• Accountant (CPA):  Their main role will be to look out for your best interest when dealing with the IRS.  They are to make sure that all of your expenses are classified correctly and to advise you on tax issues.  They may also provide you with budgeting and forecasting tools and reports to aid in your business strategy.  When looking for a good Accountant (CPA) you may want to start by searching for someone who specializes in your industry; check out network organizations and forums that cater to your industry type.  Cybelink offers these seven tips for finding a good CPA, and you can find more detail about these tips at cybelink.com.
  • Qualifications of a CPA
  • Referrals
  • Analyze and Assess what you expect of a CPA
  • Don't be in a hurry
  • Outsource Accounting
  • Create a questionnaire for the interview
  • Check for technological expertise
     
    

• Bookkeeper:  Keep in mind that they are not CPA's, but they can be very helpful in handling your day-to-day accounting needs.  They work well with CPAs because they will know the language and understand most of the basic needs of a CPA to help your accounting and tax preparation needs run smoothly.  They are beneficial with handling Accounts Receivables and Payables, Billing, and Bank reconciliations.  Finding a good bookkeeper may not need to be as in-depth as finding a good Accountant (CPA) but it should be given some thought as to their abilities and ethics.  If you are not astute with handling your own bookkeeping, it would be a very wise investment to hire a bookkeeper.

• Lawyer:  "An experienced small-business lawyer can help you start your business, look over and negotiate proposed leases, and prepare contracts.  Attorneys help you comply with regulations that govern everything from finance and credit to incorporation and zoning." (http://www.allbusiness.com/legal/law-firms-attorneys/1533-1.html)  They are very supportive in dealing with clients and vendors alike.  The key to finding any professional begins with knowing what your needs are and research.  Some simple tasks would be to:
  • Check their website for previous cases
  • Contact some of their previous clients for referrals
  • Check with the bar association for referrals
  • Interview them to determine:
    • How long they have been in practice
    • How much experience do they have in your industry or area of need
    • What are their fees and is there a consultation fee
    • Etc.
      
      

• Direct hires: You can hire an individual to come to your place of business and perform these tasks for you, and any other administrative tasks that may come along.  In this case, make sure you go through the typical screening process involving resume review, reference and background screening, and face-to-face interview.  This may be the most costly form of employment because of the cost involved with providing space, training, and the overall search itself.  It is also a chance you take if the individual doesn't work out. Then you must follow governmental fair labor laws to terminate them without imposing upon their rights.

• Temporary Assistance: Also known as Temps, they are hired for a particular time period and mostly to handle a particular task and/or project.  Typical recruitment of a Temp would come from various outside agencies, some of which are industry specific.  This is usually the easiest form of hiring an assistant because you are not bound with all of the expense of searching for the employee; nor are you engrossed with major training, because these individuals are screened by the agencies from which you have contracted.  Many of these individuals come from major corporate backgrounds and pose a ton of various professional skills, so make sure to give your specific needs to the agency so that you will come very close or even get exactly what you need and maybe something extra.  It would also be a wise idea to have a face-to-face interview with the candidate so that you can get a personal feel of him or her for yourself and make sure this is someone you really want to be a part of your organization.  This may be a better form for hiring an assistant because it allows you and the individual to get to learn each other's work ethics without a lot of major expense upfront.  Also, with a temp, there are no major benefits to provide and there really doesn't have to be a major reason for terminating/replacing these employees.

• Virtual Assistance: Also known as VA's, they may prove to be the more economical route of the three because of their payment structures (you only pay for the time it takes to complete a task) for those who are looking to manage their finances closely.  However, it will also depend on your type of need for an assistant.  A VA can bring the best of both worlds to your company or organization; all of the skills and professionalism without the added cost.  Not to mention that VA's are gaining more and more notoriety within many small business industries; many of them are former executive assistants that used to handle complex, time consuming tasks such as these that have been listed.  VA's come from varying backgrounds and therefore bring various experiences to the table and because they are independent business owners themselves, they take pride and effort into getting your assignments done right and professionally.  VA's work from their own office so you save the extra expenses of having to provide any office space and equipment for their use.  You can find a VA in many different ways, but the most common would be to post a Request for Proposal (RFP) on one of the many VA forums such as:
  • International Virtual Assistant Association (IVAA) -  www.ivaa.org
  • Virtual Assistant Forum - www.virtualassistantforums.com
  • Virtual Assistant Networking Association (VANA) - www.vanetworking.com

When searching for any type of assistant, go into it with the understanding that no one person may possess the expertise in every area of your needs, so instead be looking for that one who possesses the majority of your needs and is a hard worker and a willing learner.  In the case of getting these manuals and processes completed, you may want to look for someone who has a lot of experience in these areas; not just typist, but rather someone who can offer valuable insight.  You may want to find someone who specializes in your industry or at least has some idea of it.  In all cases, you may want to find someone who has a personality that you are willing to work with professionally - it can help thing run a little smoother and keep you with a peace of mind.  
 
Do you know how time consuming your administration tasks can be, and what the penalties for some of them are?  The items listed above can be the difference between success and failure of your company.  That is why it is important to have those very people in place, who specialize in specific roles, to help aid you in being successful.  Yes, some of you may say "I know all of this so why am I reading this?"  Well, the simple answer is you know it but are you applying it to your everyday work-life?  It is a common mistake like overlooking the small, yet meaningful, task that can cause failure.   Let us continue to clean up our entrepreneurial/small business houses and show big/mega business owners we are here to stay and compete.