Every year millions of e-commerce sellers join the Amazon marketplace to start a new business because of its simple process and greater opportunities. Building a good accounting framework becomes necessary to scale and nurture your e-commerce business. You look into an Amazon seller accountant. They will not only keep your books clean but advise you on vital business decisions and make successful plans for business growth.
Here’s a guide for e-commerce business owners to find an Amazon seller accountant or bookkeeper.
Table of Contents
Ways To Find An Amazon Accountant Or Bookkeeper.
Before looking up ways to find an Amazon accountant or bookkeeper, make sure whether you need an accountant or a bookkeeper. Most people use the terms accountant and bookkeeper interchangeably, but they perform different functions.
Know What You Want.
Firstly, you must know what you can expect from an Amazon accountant or bookkeeper. Look into your business journey and identify your present complexities.
Small to medium-sized businesses may require a professional to handle the basics. At this stage, you can hire a bookkeeper to help you with daily operations, reconciling your accounts and keeping your books neat. However, as your business grows and accounting complexities increase, you need to hire the best accountant UK with broader support and additional skill sets.
Look Into Their Qualification.
As the term “accountant” is not legally protected, anyone can use it. Therefore, business owners need to ask bookkeepers and accountants for their basic qualifications.
A bookkeeper can start working with a secondary school qualification. However, most bookkeeping qualifications are at a diploma or certificate level under courses available at technical colleges and universities like The Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB) and the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).
AAT certification is the basic qualification for accountants. In contrast, specialist accountants can have the ACCA, ACA, and CIMA qualifications and be members of a professional accounting body in the UK.
Ask For Your Experience.
Education is essential, but the experience of an accountant plays a vital role in a successful business when it comes to the Amazon marketplace. Ask your accountant or bookkeeper if they have previously worked for an e-commerce business or had experience in working with Amazon sellers.
Are They Tech-Savvy?
When running an e-commerce business on Amazon, you must look for a person who can use computers, software, and online tools. With the advancement of technology, we have seen a shift from the manual double-entry accounting system to online cloud-based systems; therefore, tech-savvy accountants are the best choice for your business.
Your bookkeepers and accountants must have a good grasp of technology as businesses automate their accounting tasks and use software like QuickBooks, Xero, etc.
Look Into Their Soft Skills.
Having the proper education and ability to crunch numbers or technical knowledge is insufficient for a specialist accountant. They must be an expert in
- Communication,
- Time management,
- Ability to listen to figures,
- Have strong professional ethics,
- Can work efficiently under pressure,
- Multitasking ability,
- Expertise in handling a team,
- Good networking,
- Leadership skills,
- Numerical skills,
- Problem-solving ability, and
- Attention to detail
Ask A Few Questions
You need to ask a few questions to find the right Amazon accountant for your e-commerce business. These are:
- On which platform do they have specialisation in working?
- How much can they help me in growing my business?
- Do they prefer working with cash or accrual-based accounting?
- Which technology or software will they use?
- What services come under the fees they charge?
Ask For Their Charges.
The cost of hiring an accountant or bookkeeper depends on the complexity of your accounting tasks. As you increase the number of services, they will charge you more. Remember to ask them how they charge you? Is it an hourly rate, a monthly basis, or a fixed fee? Is there any hidden cost or additional charges like a software subscription added to the fixed charge?
It is essential to talk with these professionals face to face and understand whether they are eligible for your business. You can also ask for their customer reference to enquire about the accountant or bookkeeper before hiring them.
Conclusion
Hiring an Amazon accountant in UK for your e-commerce business can save you more time, have a better cash flow, increase efficiency, and help with VAT and other taxes. Since they have previous experience working with Amazon sellers, they can understand your business and organise your data and information to help you generate business growth in less time.
Amazon being the most significant marketplace globally, has millions of competitors selling the same kind of product and services at the same time. Therefore, you need to find the right accountant or bookkeeper for your Amazon business to survive the competition.