Choosing an Accountant

By Brian Austin, Vice Chairman, Padgett Business Services

CHOOSING AN ACCOUNTANT

After 40 years in the accounting profession, I have come to realize that the decision most people make when choosing an accountant is often based on a single factor or a referral. A seasoned veteran of our organization with more experience than me at the time explained to me that people just want an accountant who would CARE for them. Of course, the CARE translated into the attributes you should be looking for in an accountant or the organization they represent. So …. what does CARE stand for? Simply put,  it is COMPETENT, APPEARANCE, RESPONSIBLE and EMPATHY. Follow me on this as I explain what my learned friend meant by each of these terms. I will deal with each of these in the coming days.