Put your accountant to work

International trade, currency fluctuation, credit risk, human resources management and competition from abroad are just a few of the ongoing issues many businesses face. Add the issues of strategic performance management and succession planning to the mix, and it’s easy to understand why managing a business is becoming increasingly difficult.

In this context, you can and should count on your accountant to make a more valuable contribution to your business than merely preparing your financial statements and tax returns.

Today’s accountants are trusted business advisors who provide ongoing support and guidance. Working with you closely, your accountant can provide you with knowledge and services that can:

• help you plan for your future;
• hold you accountable to your dream;
• help you create a strategic plan and execute it; and
• improve the quality of information you have, enabling better decision-making.

To establish and sustain such a partnership, you need to communicate with your accountant, and your accountant needs to communicate with you. Talk about the issues that keep you awake at night and share your vision for your business. Your accountant is uniquely positioned to help. He or she knows your business and, of course, the numbers, and can share the insight and experience gained from working with other clients who have faced the same challenges.

Today’s accountants must be able to help their clients understand the link between business activities and financial outcomes and to help them apply these principles within their firms. Talk to your accountant — you may be surprised by how much he or she can help you build your business.