The Best Small Business Accountant in THE Greenville SC area

Beaufort is serious about his business and serious about which accountants he spends time around!

There are a lot of choices when it comes to selecting a CPA or accounting firm to help with your small business accounting.  That got us wondering over here about who are the best accounting firms in Greenville. 

Well, that depends on what you need.

We look at the world of accounting firms like a three-layer cake.  We have the big national firms as one layer, the regional and large local firms as a second layer and the smaller firms as yet another layer.  Each of these firms serves a different kind of client. 

Large Firms

You might have heard the term “Big 4” when referring to accounting firms.  There are four large, international firms and a handful of other firms in this space.  They are serving large publicly traded companies, ultra-high net worth individuals, large governmental organizations, etc.  If it is big and complicated, chances are one of these large firms is taking care of their audits, tax returns and other consulting engagements.  They have built out expertise in many different specialties and handle work well outside the scope of small firms.  Of course, the fees are very high when working with these firms. 

Regional Firms

We see larger regional firms that have a geographic footprint that might span several states with offices in several cities.  These firms may not serve some of the larger publicly traded companies but they are involved with bigger businesses, prominent not-for-profit organizations and may even be involved with some smaller companies.  While not as deep as the international firms, these firms have large staffs with a lot of different specialties they may serve.  We do see some smaller businesses and high net worth working with these firms.  The fees may be lower than the large firms but may also be unaffordable for many small businesses and individuals. 

Small/Local Firms

The Keller Group fits in this layer of the cake as a small business accounting firms.  We are a small business generalist firm.  We do not specialize in particular industries but serve small businesses generally with revenue from $500,000 up to $10,000,000.  We have some overlap with clients that are served by the regional firms.  Within the smaller local CPA firms, we also see a range of offerings.  Some focus on individual tax returns, others do audits, some provide tax issue resolution.  We are members of an organization called PASBA, the Professional Association of Small Business Accountants.  PASBA firms are focused on becoming the premier providers in their communities.  The name of the association tells you what we focus on – small business.  We don’t do audits.  If you need that, we can refer you to another firm – and they would certainly be a better fit for your needs.

So who is the best accounting firm?

With the understanding of the types of accounting firms, we can now talk about which is best for you.  If you are reading this, chances are you are a small business owner.  The large firms are almost certainly not a fit.  The prices are high and the complexity of most small businesses doesn’t demand their services.  At the regional firms, the prices might be a bit lower and there is a chance that you might find someone to take your call.  BUT, most small businesses would be most suitably served at the local level.  The prices are going to be most affordable.  The firms are going to be working on other businesses of a similar size and complexity to many other small business owners.  Many small business accounting firms are also comfortable working as the clients outsourced accounting team. 

Whether we are one of the best firms in Greenville (or Greer) is determined by our clients.  If you are interested in finding out, please schedule a call.  We would love to hear from you.