Employing Professional Help for Your Shop

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Our bookkeeper came into my office last week clutching a bill that had just arrived from our accountant. She looked nervous as she handed me the hefty invoice – it was for our company tax return his firm had just completed.

That will be money well spent, I thought – and, as I told our bookkeeper, we need to spend our time making cabinets, not figuring out our tax liability. Plus, if we ever get an audit from Uncle Sam, we’ll be needing our accountants!

This outside help is pricey, no doubt – but it’s part of running a successful shop. You simply must have a few solid professionals around you to do some of the more technical work involved with operating a business.

So, how do you actually you find these people? One good way, we’ve found, is by talking to your peers and colleagues – either in your own industry or one that’s closely related. If you have a favorite remodeler you work with, for example, ask him who he used for his Website. Find out from the guy who’s doing the electrical work on that big kitchen project who he uses for his accounting.

You can also talk to your banker. These folks are always hooked in with accountants and lawyers or, at the very least, can refer you to someone to talk to. Once you find someone, ask if that person works with small businesses a lot, or if the person has done work for any shops in the past. Get some references and call to see how the service has been.

THE KEY HELP

We’ve found at our own shop that a competent firm of certified public accountants (CPAs) is critical if you’re to stay out of trouble.

How much you use them is up to you. The basic service is usually tax returns, though you may want the firm to take care of your personal 1040 as well, since it’s usually closely connected to the business reporting.

Some shops use CPA firms to guide them through financial reports every three months (“quarterly” in financial terms). This can get expensive, but if you don’t have a good bookkeeper at your shop, it may be a good way of keeping a handle on how you’re doing. One tip here, though: make sure the CPA firm gives you timely feedback on how things are. There’s no point to getting reports two months after the fact.

If you don’t feel good about paying for constant financial feedback, have your CPAs direct you to a good outside bookkeeping service that will be less expensive. That way you can perhaps get monthly reports and regular specific job costing done.

Finding a good (meaning “good value”) lawyer can be challenging, as well. While a small- or even medium-sized shop does not need an attorney on retainer, it’s good to have a relationship with counsel who’s familiar with contract law. This is usually the area where your shop needs help: with proposals, contracts or any partnership agreements you may get into.

Having a lawyer review these documents is money well spent, but beware the lawyer who wants to write every single document himself. That will get expensive fast. Ask him if he has a “canned” version you can use. Maybe he can customize it to your shop.

Your banker is a key person, too, and here the help can often be free. Get to know the senior person with the bank you use for your checking account for the shop. The bank is making money off of you, so use its services! A good banker can give you a hand reviewing profit and loss statements, as well as explain the mysteries of a balance sheet to you.

OTHER HELP

Many shops use a business coach as they grow in size. Once you’re over five employees, it’s a good idea to get a regular outside point of view – how you’re running your business, where you’re heading strategically. If you don’t have a board of directors or advisors, a business coach may be just the ticket.