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The Changing Landscape of Bookkeeping & CPA Services
The landscape of Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) has seen tremendous evolution over the past few years. Thanks to the remarkable technological development, which has transformed every industry. However, it cannot only be attributed to the advances in technology but also a significant change in client expectations and the regulatory landscape.
The conventional number-crunching CPAs responsible for tax filing are a small minority in the current financial realm. Modern CPAs are multidimensional professionals with a wide gamut of skill sets and a much more strategic approach to everything they offer. Bookkeeping is a firm example of that.
Once seen as the foundation of administrative tasks, Bookkeeping is now a dynamic and strategic function within CPA firms. Just as with the role of CPAs, we can also attribute the evolution of Bookkeeping to the ongoing technological advancements, regulatory shifts, and changing client expectations.
While some CPAs prefer to outsource Bookkeeping, some like to keep the function in-house as a sign of their proficiency in the practice. From the massive influx of technology to the emergence of outsourcing as a mean to expand your service offerings, both CPA and Bookkeeping, as a practice, is amid a whirlpool of changes that can impact them both for good and evil, equally, depending upon the way you cope up with evolution.
In this blog, we look closer at how CPAs can maximize efficiency if they outsource Bookkeeping and capitalize on the key trends, bringing back their focus on core competencies.
Why Outsourced Bookkeeping Makes Sense for CPAs?
As a CPA practitioner, deciding whether or not to outsource bookkeeping can be perplexing. Especially considering how multifaceted the modern CPA practices are, it requires you to provide strategic financial services and help clients with regulatory compliance, advisory services, and financial insights.
The shift in the expectations from the CPAs has compelled them to diversify their service portfolio and discover new means to add value to their clients. Outsourcing has emerged as one of the most fruitful means for CPAs.
Let’s look at some of the key factors making CPAs outsource bookkeeping services for their clients and why it makes sense for them to do so.
• Bring Focus Back on Core Competencies:
Outsourcing bookkeeping frees ample time and resources for CPAs, allowing them to redirect all their energy toward high-value services, such as tax planning, financial analysis, and strategic consulting. As a result, they can provide specialized services and insights to their clients.
• Expertise and Technology
CPAs often need more resources when hiring professionals with the right balance of accounting expertise and technical skills. However, if they outsource bookkeeping and other functions, the outsourcing service providers take care of all this. Outsourcing service providers give them instant access to cutting-edge technology and specialized expertise without investing heavily in the training and education of resources.
• Scalability and Agility
CPA firms are often burdened by the seasonal surge in demand for their services, which hampers their growth plans. However, if they outsource bookkeeping and other accounting services, they can scale their services up or down as required and without hiring additional staff.
• Scalability and Agility
An in-house bookkeeping team can be expensive as it attracts costs such as salaries, training, and infrastructure. However, when you outsource bookkeeping, the outsourcing service provider takes care of all those expenses and allows you to save on all those expenses. In addition, you also save on expenses such as investment in technology infrastructure and software.
• Scalability and Agility
Outsourcing bookkeeping services give CPAs enough time and resource to focus on business growth opportunities such as exploring new markets and diversifying the service portfolio. Outsourcing also empowers CPAs to boost the growth potential of their practice.
Overall, outsourced bookkeeping services make sense for CPAs as they seamlessly align with their strategic objectives while offering them expertise access, cost savings, enhanced efficiency, and scalability.
Key Bookkeeping Functions for CPAs to Outsource
As a CPA firm looking to streamline your operations, bring focus back on core competencies, or just increase efficiency, outsourcing bookkeeping is the way to go. By partnering with a specialized CPA outsourcing service provider, you can significantly boost the accuracy, compliance, and turnaround time (TAT) for your services. If you are looking to outsourcing bookkeeping functions, here are some of the key ones that you can start with:
- Accounts Payable and Receivable Management
- Bank Reconciliation
- Financial Statement Preparation
- Payroll Processing
- Expense Tracking and Reporting
- Data Entry and Reconciliation
- General Ledger Maintenance
- Tax Preparation Support
- Vendor and Customer Management
- Financial Data Analysis
Outsourcing these bookkeeping functions can help you free up significant times and in-house resources that you can deploy towards business growth and your core competencies. However, depending upon the size of your CPA firm and the nature of services you offer, you can decide to outsource some other services as well.
The Power of Outsourcing Bookkeeping for CPA Firms
In the modern competitive market, CPA firms looking to gain a significant edge over their counterparts must consider outsourcing effective. Outsourcing will not only allow you to streamline your daily operations but also will enable you to create and deliver superior client service and stand out from your competitors.
Outsourcing bookkeeping has become an effective business strategy for CPA firms looking to transform their business offerings and deliver value to their clients. If you are a CPA firm looking to diversify your service catalog while streamlining your daily operations and offering strategic, cost-effective services to your clients, we have the right solution. Write to us at [email protected], and we will have our CPA services expert reach out to you with a service tailored just for you.
