So... my biz is now doing "fine"....
I have 3 clients and earn $30/hour, but it is HORRIBLE!

First of all, a lot of business owners think that accountants are overpriced and that they should charge $15/hour. Now, hold on... we do the most painful business work possible, we save people SEVERAL THOUSANDS of dollars in taxes and we should earn less then $15 miserable bucks an hour!?!? What the fuck is wrong people!?!?

Seriously. Everyone thinks that accountants are completely worthless until the government demands people to do their taxes. Then, suddenly, we are actually worth something and they expect us to complete months worth of work in 1 miserable week all for $30/hour. It's just retarded! :mad:

Seriously, accountants are not just for taxes. Accountants are there to measure business performance and give business advice to the owner . The way I've been treated as an accountant and the ridiculous misconceptions I've heard just enfuriates me and leaves me with no interest in any accounting related profession, simply due to the ridiculous amount of underating and misconceptions. :mad:

Fuck them, don't sell yourself short. But if someone else charges 30/hr you charge 29.99. You make the rules.

1. MATHEMATICIAN / STATISTICIAN / ACCOUNTANT FINALIST

A mathematician, statistician and accountant were finalist for a position as VP in a large corporation. The hiring committee asked them all the same last question:

The mathematician was first."How much is 500 plus 500 ?" , they asked"1000" he replied without hesitation."Thank you", they dismissed him.

Next the statistician."How much is 500 plus 500?""On the average, 1000 with 95 % confidence" replied the statistician"Thank you", they dismissed him.

Next the accountant."How much is 500 plus 500?""What would you like it to be?" responded the accountant.They hired the accountant

So... my biz is now doing "fine"....
I have 3 clients and earn $30/hour, but it is HORRIBLE!
You're worth what you're paid.

In ten years you'll be paid what I paid myself today. ($30 bucks is a free consultation.) ;)

Don't feel bad. Most business owners I've met tend to think everyone but them are overpaid. Especially in the restaurant business.

Don't feel bad. Most business owners I've met tend to think everyone but them are overpaid. Especially in the restaurant business.
I've had a variety of restaurant owners as clients over the years.

It is among the most labor-intensive (costly), thin profit margin business activities out there.

The competition between neighboring restaurants for the same patrons is thusly so great that they find any excuse to call down on one another municipal, county and state authorities at the slightest opportunity.

Thanks to those clients, I know the precise mechanism to economically punish a restaurant far beyond the price of a less than satisfying dining experience.

And it doesn't involve slashing the owners' tires. Or the Health Dept.

You should work on contingency - like a personal injury lawyer.
You get paid a cut of how much you save them.

You should work on contingency - like a personal injury lawyer.
You get paid a cut of how much you save them.
Accountants don't do contingency.

The numbers always speak for themselves.

The client provides the numbers, the accountant makes the numbers presentable.

Accountants don't attest to the veracity of the numbers. That's why it's always cash up front.

1. MATHEMATICIAN / STATISTICIAN / ACCOUNTANT FINALIST

A mathematician, statistician and accountant were finalist for a position as VP in a large corporation. The hiring committee asked them all the same last question:

The mathematician was first."How much is 500 plus 500 ?" , they asked"1000" he replied without hesitation."Thank you", they dismissed him.

Next the statistician."How much is 500 plus 500?""On the average, 1000 with 95 % confidence" replied the statistician"Thank you", they dismissed him.

Next the accountant."How much is 500 plus 500?""What would you like it to be?" responded the accountant.They hired the accountant
Thank you for your response. :D

I feel much better now... :D

Accountants don't do contingency.

The numbers always speak for themselves.

The client provides the numbers, the accountant makes the numbers presentable.

Accountants don't attest to the veracity of the numbers. That's why it's always cash up front.
Tell that to the tax authorities. :D

I deal with them all the time... :bugeye:

You should work on contingency - like a personal injury lawyer.
You get paid a cut of how much you save them.
I was thinking of doing something like that, altough I'm not sure I can get a deal. Such as helping someone start a business and become a limited partner in the process. Something like that. :shrug:

You're worth what you're paid.

In ten years you'll be paid what I paid myself today. ($30 bucks is a free consultation.) ;)
I want $100 an hour. How can I get that? :D

I have known CPA's that earned well over $200/hour.
What's the difference between what you do and what a $200/hr CPA does?

Possibly that they work for big corporations while I work for small businessess. That's about it.

OH yeah... and I live in Canada, where workers are ridiculously underpaied. CPAs are an american designation, which is, btw, a whole lot easier to aqcuire then any of the 3 Canadian accounting designations. OH THE IRONY!!! :rolleyes:

At least we have free healthcare. Oh wait... we pay for it out of our taxes!!!! :D

Ok, maybe not that... but at least our president is nto a moron! Instead, we call the moron a "prime minister". :d

Which is as good as getting a subprime mortgage in the states! :D