Professional Services: Digital Art

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Accounting expertise

My need for using the professional in the field of accounting is caused by the lack of knowledge regarding insurance and budgeting, particularly in matters of managing cash flows and keeping financial records.

According to Henricks (n.d.), “highly technical matters of law, accounting, management, and marketing are usually best handled by outside experts” (para. 1). As I stated in my self-assessment, to reach the best result and to save the essential time, I am ready to fulfill the lack of experience by engaging more experienced people. For example, accounting issues that might arise in the beginning and require professional assistance are associated with making sure income tax returns and payroll tax forms are filled correctly. In addition, since my business is on the launching stage, I need some help with regard to the creation of a personal business and financial plan.

Questions

“Are you interested in the topic of digital art, and does it matter to you what exactly my company does?” I will ask this question as I need to understand whether the specialist wants to know about my business goals, which is important since I search for a person who can become a long-term partner.
“Could you explain, for example, how to fill out a payroll tax form?” If he or she uses a lot of terminologies and does not explain it, then this person is not suitable for my company.
“Are you willing to work with small-business problems?” I should be sure that the professional is ready to deal with minor problems and consider them worth his or her time.
“How will additional capacity affect operating costs of my business if I want to hire two more designers?” This question can help me understand whether the person is able to provide business advisory services (Entrepreneur Staff, n.d.).
“What types of businesses or companies have you worked with in the past? Could you provide me with the contacts?” This question may help to find out what type of organizations the person has worked with before and whether he understands the specifics of my profile.
Referral: “Could you refer me to an attorney?” To build an effective legal team, it is necessary to find an attorney with whom the specialist has already worked (Stanford Technology Ventures Program, 2010a). It helps to find out that a person can work in a team, is personally involved, and will not dictate his own terms.

Professional	Purpose	Their Experience	Services They Offer	Referrals
Nikki Haley	Assistance in the correct preparation of tax documents. Assistance in the creation of a personal financial plan	Ten years of experience in a large law firm. She has never worked in the field of digital art.	Business advisory services Accounting and record-keeping Tax advice Auditing	Yes, she has a contact of the attorney she worked with in the past for a long time.

Legal services

As my experience level is low, I need additional assistance regarding legal issues since they require the greatest precision. Having these specialists on my side, I can deal effectively with legal problems that might need years of study to master (Henricks, n.d.). Although coaching services are still needed for funning a successful business, in conditions of financial instability, “58 percent of all organizations are faced with leadership shortages” (Blitzer, 2009, para. 1).

A lawyer, along with an accountant, is the first priority specialist to be hired at the initial stage of business development (Ennico, n.d.). It is generally crucial to consult an attorney before making any decision that might have legal consequences. For example, I need to solve small-business problems, such as the legal form of my business (would it be sole proprietorship or partnership) and preparation of relevant documentation.

Questions

“Have you finished law school?” This is one of the first filters to choose the right council (Stanford Technology Ventures Program, 2010b).
“Do you an equity partner of your firm?” This is another filter to recognize whether the attorney is a real professional (Stanford Technology Ventures Program, 2010b).
“Do you have any clients in my field?” I should find someone who can give business advice as well and understand the whole process of running a business in my specific industry.
“How busy is your schedule, and how do you feel about meeting deadlines?” I need this question in order to understand whether the specialist is ready to meet my deadlines and make himself or herself available to me regularly (Resnick, 2015).
“Could you give me some advice regarding formal business incorporation?” I need to understand whether the specialist is ready to work with the issue that interests me in the first place.
Referral: “Could you advise the accountant with whom you worked personally?”

Professional	Purpose	Their Experience	Services They Offer	Referrals
Tom Smith	Formal business incorporation. Legal advice.	Seven years of experience in a large law firm. He has wide experience in the field of e-commerce.	Legal advice Trademark advice Lawsuits	Yes

References

Blitzer, R. J. (2009). Can coaching help your business? Entrepreneur.

Ennico, C. (n.d.). How to hire an attorney. Entrepreneur.

Entrepreneur Staff. (n.d.). How to hire an accountant. Entrepreneur.

Henricks, M. (n.d.). Using professional service providers to grow your business. Entrepreneur.

Resnick, R. (2015). Use subcontractors to build your business. Entrepreneur.

Stanford Technology Ventures Program. (2010). Seek an efficient legal team. eCorner. Web.

Stanford Technology Ventures Program. (2010). Choosing an attorney. eCorner. Web.