Congratulations! Business is booming, sales have never been greater, and production has gone through the roof. Maybe you’ve hired more employees, or maybe you’ve had a breakthrough. But now, doing your own books is getting difficult or is preventing you from growing your business. Whatever the case may be, you realize now more than ever that you need an accountant. Enter Scott Brinser, founder and owner of Brinser Consulting. With over 25 years of experience in accounting, Scott’s journey into his own business wasn’t much different from other solo entrepreneurs. What started as helping only a few clients became a full-time venture and in some cases part time CFO for other small to mid-size businesses. In fact, Scott isn’t afraid to go above and beyond an accountant role. He often coaches businesses and even draft sales proposals. But taking that leap of faith didn’t come without challenges. In the first six months after Scott got started, his first client dropped off. And although Scott had started working with more clients by that point, it was a fresh reminder that marketing his business to more clients is just as important as helping them. That said, the biggest challenge has been overcoming client hesitancy on opening up their books. And rightly so. In a world where some people give accountants a bad name, building trust with clients is one of the most important roles Scott takes on. “[Whether business owners] are afraid, embarrassed, or ashamed, I’ve taken the mentality: You can’t scare me no matter how bad you think it is. It’s always fixable.” With a penchant for puzzles, Scott’s goal is to minimize the stress and worry by simplifying the back-end numbers. By doing so, they can become a tool for making better decisions, rather than a point of frustration. Even so, many people who recognize the benefits of an outsourced account fall into two traps. The first is that anyone can do bookkeeping, so business owners may hire a friend or relative over a stranger. The other misperception is that trustworthy bookkeepers must also be CPAs. Neither of which are true. In reality, just like hiring a professional to fix your car, past experience, access to resources, and quality of tools makes all the difference. The result? Better informed business decisions. And while CPAs can also do accounting, most small businesses don’t need many of the specialties CPAs offer, such as providing audited financial statements to investors. Bottomline: Scott’s advice to fellow entrepreneurs and business owners is to be fearless in asking questions. “There is so much more to running a business than being good at your craft. The more questions you ask, the earlier you can recognize how hiring an expert may help you.” To learn more about Scott and the services he offers, visit: brinserconsulting.com
