Author: Complete Controller

Most people are unable to distinguish between an accountant and a bookkeeper. Although these financial jobs support the accounting process at various phases, they all have the same aim. It’s critical to know the distinction as a business owner.

Before moving forward, let us first understand the difference between bookkeeping and accounting.

Accounting

Accounting is the process of recording, summarizing, analyzing, consulting, and reporting financial data for a firm. It is a vital part of every business. Generally, a certified professional accountant (CPA) performs accounting duties.

Analyzing financial data to assist you in making business decisions is an essential element of the accounting process. With the reflection, as a business owner, you will better understand your company’s profitability and cash flow. You can also transform your general ledger into meaningful insights and reveal the company’s forecasting. Accountants can help business owners with strategic planning, financial analysis, forecasting, and even tax filing.

Bookkeeping

Bookkeeping is the process component that records and stores all of a businesses’ financial records (including day-to-day transactions) in a database. Bookkeepers don’t need a license, but they might choose to be certified instead. The certifications or permits an individual or an employer must have vary based on where they work.

The most important aspect of bookkeeping is maintaining the general ledger of the business. The general ledger records the revenue and the expenses of the company. With the company sales, the bookkeeper should keep up the account ledger to date.

• Accounting begins where bookkeeping ends.
• Because bookkeeping is a part of the accounting process, the work of bookkeepers and accountants sometimes overlaps.
• A bookkeeper keeps track of and organizes a business’s daily financial operations, such as sales, payroll, and bill payments. They are more concerned with maintaining correct records than with understanding data and analytics.
• Accounting reports are prepared based on the information provided by the bookkeeper. Here is what an accountant usually does:
• Examine the financial statements that a bookkeeper has ready.
• Analyze and understand the data gathered and compiled by the bookkeeper.
• Make a report out of the information (or records) that summarizes and makes analysis understandable for the decision-makers.
• Give counsel based on what they’ve observed.

The accountant’s advice to leadership will come from the records supplied by the bookkeeper. The documents reported by the bookkeeper will determine the business’s general health. You cannot overstate the importance of each step in the financial process.

So, what is essential to your business? A Bookkeeper or an Accountant.

It is critical to determine if you require the services of a bookkeeper or an accountant. This decision is influenced mainly by the industry and the necessary level of knowledge.

Industries that deal with sophisticated financial systems and high-volume transactions, such as government agencies, colleges, and hospitals, need accountants.

When it comes to expertise, a seasoned bookkeeper with years of experience is likely to be more suited to manage your company’s finances than a fresh-out-of-college CPA.

When sifting applications, keep this in mind: don’t assess an applicant solely based on their schooling.

It’s never too early to hire a competent accountant. Business entrepreneurs that engage financial help early in their growth rarely, if ever, regret their decision.

The bookkeeper’s organized financial records and correctly balanced finances, combined with wise financial strategy and precise tax filing by the accountant, all contribute directly to a company’s long-term success.

Some business owners learn to manage their finances independently, while others engage a professional to focus on the aspects of their company that they like the most. Regardless of which choice you select, investing time or money into your business financials can only help your company flourish.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

The corporate market is full of scammers. They are smart enough to magnetize the maximum amount of profit and revenue without being caught. You cannot always handle such frauds from the root, but you can take a few measures to avoid them on general grounds. There are numerous ways you can dodge these cheating techniques of trying to rob all that you earn. The person involved in committing these frauds can be anyone associated with the business you run. They can be:

• An Employee (Accountant, Manager, etc.)
• Supplier
• Vendor

Be strict and severe about the financial matters of your corporation. Apart from being alert, the owner must be a keen observer. Financial thefts always revolve around businesses and start-ups. Indeed, we cannot come up with a single solution to overcome these threatening calls. But the most efficient methods around the circle are:

Adopt A Cynical Attitude

Being skeptical will always be your shield in mitigating the risk of financial frauds and rip-offs. To glide safely and survive among hungry competitors floating in the broad sea of the corporate world, keep a hawk-eye on each matter of your business. Ensure to note each detail while undergoing any deal or transaction, whether it is a pea-sized one or a giant-sized one.

Identify Points Your Business Is More Susceptible To

This trick can be great assistance to prevent cons and frauds. Develop an image and figure out the points a scammer might find to nibble from the profit you earn. So, to stop scams and financial thefts, seal these loopholes both internally and externally. Constantly analyze the systems and applications you use to diminish any possible risks. Strictly order and monitor your employees to do the same.

Business Accounts Inspection

The first step you must take to avoid scams is quitting manual banking and switching towards automated banking. Online banking makes it relatively hassle-free to view the details and transactions you made. Yes, it will be a crucial and critical solution to stay miles and miles away from potential loss of finances. Scrutinize your bank and bookkeeping accounts regularly. Go for installing software to prevent every possible human error. 

Secure Your Credit Card Information

Frauds occurring through credit cards are always in headlines, and countless business individuals have fallen victim to such cons. So, every business owner must ensure to separate their business and personal accounts once you have split your accounts, head on towards the protection of every slightest detail associated with your credit card. Many cases face a credit card loss and do not take any legal and sensible actions against the loss. As a result, they end up losing confidential information and cash as well.

Hire A Team of Digit Professionals

The most common mistake that business individuals make is that to save salaries, they hire a single person to manage the accounts and digital transactions of the company. The business owners fail to realize that this step can cost them a lot more than their imagination. Take the best measures to save your progressive corporation from drowning down. Never give a single person the entire responsibility of bookkeeping, as it can be dangerous. Hire professionals and split the team, assigning different financial obligations to them. It will protect your business from financial cons and deceptions.

Quick Recap

Creating, establishing, and maturing a business takes a lot of time, risks, and effort. In the storm of these day-to-day arising challenges, the biggest threat to trade is the trail of unseen financial scams and cons. Preventing these frauds is a must to ensure a prosperous business. You have to be extra quick and alert while tackling your business matters and account details. Indeed, we cannot eliminate these threats, but we can take some effective measures to decrease the risk of financial harm and loss. The article you are going through will surely help you manage the ways you handle and prevent these cons and rip-offs. On a final note, hire professionals to supervisors and managers to inspect every detail before approving the employee’s timesheet for the payroll process.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Creating a for-profit subsidiary was always regarded as unusual and niche, but tax-exempt organizations have become increasingly common in recent decades. This arrangement arose in response to several issues that tax-exempt organizations frequently face, including managing unrelated business activities, separating activities that deviate from the exempt owner’s original purpose, and protecting the organization’s assets from legal liability.

Here are a few things you need to know before you create a for-profit organization

The structural hierarchy of the organization: The owner must first determine how the successor entity’s ownership will be structured. The business can be wholly-owned, partially owned, or controlled by a small group of people. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll concentrate on wholly-owned and majority-owned corporations in this article because most owner companies want to maintain control over their new subsidiary.

There are three methods for establishing authority over a newly formed organization:

1. The owner could assert influence over the subsidiary by overlapping boards of directors or proclaiming in the governing documents that the owner has the authority to select the board of directors.
2. The subsidiary could be a membership organization with the owner, giving it complete control over the composition of the board of directors.
3. The subsidiary could issue shares, with the majority of all of them going to the owner.

Shareholder rights and ownership: The subsidiary must establish itself as a separate legal and tax entity from the owner. The IRS scrutinizes owner-subsidiary ties that appear to lack a bona fide intent to perform genuine and substantial business functions.

Because the owner retained a controlling interest in the subsidiary, there were overlapping workers between the two businesses sharing information. The subsidiary’s activities were eventually attributed to the owner.

Organizational expense sharing: Exempt owners will pool resources with the taxable subsidiary (via a cost-sharing or managed services arrangement). It can include, among other things, shared personnel, offices, facilities, and equipment. It must be done on a per-use basis rather than assigning resources. Any subsidiary receivables should be paid as quickly as feasible, ideally with no balance due at the end of the tax year.

Transfers and Capitalization: Following the official formation of the company, the owner may contemplate providing funds to the new subsidiary to pay vendors and staff, as well as to operate as a for-profit firm in general. According to IRS rulings, exempt owners may form, capitalize, and use an associate corporation to further the charitable goal. It can be accomplished in a variety of ways by the owner organization. The first alternative is to lend the money to the subsidiary on a no-interest basis (meaning terms generally offered to the public). It demands the formation of a legal instrument that governs the loan and sets the interest rate and deadline for repayment.

Exemptions: The owners must demonstrate that they intend to use the vast assets of their subsidiaries to achieve their goals. In some cases, this means giving the owner dividends; in others, the IRS has advocated selling a subsidiary’s asset or stock to raise funds for the owner’s program. Finally, the owner should not use exempt assets to boost the subsidiary’s commercial activity, originating through charitable contributions or membership dues.

Possession by minorities: If the subsidiary is organized as a stock corporation, it will sell stock and ownership to other people. It can be beneficial in acquiring cash for the subsidiary or attracting the skills and talent required to manage the company successfully. In general, this type of stock issuing is legal and will not compromise the owner’s tax-exempt status. However, an exempt owner should be aware that the inherent risk of dealing with third-party stockholders is that the tax-free owner may use charitable assets to enrich private third parties. This behavior may undermine the owner’s exempt status and be damaging to the organization’s overall activities.

Management of payment: Compensation must be reasonable and cannot exceed the fair market worth of the payer’s services. The owner’s annual information return should include any fee paid by the subsidiary to the owner’s executives, directors, trustees, or key workers. It is because wholly-owned or majority-owned subsidiaries should be treated as a single entity. Stock options for taxable subsidiary employees, as well as an employee stock-ownership plan, are options that are typically studied deeper due to the potential for excessive remuneration. On the other hand, sharing ownership by anyone other than the exempt owner raises the value.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Disasters can hit you anytime, so it is better to get ready for these emergencies and issues before they happen, and you do not have any preparations for them. You must see many things before preparing for an emergency because, in case of an emergency, you are into a hassle that you do not have time to prepare at that time. The situation at that time was very frustrating and challenging to handle. There are some tips and tricks for business owners to prepare for emergencies and cope with the troubles.

Learn about new software

Many business owners are still using old desktop-based software, and now it is time for them to move to the new and advanced type of cloud-based software such as QuickBooks and Xero. This software will help bookkeepers to work with their clients and without overwriting other professionals’ work. If you are still using old software that does not allow you so much, then, in this case, there is a Ledger software for you that mails and emails on your behalf, and it is 1099 software. Although you must pay before using this software, it helps you a lot so you can say that it is worth buying it.

Make a communication Portal for clients

Many taxpayers are using software that will draft emails on their behalf, and there is a love-hate relationship between the bookkeepers and emails. Sending emails is vital in this field, but we still must remind most of our customers not to send sensitive and personal information through emails because it is too dangerous in this field. Luckily, a substantial number of tools are available to streamline client communication and document sharing with each other. In the past, those clients who did not know how to use this software had to face a lot of difficulties in this case, but nowadays, there are different software such as client hub, and it is straightforward for clients to use them. The client communication portal has a lot of benefits, such as keeping your inbox clean and protecting the sensitive information of present clients. It also helps to interact with your team members. If there is any difficulty they are facing in this procedure, they can contact through emails.

Make plans

Make plans for your emergency because it will help you to take situations under control suddenly. There is a lot of online software and toolkits that will help you to make better plans. These toolkits also help you fulfill your business’s basic needs and necessities and assist you in times of emergency. Before planning, focus on disasters that may affect your business in the future, so it will help you make your plan according to the situation. You will not get confused during emergencies because you have already made plans for them.

Take help from professionals

There is also a plus point of having competitors and professionals in your field. If your competitors face any emergency, you can learn how they met that situation and how they plan for it. You can also hire a professional to help you. For example, you can employ A certified public accountant for your business, which will help you get rid of tax problems such as tax reduction and tax-paying, and other tax problems that businesspeople face during the tax season. Take advice from your professionals and then learn what they teach you because it is not just learning these things. Still, you must implement them in different situations to get ready for an emergency. If you prepare for that situation, it will help you quickly eliminate it before any detrimental effects on your business.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

An accountant and a tax preparer can never have equal benefit scales in the corporate world. Accountants are one tribe, and the taxing pros are another tribe. Both the professions cater to different needs of the same niche. There is no second thought in the fact that a career scope of a tax preparer is potentially more rewarding than any other career field. But the paybacks of the accounting career are way more than a tax expert.

Many of us are mistaken to mix up tax professionals and accounting experts. Well, both are entirely different. A person pursues a taxing career with a law-associated educational background. At the same time, the bookkeeping experts are the ones that have mastered the field of mathematic and the crossword of numbers.

Let me share some of the incredible benefits of a tax preparer and accounting expert, respectively.

Aces of being a tax expert

Taxpaying officers can experience numerous aces. Here are a few of them:

• Sustainable tax deductions

The most prominent advantage of the tax professional is that he can get a substantial deduction on the taxes he pays every year. As he is well-known about every tactic of the taxing world, it would be easier for him to file a tax return report. Sounds fascinating, though.

• Higher-income chances

The pay scale is a crucial factor. It happens when you pause your leisure and step forward to begin your career. The income scale varies according to the type of employment you seek. As for the tax preparer’s income, it is relatively a high graph. Almost in every state, a tax keeper enjoys a relishing amount of salary package every month.

• An accelerated professional career

Getting just a degree will never help you top the law tests, shine brighter among your badge, and begin a career in the taxing field. To become a well-known tax expert, you must have an eye to understand, compile, and analyze the laws accordingly. The still unknown part of the story is that you require no accounting experience to pursue your career in a tax-related job. Go on to complete an income tax officer course, and you will be an income tax officer within ten weeks.

Aces of being an accounting pro

Accountants are a pro in handling the battle of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division between numbers. They are experts in portraying the entrance and exit of each dollar within the company with perfection. An accounting is righteous to enjoy the following benefits:

• Market competitive pay scale

Bookkeepers are in demand in the market. They are genuinely essential for every industry, firm, and company. Accountants have a very high pay scale competing equally to their demand in the market. There is a thick difference between the income rate of a tax preparer and an accountant. However, an accountant earns more than a tax officer.

• Uncountable career opportunities

 An accountant is lucky enough to pursue a career in any field. Also, the accountants have the feasibility and the credibility to pick up their line of employment. They can also easily choose their field for specialization. The career opportunities are unlimited for a bookkeeper.

• Prestigious social status

We all are breathing in a society where an accountant owns a valuable status that is also a pride symbol. Every person around the circle of employment greatly values a steadfast person in the position of a financial manager of a business.

• Ability to open your own business

The ability to convert a start-up into a mature business is rare in most people. But it is not rare in the case of an expert bookkeeper. If an accountant owns a CPA license, he is 100% capable of nurturing himself into a compatible business owner. Once an accountant steps into the corporate world, he can gain many years of experience and enough practice.

Closing

There is a vast difference between being an accountant and a tax officer. Both the fields have their pro and cons. But technically speaking, accountants tend to face more benefits than tax officers. The above article will clear your view about the accountants and tax preparers’ beneficial circle. Stay tuned for more.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

The pipeline issue in the accounting profession mainly revolves around the profession’s informal and homogeneous nature, which has created a noticeable lack of diversity. Despite concerted efforts over decades, the profession still struggles to achieve diversity goals. The pipeline problem is complex and involves multiple factors, but it ultimately stems from issues at the end of the pipeline. The influence of technology seems to be exacerbating these challenges rather than alleviating them. Additionally, existing and new CPA firms are finding it increasingly difficult to meet the evolving demands of their clients, adding to the complexities of the pipeline problem.

Fighting in a New Environment

The addition of new players indicates that it will apply new rules and regulations, which are healthy and necessary for adapting with time. With the army of new competitors, it is becoming hard for both old and new CPA firms to stay in business and not only survive but thrive in the market during these hectic conditions. It is becoming a very challenging situation for both to adjust and survive with changing rules and regulations. The solution to this problem is to stay calm and ahead of the game to survive this crazy competition. Stay in touch with your surroundings and people of the same profession, find out about the new developments taking place, and keep your accounting software updated and charged. Networking is always the best practice for professionals in all industries.

Challenges for a Firm to Remain Cost-Effective

One of the most pressing challenges encountered by CPA firms is the need to reduce prices as a result of various factors. Firstly, keeping up with the latest technology requires substantial investment, and the process of adopting and integrating new technology and software programs can be quite daunting. This introduces additional costs for training staff or hiring individuals with the requisite expertise.

Moreover, increasing competition compels firms to explore new avenues such as investing in digital marketing and expanding their workforce by hiring new employees. Consequently, firms may find themselves compelled to raise prices in order to manage these added expenses. Additionally, the continuous emergence of new accounting firms further intensifies the competitive landscape, thereby forcing established CPA firms to reduce costs and offer competitive pricing to retain customers.

In such a scenario, a well-structured business budget plays a pivotal role in providing a comprehensive framework to navigate through these financial challenges and guide prudent expense management.

Making a Difference While Standing Out

There are a plethora of CPA firms in the market. Each firm is different from the other competitors in some ways. Each firm has dedicated years of hard work and struggle to make their business an exception and unique experience, but uniqueness is no longer accessible. It has become challenging for new firms to impact a marketplace already flooded with an overwhelming number of exceptional firms with years of experience. To make any business exception, it must give the best in all situations. They must work consistently to make the business hit among a community of thousands.

Not Getting Enough Time

CPA firms rely heavily on satisfying customer needs within strict timeframes, leaving little room for error. While deadlines can boost productivity and ensure peace of mind, they can also compromise the quality of work and result in subpar performance. To mitigate this, firms can improve their time management by recruiting new staff, leveraging outsourcing services, or enlisting the expertise of seasoned bookkeeping professionals to oversee their financial records. While collaborating with experienced individuals can enhance time efficiency and cut costs, consistently delivering top-notch work that showcases a firm’s proficiency and strengths poses a significant challenge.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

There are numerous benefits of ordering and maintaining the accounts and other documentation of your business. The most prominent use around the line is that it proves to be pronounced assistance during the rigors of the tax time. Business owners face a lot that most of us are unaware of. Most of us are grown up with a ray of thought that if you own a business, you are in the world of peace. Well, this is so not true. A business owner deals with many things. The most hectic of all is clearing the federal taxes without getting stuck into any obligations. Getting rid of taxes is not possible, but there is a suitable way to remove all your corporate taxes without facing any allegations. It is challenging and straightforward at the same time. To get through your taxing process efficiently, you must maintain a good, cleaner, and stronger image of your business. It might dive you into the thought that this is not easy. Well, I would deny your idea. You can establish a good business record only if you pay maximum and detailed attention to the deals you crack, cash flow, internal entities, and every matter related to your business.

Reasons to maintain a concrete business record

Here we will lay our eyes on all the possible reasons why maintaining a concrete business record is crucial.

• Keep a record of every source of your income

To get complete knowledge about every penny you earn, you must keep a firm eye on the directions you generate revenue. Ensure to separate your business and nonbusiness receipts efficiently. It will help be a great help in paying corporate and noncorporate taxes.

• Track the progress of your business

When trying to maintain a good business record, a keen eye is necessary to develop. It would be best if you were assured about the graph of your selling, whether it is increasing or decreasing. If you are not informed and sure about where your company is gliding, you can suffer an unmanageable financial crisis leading to bankruptcy. The better your business records, the more will be the success rate of your business. Develop a set of business skills as it can help you reach the peak of success.

• Maintain your financial statements

Balanced and organized financial records have been a savior ever since businesses and businessmen came into existence. You require a solid and good business record to prepare your business entity’s accurate and perfectly calculated financial statements.

Income statements consist of the expenses and the spending of the company within a given time.

Balance sheets confine the assets and liabilities of the company.

• You need a tax return

After managing your business record, head on towards preparing a tax return; technically speaking, you can never file up for a tax return without a strong business record. The report you prepare must be clear enough to support the credit, debit, income, and expenses. Your report must mirror each penny spent and each penny earned. It will help you file a tax report without any hurdle.

Benefits of maintaining a concrete business record

As discussed earlier, maintaining an accessible and substantial business record can be beneficial in many ways. Some of the most visible paybacks of establishing a solid business record with no loopholes are listed as follows:

• No tax penalties – A concrete business record will surely be your back and save you from tax penalties. If you have each record pen down, there is no chance that the federal tax office will charge a single dollar extra from your pocket or account.
• Meet financial commitments – If a business running person has more substantial business accounts and proceedings, it will be easier for him to efficiently cater to his financial needs. He can also fulfill his financial commitment such as releasing the employee’s monthly wages or clearing the creditor’s payments
• Reduce tax obligations – It will lend you a helping hand in minimizing the tax obligations that may block your way to getting the tax return you deserve. But, of course, a solid corporate record will also maximize all the expenses you claim.
• Profit distribution is made more accessible – Profit distribution among the shareholders and the partners becomes relatively hassle-free.
• Manage the change in your business – Tracking the positive and negative changes is too crucial to run a prosperous business. So instead, manage and note down every sale, purchase, profit, and loss your business is required to undergo.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Most of the time, fraudsters and scammers target small businesses compared to large corporations because they know very well that small businesses do not have the same security systems as big companies. It is pretty easy to compromise the security of small businesses.

To prevent fraud, these are a few tips and tricks that small business owners should implement.

Background checks of employees:
Before hiring a new employee in the company, a formal hiring procedure should be mandatory. It will help you to know which type of people you are allowing to enter your company. It is obligatory to see the employment history of every employee whom you trust in terms of cash handling. The personality of a worker is not enough to prove that he will not commit a crime. Most of the time, the employees a boss trust and admire are the ones that commit fraud or theft. Fraudsters pretend to be loyal in front of their managers and coworkers so that no one can suspect them.  Often, employees you least expect fraud or theft from are found involved in financial scams, which is why it is vital to have a little background check done.

Hire trustworthy experts:
You might have many experts in various fields working for you, such as certified fraud examiners and certified public accountants, and you will need to trust them all. It is possible that not all of these experts are as well experienced or have as good of a reputation in the market as they claim. When you are hiring these people, make sure that they have a good reputation. Trustworthiness plays a significant role here. When you hire trustworthy and well-reputed people, you will feel confident that your internal control audits are safe and that no one will ever leak or misuse your company’s information.

Maintain internal controls and take the help of experts:
Certain control activities are your company’s policies. These policies and activities include top-level reviews, the process of changing duties, designing new procedures, and establishing them; this will help employees perform and fulfill responsibilities. Clear guidelines diversify transactions among staff members. If you have implemented all fraud prevention measures, but still there is no advantage, then it is crucial to hire an expert for your business. A professional will perform a more in-depth review of control processes and audit business books. Certified public accountants and certified fraud examiners can help a lot in terms of detecting fraud.

Take care of sensitive information:
Credit card fraud is so common that it is often in the headlines. It doesn’t matter if a business is small or big, home-based or office-based; it risks facing fraud. The easiest way to prevent credit card fraud is to separate business accounts; this will help track business expenses more easily. Before handing over credit card information to someone, ensure that the receiver is authentic by using secure bill payment services. Secure bill payment/processing services reduce the risk of check theft. You have to protect your company’s sensitive data because hackers are masters in getting into computer systems. There are various cyber security vendors. All you have to do is find out the product which you think is best for you. Make it challenging and complex to get passwords. Ask your employees to change passwords every two to three months and generate new, solid, and difficult-to-decipher passwords. Also, you should back up your files daily and store them. This step will ensure that you can instantly get back and restore the files whenever your system gets hacked.

Keep an eye on your partners:
When you think of starting a new business-based relationship with someone, make sure to develop a level of trust. First of all, you should know about their physical address because it will prevent you from facing fraud. Even if you do a web search to get some basic information about a company, this will provide you with all the data about whether they are running a business or not. The local government Commerce Department is the additional resource that will provide all the needed background information.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

Bookkeeping is a tough job. Well, it is the most formidable job to ensure the successful running of a business. A company can float if it has a responsible and loyal accountant hired. But the situation can reverse as a dishonest bookkeeper can drown every bit of the corporation. Accounting is a jigsaw puzzle; you must join millions of digits to form a positive and healthy cash flow.

Emergencies are uninvited. They can arise in any field, whether it is banking, accounting, or finance. There can be many emergencies in accounting as well. If you face any financial crisis in your business that may panic you to the core, the very first thing you need to remember is that DO NOT PANIC. Stay calm and lookout for a reliable and quick solution.

There is no fixed time of an emergency to knock on the door of your peacefully running business. The deadliest crisis that you might face is the cash flow disturbance. It can even drag you into the puddle of debt and loans. Let us quickly run a glimpse at the strategies that might help you kick the financial emergencies off:

Analyze the circumstances

Businesses, if not tackled with care, can land you in grave trouble. In case of emergencies, the first thing you must do is not go nuts and avoid losing control over your mind. Instead, activate your critical sense and evaluate the situation. Then, with a calm mind, dig to the base of the arose problem. Call for employee meetings and figure out the best possible ways to get the problem dusted off.

Highlight your financial outgoings

Precaution is better than cure! Nevertheless, these lines create a deep impression on every matter of life, from medical to accounting. Paying bills is painful, but you cannot avoid them. It would be best if you cleared your bills to maintain a respected name in the corporate market. Some accounts are essential than the other ones. They need to be removed before the other ones. So, to start prioritizing your billings.

Once you are set with the bills aligned from most important to least important, now you are required to chop off your expenses. Of course, spending is a standard part of a business. But it would help if you constantly went for reducing your costs to save more and more.

Have a word with your lenders

In any case, if you are having sedate issues in charging your bank cards, clearing your bills, or any other problem, immediately contact your lender. Do not delay. It can cost you way too much loss. Unfortunately, one of the prevalent mistakes committed by businesspersons is that they get on track to contact the lender when it’s already too late. So, if you find your accounts getting tighter on the payments, immediately contact your lender.

Find a source of extra income

Financial hardships are uninvited and can enter suddenly in your business resulting in ruining it to the core. Therefore, you must have an alternative way to deal with this alarming financial crisis. Always have a backup plan to strengthen your back. Relying on your entity only for revenue generation is not going to help; you must have an alternative source of income. Making sensible investments can also be a great help along the line. One very best idea is to get money from your saving buckets. A saving bucket can also be considered an emergency finding that will surely save you from financial jeopardy.

Professional assistance is a must

If you get way too panicked and cannot get through the accounting decline, you are free to consult a professional for help. The corporate world is loaded with professionals that can seamlessly tackle accounting emergencies. Giving out solutions is their regular job, and they are way too professional in doing so. Apart from providing you relief, you will have an idea to come up with the best possible ways to avoid such circumstances in the future.

The government has also set up a team of professionals strictly designated to fetch emergency assistance when needed.

Conclusion

Many unseen thrones are pricked within the back of a businessperson. As a result, they have a lot to face and handle, along with multiple financial emergencies. The above article will help you get through these situations with ease.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.

All-in-one accounting practice management software is all you need to deal with different kinds of accounting issues and enhance productivity. Accounting professionals can manage the billing and invoices and other accounting elements. Accounting projects and financial transactions can easily be tracked and completed on time.

View project status, interact with team members and clients, keep client information up to date, and easily save and exchange critical papers and files with others—all with a single piece of software.

Practice management software also allows managers to keep better track of staff time, ensuring that assignments happen on time, and manage work in progress (WIP) invoicing, which will enable you to bill for work accomplished today while charging for the remainder later.

Some of the top-rated practice management software that can make your accounting practices easier:

• Canopy Practice Management
• Empire Suite
• Office Tools Cloud
• Practice Pro 365
• Thomson Reuters Practice CS

Several of these practice management software tools are designed to help you with your business accounting to increase efficiency and productivity. Here is what to look for in practice management software.

Customer relationship management (CRM)

A CRM, or customer relationship management software, is what it sounds like: software for managing client interactions. It aids with the management of data such as customer information and interactions, leads, contracts, and more.

While CRM software allows you to perform generic functions like emailing and creating contact lists, a good CRM should allow you to do much more. CRM software can track your relationship with a client from the moment they become a lead to the moment you bill them for casework, upload documents or create tasks right from their profile, and improve efficiency with bulk action features.

Cloud-based document management

Not only can document management software benefit the environment, but it also benefits your accounting company. Document management software helps you keep all your papers in one handy location rather than cluttering your workplace with file cabinets and overflowing drawers of documents and folders. Any team member can access any file with permission to do so in the settings. On your days off, you won’t have to rush back to the office to retrieve a document for a client or colleague.

Project management

At a deeper level, this software helps you to view the firm’s overall process, track progress, and ensure that projects don’t fall through the gaps. Accounting experts can spot ways to streamline operations and fulfill critical deadlines for their company and clients. That’s not something a sticky note can achieve.

Easy billing and invoicing

Accountants are familiar with the frustrations of not always being paid on time or not being paid at all. The good news is that billing and invoicing software may help you reduce accounts receivable and boost cash flow.

Billing and invoicing may be done without software, but it is more efficient and will help you get paid more quickly.

Enhancing your profitability

You’ll be able to operate more effectively and productively if you have good practice management, which equals higher profit margins and a better cash flow for your clinic.

In the end, efficiency benefits and process improvements lead to less time spent on administrative chores and more time spent on high-value jobs like bringing in new business.

Increasing your ability to compete

How do accountants and bookkeepers compete when no one can generate a “better” tax return than the guy down the street? It all comes down to service quality, connections, and knowledge.

Accountants may differentiate themselves by organizing their workflow, increasing their productivity, and better managing their clients, all of which are necessary for providing outstanding client care.

Each piece of software has a distinct and vital duty to play in running an efficient and productive accounting business, but having a different part of the software for each function may rapidly become costly and chaotic.

About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing service to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud platform where their QuickBooks™️ file, critical financial documents, and back-office tools are hosted in an efficient SSO environment. Complete Controller’s team of certified US-based accounting professionals provide bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting, and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay. With flat-rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost-effective expert accounting solution for business, family-office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.