How to make money with accounting outsourcing: a step-by-step guide

What is the job

A company providing accounting services must consist of educated workers (higher economic education).
It is advisable for a person who opens his own company to have skills in this area. This will help a lot at the initial stage. However, there are examples when an entrepreneur opened his own company without knowledge of accounting, initially hiring competent specialists to his staff. The work is aimed at offering services to companies that need them. Many organizations opt for outsourcing, since hiring an accountant on their staff is not always profitable. If the company employs experienced accountants, and the owner advertises the services provided well, then it will be possible to achieve high profits within a year.

Preparation of documents at the tax authority

To provide accounting services, you can choose either to register an individual entrepreneur (individual entrepreneur) or open a legal entity, for example, an LLC (limited liability company). The first option is more suitable for those who organize a business alone and choose a small format to begin with.

Most often, individual entrepreneurs are opened by people with an accounting education and sufficient experience in this field. At the same time, they are fully involved in the process, also involved in customer service, advertising, etc. Read about how to register an individual entrepreneur yourself.

In other cases, when there are several entrepreneurs, or it is planned to serve mainly legal entities, it is more advisable to open an LLC. In this case, you will need to collect an impressive package of constituent documents and contribute an authorized capital of at least 10 thousand rubles. To register a business, you should contact the local branch of the Federal Tax Service with an application and a receipt for payment of the state duty (for individual entrepreneurs - 800 rubles, for LLCs - 4,000 rubles).

As a standard, copies of the constituent documents (for LLC) and a copy of the passport (for individual entrepreneurs) must be attached to the application. Five days after applying and submitting documents, you will receive a Certificate of Legal Registration. persons (or individual entrepreneurs) and can start working immediately.

Business demand

People interested in outsourcing wonder if it is in demand. Among small and medium-sized businesses, there are organizations that understand their field, but as soon as it comes to accounting, they are lost. For most of them, it is not profitable to hire an accountant on an ongoing basis to perform only a few tasks per month. Such companies become regular clients of firms that provide accountant services. Even a large company that already has the right specialist on its staff asks for help if it needs to complete a complex task.

The business is considered in demand. The services are used by organizations working in the following areas:

• sales
• construction
• consultations with people
• education
• Agriculture

Anyone who runs a formal business at the entry level often asks for help. More often, individual entrepreneurs and small LLCs come to the company. A popular service is tax return preparation. The more services a company can provide, the greater its profits will be. At an early stage, you should strive to provide simple and relevant accounting calculations.

Premises and equipment

To organize a business providing accounting services, when opening an individual entrepreneur, it is not necessary to rent an office. At first, you can open an accounting office at home and meet clients on their territory. When the volume of work increases and there is a need to attract new employees, you can already think about an office with an area of ​​40-50 square meters. Such a room will be quite enough to accommodate 5 computer desks for your accountants.

You may be interested in: What is needed to open a speech therapy office?

The best office location is close to potential clients. In addition, you should conduct a competitor analysis so as not to rent premises next to some well-promoted company that also provides accounting services. Another very good idea would be to rent a room next to the tax office, so that clients can do several things related to the company’s reporting in one place at the same time.

As for equipment, if you work from home for the first time, you will only need a computer, Internet, office equipment and licensed programs. For an office, you will have to allocate money to renovate the premises and purchase furniture.

Be sure, before you organize a business in accounting services from scratch, you need to acquire a working phone number, which you will need to advertise when promoting your office.

Staff

Opening your own accounting department at first may be possible without involving partners, but when business starts to improve, you will need to hire several qualified accountants. A mandatory requirement is work experience, because... Your little-known company should not be tarnished by unskilled workers.

You can even find employees via the Internet. Many female accountants are interested in how to make extra money on their knowledge while on maternity leave. Look for appropriate forums and offer cooperation.

How to open an accounting services company

Before starting to provide accounting services, the question may arise: does an entrepreneur need to have the knowledge of a professional accountant?

As in any business, knowledge of the specifics is a definite plus, but not a requirement. You can entrust the control function over the work of personnel to a highly qualified accountant; the main thing in this case is to find him. The cost of paying such a specialist is a minus.

Licensing

Do I need to obtain a license to provide accounting services? No, don't. Accounting services are not subject to licensing. If you decide to provide audit services, in this case a license is required.

What permits are needed for an accounting services business? No special documents are needed, regular registration with the tax office, as an entrepreneur or legal entity, and that’s all.

LLC or individual entrepreneur

Which organizational and legal form to choose: individual entrepreneur or LLC? If you have a partner(s) in the business, then open an LLC to give everyone a share.

If there are no partners, then register an individual entrepreneur:

• fines for violations are 10 times less;
• There is no need to keep accounting records;
• there are no problems with cashing out and spending proceeds;
• regulatory authorities are always more loyal to individual entrepreneurs than to companies;
• no need for a legal address, place of registration - registration of the entrepreneur;
• easy to register and close.

Tax system

There are three taxation options (a patent for individual entrepreneurs, as well as UTII do not apply when providing accounting services):

• regular taxation system;
• simplified “income”;
• simplified “income minus expenses”.

The most optimal option when providing accounting services is the simplified “income”.

Cash machine

If clients pay for accounting services in cash, you will need a cash register.

You can ask the client to transfer cash to a current account at the nearest bank branch so as not to spend money on cash registers. But this is convenient if the bank is located in the same building where your office is located. Otherwise, the client may leave to look for a bank and never return.

Range of services

What services can an accounting services firm provide? Here is a sample list:

• Drawing up primary documents;
• Accounting;
• Preparation and submission of zero reports;
• Preparation of accounting and tax reporting;
• Restoration of accounting records;
• Development of accounting policies;
• Setting up accounting in the organization;
• Payroll;
• Personnel accounting;
• Consulting.

It is imperative to include in the services provided the registration of individual entrepreneurs and LLCs, and for this it is not at all necessary to hire a lawyer.

These are basic services, they are often provided along with legal and auditing services, and they also produce stamps, provide legal addresses, open bank accounts, and so on.

Staff

The following employees will be needed:

• The person involved in registering individual entrepreneurs and LLCs with the tax office;
• Courier;
• Primary accountant (accountant assistant);
• Accountants, leading firms are the main employees.

Organizations providing accounting services must be responsible for the quality of their services. If an accountant makes a mistake, the client may have problems: fines, penalties, blocking of the current account, and so on. The client can file a claim, terminate the contract, and the business reputation of the company will be tarnished.

Therefore, it is imperative to develop an internal control system and empower some employees with such powers. They can be called differently: internal auditors, auditors, controllers. The main task is to monitor the timely submission of reports, the correctness of tax calculations and reporting. This will provide additional control over the quality of services.

If the company is small, such control can be exercised by the director, deputy or head of the accounting department. What an employer will forgive his staff accountant, he will not forgive an organization providing accounting services:

• Lost primary documents will need to be restored;
• Compensate for costs when additional taxes and penalties are assessed.

Many firms providing accounting services insure their liability to the client.

The company will need one more specialist - a system administrator, and we cannot do without him. It is advisable that he understands accounting programs and ensures the smooth functioning of accountants. The system administrator can only be invited if a problem occurs.

Office rental

Many experts advise renting an office near the tax office. This makes sense, but is not at all a necessary condition. The main thing is that the office is located in a decent location: near bus stops, parking lots, and not in an industrial zone or residential area, but for example, in a business center.

And the office should look decent: if not luxurious, but renovated and with normal furniture, so that the client feels comfortable (and the employees too).

The size of the office depends on the number of staff. It is advisable (not necessary at the initial stage) to have a separate room for the manager to communicate with clients in a private environment. Coworking is perfect for this - renting a workplace, not a whole office, with the provision of furniture, office equipment, internet, tea/coffee.

A coworking space must have a meeting room. Yes, you have to pay for it, but usually the price is not high, and the first hour is free. Be sure to find out if there is a coworking space in your city. Go and see the conditions, maybe this is a better option than an office.

There are government-funded coworking spaces with free visiting hours, and there are those where the first day is free.

Business development

To successfully develop a business, you need customers, and you need to attract them through advertising. The following methods are suitable for this:

• Brand promotion - creating a trademark, for example, naming and making this name recognizable in your city (signboard, advertising, business cards, advertising brochures, etc.);
• Internet promotion - website creation;
• Advertising in the city - placing advertisements in local newspapers, websites, and on television.

Despite the rapid development of the Internet in the country, small businesses are poorly promoting themselves on the Internet. Many companies do not have the simplest business card website with contacts and a minimum of information about themselves, or the websites are such that it would be better not to have them at all.

It’s so convenient for the client: go to the website, see prices, list of services provided, contacts, directions. Using the website, the client can easily pay for services: by credit card or using an electronic wallet. If the site contains useful thematic articles, this is an additional plus. The information on the site must be current and truthful.

Combining two accounting business models

Today, few accounting service departments work completely remotely. Often, remote employees and clients appear at the firm in addition to full-time accountants in the office and clients in their city. Remote work is an important step to expand your capabilities and beat competitors who only use the traditional business model.

In conclusion, here are the reviews of two heads of accounting service departments: one of them works completely remotely, the other has just begun to develop a remote direction.

What do you need

Let's go to the top. What does it take for an accounting firm to start working normally? Let's assume that there is a business plan, a loan or initial capital will be available, and an office has been selected. So:

1. We will not write about business registration. But if you don’t know, then “Clerk” has a lot of useful articles on how to register an LLC or individual entrepreneur.

2. Select a bank for cash settlement services. We have a calculator where you can choose favorable rates.

3. Assemble a team. We won't recommend it either. But if anything, we have a channel on Telegram, where good accountants are looking for good jobs.

4. Select a program for keeping records and sending reports.

4. Choose a system for working with clients - and this is probably the most important point for a company that wants to establish a business.

Such systems are called CRM or CRM. Translated as “customer relationship management system.”

Let's find out what options an accounting company has that is planning to grow but doesn't know how to avoid getting overwhelmed by the flow of tasks.

Option 1. Do everything yourself, on your knees

To be honest, most people start this way. And this option also has a right to exist.

If the company has just opened and it is difficult to predict how successfully things will go, it may be even more logical not to spend money on third-party services and try to organize the work yourself.

How do newbies get by?

• Leads (information about a potential client) are entered into a plate or simply written down on paper;
• Communicate with each other and with clients by mail or via instant messengers;
• Accounting is carried out in the same way as in a regular small business company.

By the way, many accountants are nostalgic for the accounting they used to have.

But we won't. How to move forward without spending a lot of money if your business is just getting started?

1. Search engines have a lot of templates for maintaining customer databases. So just type “customer database template in Excel.”

Or type “crm in excel” - there are training videos on how to keep records of sales and communication with clients in Excel.

2. Google Docs and Google Sheets will help a lot.

They can be made open to everyone or only selected users can be added.

Google will help coordinate the work of remote employees. Yes, you can exchange information with clients this way, why not.

Google Docs even has chat.

3. Don't forget about accounting tools.

The taxpayer's calendar is available on the Clerk, for example.

4. To coordinate the work of the team - business chats.

The most popular business messengers:

— Slack. A very convenient thing. On “Clerk” we communicate through him.

— Telegram (works great in the application bypassing blocking);

— Skype;

- WhatsApp.

5. There are free CRMs. Our most famous system is Bitrix24. If the business begins to develop, additional functions will be available for a fee.

Also, for example, from Beeline, if you buy their corporate tariff, they will give you a sales management system for free.

Option 2. Buy several programs and services

If a business is slowly growing, then most often they turn to the option of integrating several different systems into the business.

It turns out this layout:

1) 1C - for accounting. With such functionality to cover all customer needs.

In general, the tariffs and various functions of 1C are an abyss. We will not undertake to describe it in this review.

Let's just say that you need to be prepared to spend.

Recently, Clerk published a scandalous article “1C for an online store: the shine of gold for franchisees and the poverty of functionality for the user.”

2) Program for sending reports.

We have a review of “How to choose a reporting system. What should an accountant figure out before concluding a contract?

3) CRM system.

Here, in general, everything is the same as from the previous paragraph for those who want it for free. But now for the full tariff. Search in search engines, there are a lot of CRMs now. The main ones are Bitrix24, amoCRM and Megaplan.

Option 3. Buy a service that provides a full cycle of work for an accounting firm

There are services that are tailored specifically for the work of accounting firms. But most often, even with them you can’t do without 1C and a reporting system.

These services understand the specifics of the work of accounting outsourcers and add convenient features.

Well, plus, you can forget about business chats, signs and non-core CRM for accounting firms.

Outsourcing in whole or in part

The amount of savings from outsourcing depends on the completeness of the transfer of accounting authority. However, in order to maintain, for example, psychological comfort and minimize organizational difficulties, it sometimes makes sense to outsource certain areas of accounting.

By expanding the range of responsibilities of the provider, the company can gradually reach the point where the outsourcing company will be solely responsible for all errors in accounting and reporting.

Business plan for accounting services

Brief investment memorandum

Currently, outsourcing services of professional accountants are extremely popular. This is due to many factors. Firstly, this is constantly changing legislation. Secondly, it is becoming more and more expensive to employ a professional accountant and a team. As a result, the payback period for the project is 11 months, and the break-even point falls on the 3rd month of the company’s operation.

To organize a business providing accounting services, you will need to rent a premises with an area of ​​80 m2. It is advisable to locate the premises in the central part of the city with convenient access roads, parking and public transport stops. In addition to renting the premises, you will need to hire 9 employees.

The company will provide reporting, accounting and financial support services. The average number of orders is 95 pcs. Of these, most of them are for consulting services, the rest for the preparation and maintenance of financial statements. The cost of services varies from 2,500 rubles to 15,000 rubles. As a result, the financial indicators of the project will be as follows:

Initial investment - 557,000 rubles

Monthly profit - 110,000 rubles

Payback period - 11 months

Break-even point - 3 months

Return on sales - 24%

Description of business, product or service

Accounting services are always in demand. They are used by both individual entrepreneurs and large businesses. It is also worth noting that the demand for these services is very high.

Within this business, the main activity will be consulting services. At the opening stage, clients will be offered the following types of services:

• Preparation and maintenance of balance sheet/accounting for individual entrepreneurs and LLCs
• Preparation of zero reporting
• Accountant advisory services
• Preparing a company for an audit
• Supporting financial issues of legal entities and individuals.

These services will be offered during the business opening stage. As the company grows, it can also begin to provide tax consulting services, management accounting, and also implement various IT solutions.

Licensing for this activity is not required, but it is worth noting that in order to open and successfully develop this business, you will need to have skills and experience working in accounting or a similar firm. This will allow, firstly, to quickly attract your first clients, as well as quickly earn a reputation and attract new clients.

To organize a business, you will initially need to rent office space. It is advisable to look for premises in the central part of the city. The minimum area of ​​the premises is 80 m2 and includes a waiting room for clients, 2 meeting rooms and an office for staff. There is also a technical area (bathroom, technical room, warehouse).

To organize a business you will also need the following equipment:

• Computer desk (8 pieces)
• Document cabinet (3 pieces)
• Computer chairs (8 pieces)
• Chairs for visitors (3 pieces)
• Computers (8 pieces)
• Cash register
• Printer-scanner

With this equipment, the company will be able to provide a full range of services to its customers.

In addition to organizational issues, company employees need to refresh their knowledge in the field of accounting regulation in the Russian Federation. These legal acts include:

• Federal Law “On Accounting”
• Regulations on accounting and financial reporting in the Russian Federation
• Chart of Accounts
• Accounting Regulations
• Regulations on documents and document flow in accounting
• Instructions and guidelines for the application of certain accounting provisions

These provisions must be followed in order to provide professional services to our clients. High professional competencies will allow you to attract clients faster and get larger clients.

Description of the sales market

The success of this business is determined by the quality of services provided, as well as the presence of regular customers.

The main target audience is both individuals and legal entities. The largest share is occupied by legal entities - 80%, while individuals account for 20%. Individuals will seek financial advice or enter into contracts for new businesses.

The main difficulty of this business is high competition. Therefore, when opening, it is advisable to already have a small client base, as well as build a potential client base.

Competition can be dealt with in different ways. These include price competition, the use of various loyalty programs, and providing discounts on other services. The most effective way is to package a range of products at lower prices, which will allow you to constantly maintain occupancy, as well as get maximum profit per client.

Sales and Marketing

To quickly attract customers, you will need a competent marketing and advertising strategy. To create a campaign, you can hire either a private marketer or an advertising agency.

Given the high level of competition, the advertising campaign and promotion channels must be analyzed carefully. This will significantly reduce costs and get maximum returns.

The main online channels include:

• contextual advertising
• Targeted advertising on social networks
• Advertising on your own website

The main offline channels include:

• Advertising on banners and billboards
• Advertising in print media
• "Cold calls
• Business events

Since the main clients are legal entities and personal contact with the client plays a decisive role here, the greatest attention should be paid to offline channels, namely attending various events and “cold” calls.

Production plan

In general, it will take 2 months to open this business. To organize a business you will need to do the following:

• Register - IP
• Find a room
• Make repairs
• Purchase equipment
• Start hiring staff
• Start advertising
• Get started

Initially, to open a business, you will need to register a legal entity - individual entrepreneur (OKVED - 74.12 “Activities in the field of accounting and auditing”). Next, you will need to submit an application to the tax office to switch to the simplified tax system (“income-expenses”). The next step is to open a bank account and purchase a cash register.

Once all legal documents have been received, you can begin searching for premises and concluding a lease agreement. It is advisable to look for a premises with a major renovation. The next stage will be the renovation of the premises. Repairs can be made cosmetically. This will allow you to significantly save on the initial investment in the project.

Then you can start purchasing equipment and hiring staff. Purchasing equipment will take no more than one week, while hiring staff can take up to 2 weeks.

The next step is to start an advertising campaign. As soon as the first clients appear, you can conclude contracts and officially begin work.

Organizational structure

To open a business, you will need to hire the following specialists:

• Director
• Project manager
• Accountant-consultant (4 people)
• Secretary
• Cleaning woman
• Sales Manager

As a result, the total number of personnel will be 9 people. The director of the company can be either the owner or an employee. To achieve maximum business performance, the director must have experience in the industry and extensive professional experience. His responsibilities will include company development, as well as negotiations with potential clients.

The project manager is directly involved in the execution of customer orders and interacts with consultants and the director of the company. Accountant consultants also fulfill client orders, prepare documents for project managers, and collect necessary information from open sources.

The secretary receives guests and helps organize work in the office, monitors the availability of office supplies, etc. The sales manager is engaged in attracting clients, making cold calls, and collecting a database of potential clients.

The cleaning lady cleans the office in the evening. The company's accounting is carried out in-house. The advertising agency is outsourced.

Payroll fund, rub.

The full calculation of the payroll for 24 months, taking into account the bonus part and insurance contributions, is presented in the financial model.

Financial plan

Capital costs for starting an accounting services business, rub.

The total capital costs for equipment are 306,000 rubles. Of this, 224,000 rubles must be spent on purchasing computers. Also, 32,000 rubles will be spent on a computer desk.

Investments for opening, rub.

The total investment for opening a business providing accounting services is 557,000 rubles. The largest costs are for the purchase of equipment (306,000 rubles), renovation of the premises (96,000 rubles) and its rental (80,000 rubles).

Monthly costs, rub.

Average monthly costs are 548,594 rubles. Of this, an average of 410,594 rubles goes to the wage fund, and 80,000 rubles to rent premises. The average monthly profit is 113,686 rubles.

The sales plan for 24 months, taking into account seasonality, the forecast of investment efficiency and the calculation of economic indicators of the business are presented in the financial model.

Risk factors

The main risks when starting this business include:

• Lack of clients

To reduce this risk, it is necessary to create and begin to develop a potential client base even before opening, as well as hire a good advertising agency with experience in promotion in this industry.

• High competition

To reduce this risk, you need to carefully study potential competitors in your region and their competitive advantages. This will allow us to identify their weaknesses and provide better service to customers.

Search for premises

To provide services, you will need to rent a room with an area of ​​25 square meters. m. The required size of the room should be calculated based on the number of employees of the organization. According to SNiP standards, at least 6 square meters should be allocated for one office worker with a computer space. m of room area. Accordingly, for 25 sq. meters you can accommodate no more than 4 workers. If your staff is larger, then you need to look for a room of a different size. Rates for renting office space in large cities start from 1,000 rubles per sq. m. meter.

The most advantageous office location is in close proximity to the tax office. In this case, just one bright banner can attract a large number of customers. It is also profitable to rent an office in the central parts of the city, surrounded by office buildings where many small trading firms and offices operate. In this case, you need to look at the availability of convenient access roads and parking.

Organization of the project by stages

Opening an accounting firm is not difficult. The business organizer will have to go through a number of standard procedures:

• collect documents and register with the tax service;
• find office space;
• purchase furniture and office equipment;
• form a staffing structure;
• work on creating a client base.

Registration procedure

It is better to register an accounting firm as an LLC. In this case, wide opportunities for cooperation with legal entities open up. List of documents required to register an LLC:

• passport and TIN of the founder with copies;
• protocol;
• Charter in 2 copies;
• application in form P11001;
• receipt of payment of state duty (4000 rubles);
• a letter of guarantee from the owner of the premises, it is necessary to assign the legal address of the company.

Attention! When creating an LLC, an authorized capital is formed. Its minimum amount is 10,000 rubles.

To switch to a simplified taxation system, you need to notify the inspector of your desire by writing an application. The recommended contribution rate for an accounting firm is 6% of income received.

When registering, the future entrepreneur is asked to select OKVED codes from the classifier of types of activities. Services in the field of accounting and law are combined into a general group 69, which includes the following types of activities:

• maintaining records and preparing financial statements;
• conducting an audit of the enterprise;
• consulting on tax issues.

The following additional codes must be specified:

• 69.2;
• 69.20;
• 69.20.1;
• 69.20.2;
• 70.22.

Search for premises and requirements for it

The office does not have to be located in the very heart of the city; there you will have to pay more for rent. As an option, you should consider premises in a business center or on the 1st floor of a residential building in a business district. Ideally, if the tax office is nearby.

Recommended area – 40 m2. Part of the space will be occupied by the director’s office and a meeting room, the remaining meters will be used for the work area, where the staff will be located. It is not necessary to have your own bathroom; it can be located on the floor and intended for general use.

Preference should be given to an office that has recently been renovated, then you won’t have to spend money on painting the walls and solving other problems. The room should be decorated in a simple style. The cost of renting such areas differs in different regions. On average, for 1 m2 you will have to pay from 500 to 1000 rubles. The presented business plan includes 30,000 rubles for rent.

Purchase of equipment and furniture

To fully operate an accounting firm you will need the following equipment:

• desks – 4;
• chairs – 4;
• executive chair – 1;
• sofa for clients – 1;
• laptops – 4;
• printer – 1;
• cash register – 1;
• photocopier – 1;
• cooler – 1;
• coffee machine – 1;
• dishes;
• stationery.

Formation of staff

The success of the company depends 50% on the qualifications and professionalism of the staff. Before launching the project, it is planned to hire:

1. Chief accountant. Requirements for a candidate for a vacancy – experience in a similar position of at least 8 years. Excellent knowledge of Russian legislation on accounting, taxes, and labor. Ability to quickly navigate a large flow of information and respond to changes in the regulatory framework.
2. Assistant accountants – 2 people. Requirements for applicants for this vacancy are at least 3 years of accounting experience and a willingness to improve their skills. Ability to work in a team will be a plus.
3. The cleaning lady. Age – 18–55 years.

The salary of the chief accountant is 45,000 rubles, assistants are 25,000 rubles. The cleaner will receive a minimum salary of 9,000. A total of 104,000 rubles have been allocated for employee remuneration; together with contributions to funds, the amount will be 135,200 (plus 30%).

The management of the company is carried out by the business organizer. His competence includes personnel management, promotion of services on the market, and negotiations with clients.

How to switch to outsourcing accounting services - step-by-step instructions for beginning businessmen

Now let’s see what the entire process of transferring accounting to outsourcing looks like in practice. In principle, nothing complicated. The main thing is systematic action.

Step 1. Analyze the state of the company’s internal affairs

The first step is to determine whether it is advisable to use the services of an outsourcing company. Often the problem lies not in the low level of qualifications of accounting personnel, but in poor organization of work.

This may be an uneven distribution of responsibilities between employees (some are overloaded and simply physically do not have time to do everything, while others are sitting idle). Or other departments do not submit documents necessary for further processing to the accounting department on time.

Step 2. We decide to transfer the accounting department to a contractor company

Now it is necessary to determine the difference in remuneration of in-house accountants and employees of the outsourcing company. For clarity, we advise you to write everything down in a comparative table (preferably in financial terms).

What is the cost of outsourced accounting services? Either this is full bookkeeping, or a basic tariff, or the performance of some individual operations. Services can be either one-time or ongoing.

The option of partial outsourcing is also worth keeping in mind. However, practice shows that transferring the full range of accounting work to an outsourcer allows you to save up to 40-60%.

Step 3. Select an outsourcing company

The choice must be approached more than thoroughly. The success of your enterprise will largely depend on how professionally the outsourcing company works.

What you should pay close attention to when choosing an outsourcing company:

• fame, period of existence and reputation of the company;
• availability of a test period;
• a legally competent contract;
• confidentiality guarantee;
• availability of free express audit;
• flexible pricing system;
• representation by the company of your interests in the tax authorities;
• the possibility of tax optimization for you;
• high level of professional training of the outsourcing company’s employees;
• access to online accounting.

Step 4. Develop the terms of the contract

An outsourcing agreement is fundamentally a service agreement.

When compiling it, we advise you to pay special attention to the following points:

• list of services to be provided;
• deadlines for providing information and results;
• degree of responsibility;
• conditions for termination of the contract.

By clearly stating all the points, avoiding wording that can be interpreted in two ways, you will protect yourself from possible mistakes and, therefore, receive cooperation at the highest level.

Step 5. Conclude an agreement

A contract for outsourcing services can be concluded for different periods. This is not regulated by law and depends entirely on the tasks you set. When you draw up the contract, also write down the possibility of its subsequent prolongation (extension).

We recommend that you provide for the possibility of termination of the contract by one of the parties before the expiration of the agreed period with compensation for losses or payment of expenses incurred. Here it is worth paying special attention to the conditions for transmitting information.

Step 6. Switch to a new work format

The costs of paying for the services of an outsourcing company are considered management expenses and are specified in the contract. In this case, value added tax is not taken into account.

If for some period of time accounting records were not maintained due to the absence of a chief accountant, then the specialists of the outsourcing organization may well begin to restore the accounting. You just need to stipulate this in the contract in advance.

Step 7. Organize a mechanism for interaction and control with the outsourcer

After signing the contract, you need to transfer all accounting documentation to the outsourcing company. These are purchase and sale agreements, supply and service agreements, labor orders, documents for the acquisition of fixed assets and everything else.

When the quarter and reporting period ends, you need to submit the relevant signed documents to the tax authority. When an outsourcing company submits its annual report, it is necessary to compile a general register of all the documents that you provided to it over the past year. All this documentation is returned to you along with the inventory.

In the section “Aspiring Entrepreneurs”

Accounting firm advertising

The most effective way to express yourself is by creating a website. It contains information about the company, a list of services with prices, contacts - phone numbers, address, email. The site will have to be promoted using contextual advertising and search queries. To do this, you need to contact the web studio and pay for the service. The average cost of website development and promotion is 50,000 rubles.

To find your first clients, you need to form a database of enterprises and private firms in advance and directly offer your services to managers. During negotiations, it is important to emphasize the benefits of working with an accounting firm. Other advertising methods:

• distribution of business cards, booklets;
• cooperation with tax officials;
• publication of advertisements in local media and specialized magazines;
• posting advertisements on Internet sites;
• communication on business forums.

Company employees

When recruiting staff for your company, give preference to practicing accountants with at least 3-5 years of experience. Other qualification requirements include:

• Economic education (higher or secondary specialized)
• Knowledge of tax legislation
• Knowledge of Accounting software. Contour" and the latest versions of the software product "1 C: Enterprise" and its typical configurations related to accounting

As for personal qualities, a good accountant should be attentive, patient, responsible, and stress-resistant. Considering that employees will have to communicate directly with future clients, we will add to this friendliness, sociability and business communication skills. In addition, the accounting profession requires its owner to constantly educate himself and improve his qualifications through participation in various seminars, courses, etc.

Having taken care of having a comfortable office, modern software, competent staff and being confident in the quality of the services provided, you can launch an advertising campaign.

Financial indicators of the project

The company’s efficiency is assessed at the planning stage, and all economic indicators of the project, including estimated income, are included in the financial section of the business plan. Accurate calculations and data analysis allow you to determine the payback period of investments, return on sales and the amount of expected profit.

Investments at the start

Business investments include expenses for:

• registration – 4000;
• formation of authorized capital – 10,000;
• purchase of equipment – ​​300,000;
• advertising – 25,000;
• website development and promotion – 50,000;
• unplanned expenses (transport and other) – 10,000.

In total, you will need 399,000 rubles to open.

Regular expense items

Current expenses include monthly costs for maintaining and developing the project:

• office rent – ​​30,000;
• utility bills – 2,500;
• advertising – 20,000;
• purchase of stationery – 2,000;
• Payroll with insurance contributions – 135,200;
• other – 5,000;
• tax – 6% of income.

Total amount: 194,500 plus tax.

Income and profit calculation

During the first three months there will be few clients. Reaching the planned sales level is planned for the end of the first quarter. The expected number of clients of an accounting firm per month is 50, the average bill is 7,000 rubles. Based on these data, it is easy to calculate the company’s monthly income - 50 x 7000 = 350,000 rubles.

To calculate net profit, subtract tax deductions and current expenses from the amount received:

• 350,000 x 0.06 = 21,000 rubles – this is a tax;
• 350,000 – 21,000 – 194,500 = 134,500 rubles.

Payback period of investment

According to calculations, investments in the project can be fully returned in 6 months, since all the revenue received in the first quarter will go to pay for current expenses. At the initial stage, you should focus on running an advertising campaign in order to quickly find as many clients as possible. After reaching the break-even point, the company will begin to receive a stable income in the amount of 120,000–150,000 rubles.

Providing accounting services as a business is an attractive idea. It is suitable for a person who has already gained valuable experience in outsourcing and wants to develop further. To organize the project, you will need starting capital in the amount of 400,000 rubles. Part of the money can be borrowed. In order for the bank to approve the application, you need to carefully work out the company’s business plan, based on this example.

Sources

• https://PravoDeneg.net/biznes/idei/organizatsiyu-okazyvayushhuyu-buhgalterskie-uslugi.html
• https://finansoviyblog.ru/biznes-proekty/kak-otkryt-firmu-po-okazaniyu-buxgalterskix-uslug.html
• https://www.klerk.ru/buh/articles/480299/
• https://www.beboss.ru/bplans/164-biznes-plan-buhgalterskih-uslug
• https://xn—-8sbebdgd0blkrk1oe.xn--p1ai/biznes-plan/yslygi/okazanie-buhgalterskih-uslug.html

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Organization of promotional events

The location of a new accounting firm plays a big role in promoting the services of a new accounting firm. As mentioned above, territories near branches of the Federal Tax Service, banks, etc., that is, points most often encountered on the route of potential clients - small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, are considered advantageous. Having located the office in this way, you should take care of bright and eye-catching outdoor advertising: signs, pillars and other structures. The following are also considered effective means of attracting customers:

• Advertising placed on free classifieds sites and targeted advertising on social networks
• Creation and promotion of your own one-page website
• Advertisements for accounting services in local newspapers and specialized publications
• Distribution of printed materials in public places, etc.

It should be noted that a large number of clients come to the firm for the provision of accounting services and on the recommendations of friends, so make sure that all your customers are satisfied with the quality of work of your employees.

Project Summary

The presented business plan involves opening a small company that provides accounting services remotely. Financing is carried out at the expense of the investor’s own funds. The chosen organizational form is an LLC with one founder.

The office will be located in the city center on the ground floor of an apartment building. At the initial stage, the company will have a chief accountant and 2 assistants. The goal for the coming year is to expand the range of services provided, to hire an auditor and a specialist in the field of IT technologies.

Outsourcing franchise as an alternative option

Using the trademark of an already established brand is the essence of buying a franchise. For example, how can you open an accounting outsourcing company with reduced risk? The owner company provides a well-established work scheme, a wide customer base and a well-promoted brand. We can say that you are buying a ready-made business plan for an outsourcing company, where all the smallest details are already provided. All that remains is to use a ready-made tool for making a profit.

Business outsourcing is certainly in demand and is one of the very promising areas for starting your own business. Without requiring large opening costs, with proper management and maintaining a good reputation, you can achieve significant results within a year of operation. And since this area of ​​activity has not yet been fully developed by the domestic market, there is an opportunity to occupy your niche and begin the gradual development of a successful business.

Advertising campaign

To attract your first customers, you will have to allocate funds for advertising. The most significant part of the cost is the creation of the website and its promotion. Here potential customers will find information about services and prices, contacts of the company and reviews of its work.

Until word of mouth starts working, it is worth actively advertising the company on various Internet platforms - websites dedicated to work, blogs, bulletin boards. It is allowed to show videos on local television if the budget allows. However, as practice shows, the lion's share of clients turn to outsourcing companies thanks to contextual advertising.