Businessman Doing Calculations
20-Oct-2020 By - team

DISCLAIMER: We're commenting on USA legislation

Although clients anticipate accountants to be highly organised and precise, being an exceptional practitioner requires more than just these two qualities.

Professional accountants are frequently perceived as having a great deal of practical knowledge, a sharp eye for detail, and extraordinary precision. In this setting, even a minor error could have a significant negative effect on a client's business.

  1. They regularly communicate with you and return your calls quickly. ...
  2. They strategically plan throughout the year, not just for big deadlines. ...
  3. They show you how to budget. ...
  4. They are constantly learning. ...
  5. They are happy to explain things to you.

Introverted sensors, ISTJs are known as the best personality type for accounting jobs, CFO positions, or careers as auditors. This type is loyal, hardworking, and understands the importance of their roles; but the real predictor of success here is their analytical nature that enables them to work quickly and precisely.

Here are some tips on what accountants can do to ensure they enjoy a long and rising career in accounting.
  1. Don't fear technology. There is no escaping the fact that software skills are vital, says Jotkowitz. ...
  2. Learn to analyse data. ...
  3. Hone your communication skills. ...
  4. Learn how to lead. ...
  5. Seek sector-specific experience.
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Because accounting records serve as the basis for business decisions and act as a barometer of a company’s financial health, accountants are required to have good organisational skills and a high level of precision.

It’s easy to assume that accountants play important roles in an organisation because they manage numerous responsibilities. A little accounting error, such as the addition or subtraction of a single digit from a series of numbers, can significantly alter the appearance of accounting books and the way choices are made.

As a result, the accountant needs to possess a few qualities that will make him stand out and enable him to perform his duties effectively. Finding these fundamental qualities will enable you to advance professionally, enjoy your work more, and build a strong basis for your long-term goals. In light of this, the question, “What qualities define an outstanding accountant?” arises. Review this list carefully.

You undoubtedly have a checklist of things you want to cross off when choosing an accountant for your business to ensure that you’re making the best choice. Any business owner naturally wants qualities like:

  • Extremely organised
  • Observant of details
  • Good time management
  • Adaptable
  • Clearly expresses oneself through speech
  • Puts in a lot of effort
  • Quickly absorbs new information
  • Creative
  • Trustworthy

On the other hand, you would anticipate those attributes from virtually anyone with whom you conduct business, right? At EWM, we like to think that there are extra attributes that your accountants ought to possess that are more focused on the financial industry and that contribute to the success of your company. These qualities increase the success of your company.

These characteristics shouldn’t be singled out for one particular individual, but rather fostered across the board in the organisation as a whole. To assist you in selecting the accounting specialists that are ideal for your company, we have compiled a list of the top nine traits that define a leading accounting firm.

Has a Variety of Knowledge

Keeping a ledger requires more complicated mathematical operations than simply adding and subtracting numbers. There are so many moving aspects to accounting that it’s possible for a new business owner to not even be aware of them all. We believe that professional accountants are frequently most helpful when they inform you about things that you are unaware of and assist you in spotting potential prospects for financial development.

In order to offer a wide array of services to clients, the accountants working for your organisation should have a broad basis of expertise. It is in your best interest to avoid the situation in which you need to visit two different accountants: one to prepare your taxes, and another to handle your chequebook. The following are some of the fields in which EWM is happy to provide its services:

Aspects of accounting and bookkeeping include the maintenance of general ledgers, the reconciliation of bank accounts, the purchase-to-pay and order-to-cash cycles, cost accounting, the support of inventory management systems, financial reporting, and the setup and administration of payroll systems.

Included in the realm of corporate finance are the activities of financial modelling, the preparation of presentation materials, the provision of transaction advisory services, as well as financial planning and analysis.

Tax compliance and advising services cover a wide range of topics, including the preparation and filing of federal, state, and local income taxes, as well as tax support services and tax planning.

Examples of professional assistance include controllers, compliance with SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley), audit support, and transaction consulting services for both the buy-side and the sell-side of a transaction (mergers and acquisitions)

Has a Strong Background

Experience is the only thing that can provide someone the ability to deliver a diverse range of services in a suitable manner. Make sure that your accountants have significant experience with these jobs.

Visiting an accountant’s website (they do have websites, don’t they?) is the most effective approach to determine whether or not they have the necessary level of experience in the areas in which you require assistance. after then, it is important to enquire during the initial meeting about particular. Any prospective accountants that you are thinking about using have to either come highly recommended by former or current customers or be able to supply you with references.

If you believe that the more senior employees of a company have the necessary experience, it could be tempting to consider them for the position. There is no assurance that senior accountants have the necessary level of expertise, despite the fact that you do not want your organisation to be comprised solely of young college graduates.

Some accountants who are about to retire may have started out in management instead of accounting or may have first practised law or real estate. You will frequently receive a wealth of practical background information and the motivation to complete the assignment from a relatively new organisation with years of experience.

Utilises Your Business Sector

The knowledge and expertise of your accountants ought to extend to your particular field of work. A potential accounting firm ought to have prior experience working with businesses operating in your industry, even though it is ideal for them to have worked with clients from a wide variety of sectors.

For example, a certified public accountant (CPA) who solely works with auto shops is not likely to be knowledgeable with the particularities of accounting for cannabis businesses. It is absolutely necessary to determine whether or not the accountants you are interviewing have previous experience working in your field.

It is more vital to find a professional accountant who has experience in your industry if you run a speciality organisation than it is to find an accountant who has worked with hundreds of clients but none in your particular field.

Maintains awareness of market changes

The level of familiarity that an accountant has with your industry has a direct bearing on how successfully they will be able to monitor developments within the industry. It should go without saying that you will have high expectations for your accountant in terms of their awareness of newly enacted financial and tax legislation that may have an impact on your company. You also want them to be knowledgeable on larger industry trends, such as employment rates, pay rates, outsourcing, significant new rules, and recent mergers and acquisitions in the business.

Recognises the variety of business sizes

Have you attempted to work with accountants in the past, only to find out that they only work with large companies that are part of international conglomerates? Or, on the other hand, have you discovered that certain businesses are unable to comprehend the challenges that come with operating anything that is more complex than a simple office?

Your accounting staff needs to be able to handle a wide variety of company sizes with ease. Why? They are capable of developing and changing together with you. If an unexpected infusion of capital pushes you out of the startup zone, you do not want to find yourself in the position of having to switch accountants in the middle of the procedure. If your huge organisation decides to spin out another business as a startup endeavour, you definitely don’t want to risk losing your present accountants.

Being at ease in a variety of international business contexts and marketplaces, as well as having a thorough understanding of the various sizes of businesses, go hand in hand with one another. It is beneficial for EWM to have operations in San Francisco as well as in the Philippines because the company has prior experience working in the Asian and American business sectors.

Utilises modern technology

The backgrounds of your accountants should be as varied and complementary to your company as is practically possible. This will help your company succeed. To make matters even more favourable, it would be ideal if they were able to improve the effectiveness of your accounting procedures by employing cutting-edge technology. In addition to the long-term financial rewards, you will also know that fewer mistakes have been made and will have an improved ability to monitor both your industry and your rivals.

EWM makes use of the most advanced software platforms and the expertise necessary to integrate them with your existing company activities and IT infrastructure in order to provide the most straightforward and straightforward accounting process imaginable. The following are examples of platforms and software that we make regular use of:

This gives us the ability to carry out the aforementioned duties and more. If you need accounting services, we work hard to give them to you.

Keeps up with necessary certifications and education

Maintaining all necessary certifications and engaging in ongoing education are two practises that we make a priority in order to provide our EWM customers with access to the most up-to-date technological solutions. Any accounting firm that you are considering hiring ought to be able to give you with this information upon request.

EWM has created specialised ties with a number of companies who produce the platforms and accounting software that we employ for our customers. Our employees put in a lot of work to earn certification in the programmes that they use, and the breadth and depth of our knowledge ensure that we can assist customers in getting the most out of the services that we provide:

  • Xero: Platinum Champion Partner
  • Expensify: Approved Bronze Partner
  • Gusto: Silver Partner
  • Dear Systems: Proud Partner
  • Bill.com: Guru
  • Cin7: Proud Partner
  • QuickBooks: Certified QuickBooks User

When you deal with EWM, you can be sure that only employees who are accustomed to using these platforms will handle your books.

Internal and security controls

If you provide your accountant access to all of your financial information, maybe even to your chequebook, inventory management software, and tax filing, make sure your data is protected.

To ensure that your business won’t be exposed to security concerns from cybertheft or human error, accountants like EWM take the following security precautions:

  • Team leader who assigns tasks to team members so as to preserve internal control by restricting access to excessive financial data.
  • Cybersecurity measures include internal or SaaS software upgrades, contemporary hardware (software as a service employing a subscription plan, sometimes cloud-based), data encryption, and password protection.
  • Verification and screening of employees’ software certification for employees
  • Have a data backup plan in place in case of a natural disaster or other disruption.

Makes Collaboration Simple

Lastly, rather than being difficult, working with your accountants should be fun. Remember that you are their employer, not the other way around. Here are some signs of an accounting business that prioritises its clients:

  • At the first meeting, they enquire extensively about your business rather than merely introducing themselves.
  • They provide services that can expand along with your business and come in a variety of price ranges to support businesses of varying sizes that are in various phases of development.
  • Rather than hiring different experts each time you meet, the accountants offer regular personnel.
  • They will answer your calls and provide you with prompt service in response to any questions or requests you may have.
  • They handle both small and large enterprises fairly.
  • While handling your books, getting ready for an audit, or assisting you in getting ready for a meeting with important investors, they explain the procedure to you.
  • They regularly deliver proactive strategies as opposed to just doing the bare minimum when there is a deadline to meet.
  • They don’t try to raise your fee; instead, they show you ways to save money with your accounting business.

Service-oriented Mindset

Accounting is still mostly a people business even though it may involve a lot of data. Accountants need to be adept with statistics, but they also need to have the grace and excitement to engage with clients personally. Accountants should take advantage of the chance to interact with clients face-to-face in order to build a connection and learn as much as they can.

In order to demonstrate that they genuinely care about their clients’ needs and to be better able to determine which courses of action will be most relevant for their particular needs, accountants must be fully informed about all economic and industrial factors and fully invested in their clients’ education.

Innovativeness

Even if an accountant’s area of expertise is primarily numbers, there is still room for original thought. The best accountants will never choose a formulaic method if there is a potential to develop a superior one.

Competent accountants will be able to apply unconventional but successful solutions to issues that demand more than a standard fix. The ability to conceive up a creative plan of action to deal with uncommon conditions demands practise. An accountant must, however, at the absolute least, be prepared to develop their creative abilities before doing so.

Reliability and Trustworthiness

Private data provided by clients to their accountants must never be accidentally or unintentionally disclosed. The ability and willingness of the client’s accountant to uphold the confidentiality of sensitive information at all times is a matter of both professionalism and fundamental ethics. Because the image an accountant leaves on their client will likely have an impact on the impression that future clients have of them as well, being trustworthy is essential for both the safety of the client and the accountant’s career.

Strong Organisational Skills

The best accountants will always have a strong sense of organisation. Every single piece of information and piece of paper, no matter how small it may seem, must always be accounted for. Poor organisational skills will cause even the naturally gifted and well-intentioned accountants to suffer. Being organised guarantees that the accounts can quickly locate the information they require at all times, maximising productivity and freeing up more time for the immediate tasks at hand.

Vigilance

Because the economy and the nuances of tax law are vulnerable to change at any time, an accountant must continuously be aware of the most recent changes. The need for an accountant’s expertise stems in large part from the fact that the business environment is dynamic.

Even though the accountant is confident that they are familiar with all the intricate details, they must regularly monitor industry developments to ensure that their knowledge is still relevant. An excellent accountant should always be able to address this situation before it becomes a serious problem. A plan that seemed unbreakable a few months ago might not work as well now.

The most important traits are those that will inspire an accountant to go above and beyond the call of duty. Their originality, dependability, and organisational skills can be used to tell apart accountants from true professionals.

Above all else, a successful accountant needs to possess two key traits: a genuine passion for their field that propels them to consistently stay up to date on news, and a strong dedication to provide each customer with even greater service than they expect. For the best in the accounting industry, overdelivering is standard procedure.

Payroll

They can explain complicated concepts in simple ways

If you’ve ever written a paper about a Bronte novel by distilling a dense piece of literature into a clear and compelling thesis, you might be eligible to become an accountant. Accountants need to be able to communicate complex ideas in a simple, straightforward manner.

They like working in teams.

Anyone who has ever taken part in group projects, played sports, or volunteered knows how much fun it can be to work together to complete a task. Accounting is a team activity.

They keep looking until they find the answer.

Sometimes the solution might be found in unexpected places. If you’ve spent hours in the library or online hunting up information for research papers, you’d probably make a great accountant.

They like learning about new people, places and things.

Is it normal for you to want to saunter around when you first arrive somewhere new? Whether it’s the ins and outs of a new client in the international fashion industry or a new place you’ve recently moved to, being an accountant necessitates continuous learning.

They like meeting new people.

Accountants frequently contact with a wide range of individuals, including customers, company owners, managers, and coworkers. Accountants interact with a wide variety of people throughout their careers.

They’re good at planning

On the first day of class, do you recall creating a schedule for the full semester? Who planned the vacation over spring break? You could work as a book-keeper. To help clients achieve their goals, accountants must be able to plan their work and organise their duties.

They like figuring out tough calls

Have you mentally gone through SportsCenter highlights of disputed calls a bit too many times? Do you make decisions when your friends disagree about where to go for dinner or spring break? Accountants regularly act as mediators, helping organisations choose the most appropriate method to account for unusual transactions, for example.

Growth Maximiser

They’re organised.

If you are the person that people turn to when they need help organising and cleaning up, you may have been channelling your inner accountant all along.

They’re good at helping other people learn.

Have you ever supported a friend through a challenging class? Accountants instruct others in a variety of skills, such as how to record intricate international financial transactions and which records to retain for tax season.

Every company wants to hire a highly successful accountant, but finding one takes a lot of work and certain personality traits like being level-headed, creative, and detail-oriented.

Summary

Accountants are expected to have excellent organisational skills and a high level of precision. A little accounting error, such as adding or removing a single digit from a set of numbers, can have a significant impact on how accounting books will seem. Finding the right accountant will help you succeed at work and enjoy your job more. Accounting and bookkeeping are all aspects of finance. You want to be sure your accountants have handled these duties frequently.

Professional assistance includes controllers, SOX (Sarbanes-Oxley) compliance, audit support, and transaction consulting services for both the buy-side and sell-side. The capacity of an accountant to stay up to date with industry changes goes hand in hand with their understanding of your business area. EWM uses the best software platforms and expertise to integrate them with your IT infrastructure. We strive to provide you with quality accounting services if you require them. EWM has established specific ties with the platforms and accounting software we employ for our clients.

Our staff go above and beyond to earn certification in the programmes they use. Accountants must be fully informed about all economic and industrial factors as well as fully invested in their clients to learn as much as they can. The finest accountants possess the ability to put non-traditional but effective solutions to problems that call for more than a textbook solution. Accountants and actual professionals can be distinguished by their creativity, dependability, and organisational abilities. Accountants must have the ability to express difficult concepts in a clear, concise manner.

For the best in the business, accounting, over-delivery is regular practise. Accountants interact with a variety of people, including clients, business owners, managers, and coworkers. Accountants must be able to organise their tasks and create plans of action. The extremely successful accountant that every firm wants to recruit involves a lot of effort in addition to certain personality attributes.

DISCLAIMER
THIS WEBSITE IS ONLY INTENDED TO PROVIDE GENERAL ADVICE; IT DOES NOT PROVIDE PERSONAL FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVICE IN ANY FORM. ALSO, CHANGES IN LEGISLATION MAY OCCUR FREQUENTLY. BEFORE TAKING ANY ACTIONS DEPENDING ON THE CONTENTS OF THIS INFORMATION, WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU SEEK OUR OFFICIAL ADVICE FIRST. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN OBTAINED FROM SOURCES THAT EWM ACCOUNTANTS & BUSINESS ADVISORS BELIEVES TO BE RELIABLE; HOWEVER, WE MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCURACY OF SUCH INFORMATION AND ACCEPT NO LIABILITY IN CONNECTION THEREWITH. WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU CONSULT WITH A TAX ADVISOR, a CPA, a FINANCIAL ADVISOR, an ATTORNEY, AN ACCOUNTANT, AND ANY OTHER PROFESSIONAL THAT CAN HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND AND EVALUATE THE RISKS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ANY INVESTMENT.

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