Virtual Services of an Outsourced Accounting Firm: Your Questions, Answered

You may have already heard about the benefits of virtual accounting. Whether or not you work out of Nashville, using the virtual services of an accounting firm can help you access important financial data easily, enjoy the increased efficiency of digital bookkeeping, and save resources that would have been otherwise spent on maintaining an in-house accountant.

But what is it like working remotely with an accountant? Read on to find out.

Will I still retain control even while outsourcing?

You might wonder if things could slip right under your nose since you won’t be able to check in on the accountant poring over ledgers in your office. The truth is, just because you give up a brick-and-mortar setup doesn’t mean you’ll be ceding any responsibility or control.

Virtual accounting software, in fact, empowers you to exercise more oversight over your finances, which you can easily view on a computer. It’s not just that digital books can record, organize, and track data more efficiently than paper files. Some software can crunch the numbers for you, offering quick analyses so you can understand your finances better.

How do I know my information is secure?

It’s a very understandable concern: how safe will all the data about your business be, sitting somewhere “in the cloud”? The truth is, you may have nothing to worry about; much information from people’s daily lives are already stored similarly online, thanks to services like social media, streaming, and shopping. The data-protection safeguards that bolster these services will protect your accounts, too.

But you’ll need to invest some time towards understanding the specific security issues involved in virtual accounting. When you meet with your service provider, you’ll have to ask them how they address these. A reputable accounting firm will explain their security protocols step by step, and ensure they are kept up to date.

On your end, you will also have to observe basic security practices. For example, you must manage how many and who among your employees have user account access to the accounting software.

How can I work comfortably with an accountant I do not see?

The answer to this is simply to take advantage of even more virtual services. Email, online messaging, and tele- and video conferencing are all proven methods of communicating while teleworking. There is no reason why you shouldn’t use them to keep in touch with your accountant. Some accounting software can even record notes and comments exchanged between you, so you’ll have all your communication ready for review.

Of course, it’s important to get to know an accountant before signing up for a virtual service. For your business in Nashville, you can contact Evan Hutcheson, CPA, LLC to discuss in person or over the phone how the firm can help you through this service.

 

Sources:

The Top 4 Biggest Virtual Accounting Concerns of Business Owners, AccountingDepartment.com
Virtual Accounting Solves the 7 Biggest Bookkeeping Problems, AccountingDepartment.com