What kind of Profit First Professional should you work with?

Finding a Profit First Professional (PFP) to help you with your company’s finances can be a necessary step to take for the health of your interior design business. 

But finding a PFP that’s right for your business and figuring out how to afford their services can be a daunting task. 

AccountSolve uses Profit First because we’ve seen firsthand how Profit First gives business owners the ability to invest back into their businesses for continued growth. And what we’ve seen over and over again is that waiting until your company is financially “ready” to hire a financial professional is a non-starter. You have to start somewhere, even if it means you invest more than you’re used to.

We know that investing in your business before you fully have the means to do so presents a lot of unknowns, and we want to help make the decision-making process for this next step as simple as possible.

Our biggest piece of advice for when you’re hiring a PFP or any financial professional is to remember that you’re playing the long game.

There are a lot of options to choose from when looking into an investment with a PFP, CPA, or bookkeeper. You will find pricing that literally runs that gamut, and it can be overwhelming to look at a long list of professionals and have to choose from a range of services that can cost anywhere from $500 to $5,000.

We don’t advise going with the most expensive option by any means, especially if it’s going to severely hurt your company’s finances. But we also don’t advise going with the cheapest option, either.

Choosing a financial professional for your business works in the same way choosing an important piece of furniture or appliance for your home does.

It’s so tempting to buy the least expensive item on the market because you know it will meet your needs for the time being, and of course we all want to save money where and when we can!

But then we experience the downside of that decision only a handful of years down the road, when the couch loses its shape, the dishwasher breaks, or the vacuum dies.

Much like the saying “pay now or pay for it later,” there are some areas that just aren’t worth compromising on.

It can feel scary to spend money on a financial professional when you’re already pinching pennies. But a good service provider will get you out of the penny-pinching cycle you’ve been stuck in and actually help you make progress – and that’s an invaluable investment.

While the money involved is a significant factor in your decision-making process, you can also consider what kind of PFP you most need to work with.

PFPs will all provide a wonderful service, but only if they provide what your business needs!

There are a few different types:

1. Profit First Coach

If you need guidance and encouragement to implement Profit First, this is a great route. A Profit First coach will function similarly to a mentor, providing support and guidance as you implement Profit First. Rather than serving as a financial expert, they are here to hold you accountable and provide motivation as you implement this new method for your interior design business. 

A good coach will also make sure you’re working with a good bookkeeper, so that your business will be successful even after their job coaching work is done.

2. Profit First Accountant 

A lot of tax accountants get in the weeds with your taxes.  But a good Profit First accountant will provide an all-year tax strategy, leveraging the Profit First methodology.  You want to make sure you have periodic meetings with your tax preparer so that they can help determine how much tax liability you can likely expect, based on your unique situation, and therefore plan for.

3. Profit First Bookkeeper 

A bookkeeper’s primary job is to record your business’s daily transactions and keep your books aligned so that you have the data you need to make informed financial decisions.
While accountants are important for providing guidance (especially around tax season), they can’t provide the same support as a bookkeeper who is working with your business day in and day out. A bookkeeper is an invaluable partnership to have, because they become intimately acquainted with the inner workings of your finances and help sustain your Profit First bookkeeping – from implementation to execution. 

When using Profit First, it’s important to have a bookkeeper who understands your goals and the way that Profit First works. You can find a bookkeeper who is not Profit First certified and is willing to learn alongside you, but using a PFP will elevate your financial literacy.

All of these roles have options for varying degrees of expertise and hands-on involvement in your business finances – so whether you choose a coach, accountant, or bookkeeper, you still have plenty of freedom to find the type of financial professional that is best for your needs and what your company can afford.

Our hope is that no matter what you choose, you’re taking steps to provide lasting change for the health of your business!

If you need to talk through these options or you’re interested in working with a Profit First bookkeeper, we would love to chat!