Finding Value in Under and Overqualified New York Bookkeepers
For a startup, choosing a good New York bookkeeper is extremely important. The problem is that some bookkeepers are extremely overqualified for the needs of a startup. On the other hand, some have the right talent, but may be under qualified in other areas such as customer service. Finding the right choice within these options can be very tricky but it’s one of the most important ones that a new business will undertake.
Underqualifed options include friends and family that have some experience with taxes, but aren’t ready to balance the books of a legitimate start-up. This can lead to hurt feelings on both sides and can potentially be ruinous to a business if the person won’t be frank and discuss the hard issues. Above all else, making the wrong choice can doom a business to failure and that will do more to fracture a relationship than saying no upfront ever would.
The most qualified New York bookkeepers are going to have a lot of relevant start up experience. They may be large downtown firms; others may be one or two person shops. It’s not the size of the company that matters, it’s the time they’ve spent working with companies that have a year or two experience. Too many New York bookkeepers focus on large corporate accounts because they tend to be more lucrative. These bookkeepers may have incredible knowledge, but would be overqualified for a start-up. A lot of what’s lost is customer service and for a nervous first time entrepreneur, having a great partner-like relationship can be more important than having the city’s expert on arcane tax code.
These New York bookkeepers and their customer service skills are critical because it’s so easy for a new business to wind up on the IRS’ radar. Bookkeepers can help in the case of an audit but avoiding them all together is a highly preferable outcome. Finding a good New York bookkeeper that can help avoid these costly missteps is a difficult process in its own right. Separating many accountants with vastly differing specialties and experiences, while still contending with brand new entrants to the industry. Even narrowing down from the pool of experienced accountants, separating the ones that will save money from those that will end up costing a lot of money, is itself stressful and a daunting affair. Hopefully the tips above will help in finding a good New York bookkeeper.
It’s almost cliché at this point to discuss the difficulties in beginning a new business in New York City. A real estate market that is more cutthroat and expensive than almost anywhere else in the world is tough to tangle with when someone may be plunging their whole life savings into a new business. The competition that is present in New York is doubly tough when there a lot of similar businesses and a difficult fight for talent among those competitors. Throughout all of that, guidance from a good New York bookkeeper can prevent a lot of headaches and can actually help someone make it in New York, which of course means they can make it anywhere.