Listen to this articleThere is a high chance that you know about what an online accountant is. It has become a trend to hire a virtual accountant for small business in the USA. Earlier, the business owners would stick to managing the books independently. However, as the small business grows, it becomes hard to record daily transactions without a dedicated bookkeeper.
Hiring an in-house bookkeeper or accountant for bookkeeping is not a wise move and is quite expensive. The best option is to hire a virtual accountant for your business. They have excellent know-how of accounting and tax regulation operations and contemporary financial technology. Let us look at what online accountants are and the benefits of working with them.
What is a Virtual Accountant?
Virtual accountants are simply your accountants connected to you remotely. Thus, they don’t work with you in the same office or physical location. These accountants communicate with their clients through online communication and work seamlessly using accounting software and cloud technology.
How Do the Virtual Accountants Work?
A virtual or remote accountant works similarly to an in-house accountant. However, there is a key difference in the technology they use.
- The virtual or online accountants work remotely and communicate with the client online.
- These accountants use cloud or remote desktop technology to work seamlessly on client’s projects.
- Online accountants use more advanced software and tools as compared to in-house accountants.
- Top online accountants use secure environments and technology to protect client’s data from cyber threats.
Benefits of Hiring a Virtual Accountant for Small Business
Should a small or mid-sized business hire a remote accountant? The answer lies in the benefits offered by virtual accounting services. Here are the top reasons to hire an online accountant for your business:
Rid of Daily Bookkeeping Worries
As a business owner, you have more important areas to focus on to grow and lead your business. The individuals in the responsibility of management should concentrate on the company’s leadership and leave the bookkeeping to a dedicated accountant. Here’s where the virtual accounting services come in. In this way, you can get rid of worries about day-to-day bookkeeping.
Daily and Accurate Updates
Your dedicated virtual accountant will record every transaction and update it daily. This is not what one expects from business owners, who usually have a lot on their plate. This often gives way to delays and mistakes in entries. Moreover, remote accountants utilize cutting-edge software like Xero, Sage, QuickBooks, and cloud accounting technology to operate in real-time.
Personalized Business Services
A business is expected to have unique requirements and might require assistance with particular accounting tasks. However, when a business works with a third-party accounting or tax service provider, it will have to limit its business operations and base it according to the available plans or services.
However, hiring a virtual accountant means the company can work with them like they do with an in-house accountant. This allows them to benefit from both delegating and personalized services.
Reduced Cost and Increased Productivity
It isn’t wise to hire an in-house accountant who will cost your company more and work less efficiently, significantly decreasing productivity. The right thing to do is hire a virtual accountant who costs the company much less. Moreover, they work more efficiently, utilize modern edge software, and deliver more output.
Flawless Payroll Management
Calculating the wages and distributing the paychecks remains a stressful task for business owners. However, they can shift this burden to the shoulders of the virtual accountant. They will take care of the employee attendance and calculate their remuneration and compensation. When it’s payday, it’s the virtual accountant’s responsibility to distribute the wages and benefits to the employees. The business owners don’t have to worry about it.
Access to Cutting-Edge Technology
A company must stay up-to-date with the technological advancements in the business and finance industry. If not, the company will get behind its competitors and cannot flourish in today’s market of cutthroat competition. Outsourcing to virtual accounting firms allows a business to benefit from financial technology. This gives the companies a competitive advantage and helps in their growth.
Instant Financial Reporting
A perk of utilizing advanced accounting software for books and record keeping is its simplicity when it comes to sharing or copying data. With the help of these tools, the remote accountants generate the reports on the go. This helps the business conduct research and carry out business operations promptly, in real-time.
Simplified Tax Preparation
Virtual accounting services take the burden of tax preparation off the shoulders of the management. From maintaining accurate records to generating tax records in no time, remote accountants simplify the preparation of tax returns. Therefore, the companies can file the tax returns timely, without worrying about deadlines.
Compliance and Tax Regulations
Virtual accounting firms are experts when it comes to tax regulations and compliance. Therefore, they can help small businesses abide by federal, state, and local tax regulations. This is handy and takes off the worries of legal compliance from the business. Thus, online accountants protect small and mid-sized businesses from penalties and litigation.
Security for Business Data
Business data can be easily lost or compromised if it is stored in the physical form. Moreover, the physical documents and records make it difficult to store and organize the data. On the contrary, when you store business data digitally, it can be protected with passwords and encryption. The virtual accountants use the latest technology to ensure data security for your business.
Is Virtual Accounting Secure?
When delegating accounting services to a third party, such as an online accountant or firm, the main challenge is data security. The business data has to be secure and safe from cyber threats and the risk of corruption. However, a professional remote accountant ensures a high level of data security.
The virtual or remote accountants use cloud-based software that stores and transfers data in encrypted form. This is similar to the encrypted technology used by banks and financial institutions. The access to your business data is thus only through the login information shared with you, which is kept confidential.
Data security is the most crucial thing for a business. When a business explores a virtual accounting firm to work with, it should make sure their data security is up to the mark.
Tips to Find the Right Virtual Accountant for Small Business
It isn’t easy to find the perfect virtual accountant for your business. Finding an excellent remote accounting service takes a professional and systematic approach. Therefore, remember these tips when you go through online accounting firms for small businesses.
Look for Credible Accountants
The client reviews and testimonials give a good insight into the firm’s credibility.
Begin with credible accounting firms that provide virtual accounting services. Next, get to know the service through online research and collect data on its expertise and services. Ensure that they provide satisfactory service quality that your business can rely on.
Know the Software and Technology They Use
It all comes down to the accounting software and the technology your remote accountant uses. A good accounting software allows the accountant to work seamlessly on company data and carry out advanced operations. Therefore, get to know about the software and financial technology your remote accountant utilizes.
Don’t Underestimate the Need for Data Security
We have highlighted the importance of data security for a business in the above section. A business should not take the need for advanced data security lightly. Remember, an unfortunate event, such as a malware attack or a cyber-crime, can affect the years of growth your business has worked for. Therefore, make sure to search for a service provider with high regard for data security.
Compare the Quotes
Explore the plans or request a quote from the most reliable virtual accounting service providers at the end of your search. Choose the one that offers the best value for the money. It means the online accountant should provide high-quality services at an affordable price.
These key points will help you narrow down the search to the most suitable service provider for your company.
Now It’s Your Turn To Hire Virtual Accountant
When you search for a credible virtual accountant in the USA, you’ll get an infinite list of results. However, in this mind-blowing situation, we stand out for our values and work ethic.
We at A2 Accountants are a committed team of online accountants and cloud experts who are on a mission to simplify the accounting and financial operations of small and mid-sized businesses.
We work with a client-centric approach where the client’s interests are our topmost priority. This makes us one of the best virtual accountant services for your business.
Get a free trial and experience our services right now. Call us at +1(800) 580-5375.