Accountants are not just number-crunchers. Added value services that accountants can offer include:
Many accounting practitioners will proffer to offer these services, but it can be seen that some of these areas are fairly complex and it could pay to appoint somebody with direct experience in the area in which you need advice.
Business Planning - the Role of the Financial Manager
Why Some New Small Businesses Succeed, and Why Others Fail
Reasons to Hire a Professional Accountant
How a Small Business Accountant can Help Struggling Businesses
What happens to a loan account upon a business's liquidation?
Business Growth and Your Accountant
Wikipedia Definition:
"Business plans are decision-making tools. There is no fixed content for a business plan. Rather the content and format of the business plan is determined by the goals and audience. A business plan should contain whatever information is needed to decide whether or not to pursue a goal.
For example, a business plan for a non-profit might discuss the fit between the business plan and the organizations mission. Banks are quite concerned about defaults, so a business plan for a bank loan will build a convincing case for the organizations ability to repay the loan. Venture capitalists are primarily concerned about initial investment, feasibility, and exit valuation. A business plan for a project requiring equity financing will need to explain why current resources, upcoming growth opportunities, and sustainable competitive advantage will lead to a high exit valuation.
Preparing a business plan draws on a wide range of knowledge from many different business disciplines: finance, human resource management, intellectual property management, supply chain management, operations management, and marketing, among others. It can be helpful to view the business plan as a collection of sub-plans, one for each of the main business disciplines."
"...a good business plan can help to make a good business credible, understandable, and attractive to someone who is unfamiliar with the business. Writing a good business plan cant guarantee success, but it can go a long way toward reducing the odds of failure."
