A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a trusted financial advisor who helps individuals, businesses and other organizations plan and reach their financial goals. The financial information that a business gains when using a CPA allows executives to make informed business decisions by effectively planning for their business’s future.
CPAs are not only tax preparers; they also offer a variety of services like audit and assurance, estate planning, wealth management, business consultation, and international advisory services. In the current climate as technology continues to advance, accounting firms are finding that their compliance work hours are lessening because of technological advancements like the cloud, AI, machine learning, big data analytics and block-chain. Firms have the ability to benefit from potential new business service lines they now have time to offer their clients.
Regardless of what services you are seeking from a CPA, clients should always expect strategic planning and financial advice. There is a reason why their expertise and experience demand higher fees. Not only will your CPA serve as a business advisor, they will also save you money, as well as provide you with more time to focus on other parts of your business.
Although there are various accounting organizations and each is different, most provide access to new business opportunities, inbound and outbound referrals, access to technical manuals, training at online and live events, business development guidance, and international opportunities. Accounting organization member firms share knowledge with one another on accounting, tax, auditing and advisory services. For example, CPAmerica is made up of 75 member firms across the United States, and is unique in that they are also a member of Crowe Global that expands to more than 130 countries. CPAmerica’s members can call on any of these firms’ expertise when they need it, which greatly expands their knowledge base and, in turn, what they can offer their clients.
By Sarah Coulson
Sarah Coulson is Marketing Program Manager at CPAmerica International, located in Gainesville, Florida.
