How outsourced accountants can boost your business bottom line

Introduction:

As an accounting firm, you know the challenges of staying competitive in an industry that is rapidly evolving. With the rise of new technologies, changing regulations, and increased competition, traditional accounting practices are struggling to keep pace. The good news is that accounting outsourcing can help you stay ahead of the curve and improve your finance function and ultimately your business performance.

According to the Accounting Services Global Market report 2023, the global market size of accounting is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% by 2027.

This growth is being driven by the increasing complexity of tax regulations, the rise of digital technologies, and the need for business to make data-driven financial decisions. As a result, many accounting firms are turning to outsourcing as a way to stay competitive and provide better value for their accounting service.

In this blog post, we'll explore the challenges faced by traditional accounting service, common reasons why accounting establishments struggle to remain competitive, and how outsourced accounting solutions can help accounting firms mitigate these challenges.

Challenges faced by traditional accounting services

Big accounting organisations play a crucial role in the business world, providing a range of service offerings with a professional accountant including auditing, tax consulting, managing cash flow, finance administration, and financial advisory service to customers.

However, the size and complexity of their team operations can pose a range of challenges, particularly in terms of managing their large customer base and ensuring customer satisfaction. In this context, it's important to understand the key challenges faced by the accounting team and how they work to overcome them.

Here are some of the challenges faced by Australian accountants:

• Maintaining customer satisfaction:

  An accounting business typically has a large customer base, which can make it challenging to ensure that all end users receive the same level of attention and service. This can lead to dissatisfaction among some customers, particularly those who feel that their needs are not being met.

• Attracting and retaining top talent:

  Accounting is a highly competitive industry, and companies need to attract and retain top talent in Australia to remain competitive. It is difficult for accounting firms to find the right talent that best fits the job expectations with the required skill sets due to the high labor turnover in the accounting industry.

• Keeping up with technological changes:

  The accounting industry in Australia is constantly evolving, and accounting business firms need to keep up with technological changes in accounting work to remain competitive. This can be a significant challenge, particularly for organisations that have large, complex legacy systems in place.

• Managing risk:

  Regulations and laws get updated constantly in the business environment and it is necessary for accounting firms to remain compliant with the changes in regulations. If accounting firms do not keep up with the changing legal obligations, it can have disastrous complications on the firm’s reputation and viability in the market.

• Balancing quality and profitability

  Accounting organisations are under constant pressure to maintain profitability, but this can sometimes come at the expense of quality. To be profitable the firm may be often faced with the tough decision of setting high prices for its services which can affect its viability in the market due to stiff competition.

• Maintaining data privacy and security:

  With the increasing amount of sensitive data being handled by big accounting business firms, maintaining data privacy and security has become a major challenge. Accounting establishments need to ensure that customer data is stored and transmitted securely, and that they comply with relevant data privacy regulations.

• Adapting to regulatory changes:

  The accounting industry is heavily regulated in Australia, and accounting companies need to be able to adapt quickly to changes in regulations and standards with a professional tax accountant or tax agent. Accounting consulting services need to stay up-to-date with the latest regulatory changes on tax returns, super contributions, and payroll services and have systems and processes in place to ensure compliance.

Common reasons why accounting firms struggle to remain competitive

Here are some of the common reasons why bookkeeping services lose the competition war in Australia and ultimately shut down their business.

• Poor communication:

  Lack of communication or poor communication can lead to misunderstandings, unmet expectations, and dissatisfaction with the services provided. Customers want to feel that they are being heard and that their concerns are being addressed in a timely and effective manner. If an accounting firm fails to communicate effectively with its end users, it may lose itself to a competitor that provides better communication.

• Inadequate services:

  If an accounting business firm fails to deliver the services that customers expect, they may look for a different firm that can meet their needs. This can be due to a lack of experience, insufficient resources, or an inability to adapt to changing end-user needs. An accounting organisation needs to continually assess its service offerings and ensure that they are meeting the evolving needs of its end users.

• Poor customer service:

  Outsourced accounting providers Customers expect prompt and best service from their accounting firm. If they are met with unresponsive or unfriendly service, they may feel undervalued and seek out a more client-focused firm. To retain the end users, an accounting provider need to provide a high level of customer service, responding quickly to inquiries and taking steps to address any concerns or complaints.

• Cost:

  Pricing is a significant factor in customer retention. If an accounting firm's pricing is too high or if customers perceive that they are not receiving sufficient value for the cost of services, they may look for a more affordable option. So, they need to ensure that their pricing is competitive, transparent, and provides clear value to their end users.

• Trust and confidence:

  Clients need to trust their accounting firm and have confidence in their ability to provide accurate, reliable services. Any breach of trust, such as a security breach, financial impropriety, or other ethical lapses, can result in the loss of customers. A bookkeeping company needs to take steps to build and maintain trust with its clients, including implementing strong security and ethical standards and proactively communicating any issues that arise.

How accounting outsourcing solutions can help an accounting firm mitigate the challenges?

Accounting outsourcing can be an effective way for an accounting company in Australia to mitigate some of the challenges they face. Accounting outsourcing services can increase overall efficiency and productivity by freeing up in-house staff to focus on higher-value activities. By outsourcing certain accounting functions to an outsourced team such as bookkeeping services, tax preparation, or data entry, accounting firms can ensure that all functions are performed accurately and timely with faster turnaround times and increased customer satisfaction.

In addition, accounting outsourcing allows the accounting business to focus on specialised experience in accounting function such as tax law, finance functions, accounts payable, or accounting software. Outsourcing can be particularly beneficial for businesses that do not have in-house experience in these areas or who are looking to improve their growth strategies with process-driven tasks. With the outsourcing journey, an accounting company can enhance its overall service quality while also maintaining profitability after deriving insights from the deep expertise of the outsourcing team.

You can expect the following benefits by outsourcing your accounting activities:

• Outsourcing can also provide access to specialised technology and software that the accounting company may not have in-house.
• Outsourcing can offer flexibility in scaling up or down accounting functions to match business needs.
• By outsourcing certain accounting functions, businesses can reduce the risk of errors or fraudulent activities.
• Outsourcing can also provide additional security measures to protect sensitive financial information.

Misconceptions about outsourcing accounting service

Let's take a look at the common misconceptions that accounting firms harbor about outsourcing finance functions to other providers.

• Loss of control:

  Outsourcing companies work with the accounting business to develop service-level agreements that define the scope of work, quality standards, and delivery timelines. This ensures that the accounting business maintains control over the outsourcing process, and the outsourcing company is held accountable for the quality and accuracy of the work performed.

• Security concerns:

  Many businesses are concerned about the security of their financial information when outsourcing. However, reputable outsourcing providers have strict security protocols in place to protect customer data. Outsourcing providers often have better security measures in place than small businesses can afford to implement themselves.

• Quality concerns:

  Some accounting establishments worry that outsourcing accounting service will result in lower-quality work. However, outsourcing providers often have a team of experienced professionals with expertise in different areas of accounting, which can result in higher quality work than a single in-house accountant.

• Language and cultural barriers:

  There are concerns about language and cultural barriers when outsourcing accounting services. However, many outsourcing providers have multilingual staff and have experience working with clients from different cultures and backgrounds.

It's important to do your research and choose a reputable outsourcing provider to ensure that your financial information is in good hands. By addressing these common misconceptions and working with a trusted outsourcing provider, businesses can experience the many benefits of outsourcing accounting service.

Wrapping up!

Accounting businesses in Australia face a range of challenges that can impact their ability to attract and retain clients. These challenges include balancing the quality of back office tasks and profitability, managing a large customer base, and keeping up with changing regulations and technology. However, by taking proactive steps to address these challenges, such as improving communication and customer service and outsourcing of finance tasks, many organisations can mitigate these risks and retain clients for the long term.

AccountGlobal is a trusted outsourced accounting partner that can help mitigate the challenges faced by accounting businesses in Australia. We offer a range of accounting outsourcing service to help accounting establishments improve their efficiency and productivity, reduce costs and review time, and better meet the needs of their clients on tax compliance. AccountGlobal stays up-to-date with changing regulations and technology, providing accounting businesses with the latest insights and tools to stay competitive.

With AccountGlobal's outsourced accounting services in Australia, accounting firms can get access to specialised areas such as bookkeeping, payroll, planning tax returns, payroll tax, and financial reporting. This cost-effective strategy of outsourcing frees up the in-house accountants of accounting businesses and helps them to focus on higher-value activities, such as advisory services while ensuring that all functions are performed accurately and timely.

Set up a meeting with our team today to get started with top-notch outsourced accounting services and scale success!