a specialist knowledge is invaluable if you want to offer superlative accountancy services the cost involve needs to be relevant and affordable to the client.

Tip
When choosing best to check if the accountancy firm has got same or similar filed businesses that they provide services to. This will assure you that they have the knowledge and strategy in place to look after your business too.

A wide range of services
While specialising in one area can be a winning formula, it’s also important to do your best to meet all your clients’ needs.
Some believe that great accountants do this by offering a range of services. This can be achieved by having a separate departments which deal with different aspect of accounting services. For example a separate person or a team who deal with Self Assessment, a Payroll department for clients who need Payroll service, and an Accountant or a team that does the Corporate Businesses and so on.

When we asked our clients they said that they would always choose an accountant who can help them with their personal affairs as well as business matters.
We also have a team of people with specialist knowledge relating to property investors, e-commerce or construction sector. The aim is to offer a complete solution for the small to medium-sized businesses we work with.

A pro-active approach
Generally speaking, an accountant’s main role is to help clients ensure their tax affairs are in order. However, going above and beyond that by offering advice on how to pay less tax is one way firms can stand out from the crowd and suggest ways they can pay less tax without overstepping the mark.

Normally small business owners have a lot on their plate, so being more tax efficient isn’t on their mind every day. A good way is to taking the time to ask questions and use the answers to work out the best way forward for the client.

Some clients simply appreciate being made aware what needs paying and then, in the busy world we live now even simple reminder goes a long way.

Availability

So availability is key if you want the service you provide to be exceptional. After all, specialist knowledge and pro-active advice is of little use if you are not available when your clients need you.

You have to be available for your clients. Failing to return a call within a reasonable timeframe may not be forgiven. Having regular contact is also important to ensure they keep on top of any regulatory changes. We find that sending a regular Newsletters is a positive step towards staying in touch. Staying in regular contact with our clients is also the best way to maintain a happy relationship with them. We think that regular contact is a sign of showing an interest in what the company does and a way of finding what are their short and long term plans.

Friendly service

Trust is essential when it comes to choosing an accountant, so offering friendly service is another way to make sure our clients both stick with us, and recommend us to others.
Some clients prefer a purely professional relationship, but the vast majority like to receive a friendly welcome.
Many of our clients have been with us from the beginning and we believe it’s the close client relationship that keeps them loyal. They like being able to pick up the phone and speak to someone they know and trust.

And the good news for smaller accountancy firms is that this is one area where they really come into their own.
Big firms don’t always offer personal service, So as a smaller firm we can play to their strengths by specialising in a friendly approach.

Call us today if you would like to work with a small team of friendly people who can work with you and your business to achieve it’s best potentials.
Greenlight Accountancy Team 😊