Looking for:

[Patrysha]

An accountant I can recommend that specializes or is at least well versed in online business. Also looking for a lawyer to recommend. I'd just be passing on your names.

Seen the question a lot lately on twitter and thought hmmm maybe I can help someone make a connection.

Send me a PM and tell me why I should put my name on the line for your services.

[Steve B]

Re: the attorneys. I think it's always advisable to find attorneys that practice in the appropriate state (at least in the U.S.). This one may not be so easy to make a general recommendation for this reason.

[Evan]

I agree, attorney's are very much state-specific.

I will also take the plunge too that sometimes, for accountants, it helps to have a "local" one as well. If you were a California corporation, I am not familiar with all of the intricate details of CA corporations to be able to provide adequate preparation of your tax return. Does that mean I can't do it? Of course not. It just means I may not be able to address any of your state-specific issues.

[Patrysha]

Well don't you guys all have networks where you connect with other professionals in different states that you can recommend? Is there some sort of central organization that has reputable people that they can vouch for as members or something?

Who does an internet based business owner turn to if they want good advise for a reasonable price?

How should one go about hiring an accountant or an attorney anyway?

[Steve B]

I don't have a network outside of my local area.

It may be an internet business that does business across the continent or world - but it has a home base somewhere. My advice is for them to ask other business owners in their area for referrals as to who they use. Ideally, they would get a referral from someone that has a similar type of business - as the needs are different from industry to industry. I know the guy that fixes my car uses an accountant that does the books for a lot of other mechanics (and that seemed to be beneficial to him).

I got my accountant from a friend that has a dog training company. I got my lawyer from the Yellow Pages several years ago.

[Business Attorney]

Patrysha,

I agree that you probably want an accountant and attorney located in Alberta.

If you you can't find a lawyer in Alberta who is familiar with online businesses, depending on your specific needs, I would opt for a lawyer who understands the issues faced by an online business rather than someone who happens to be well-versed in provincial corporate law but is unfamiliar with online businesses. Things like privacy statements (exception: California), general website terms and conditions, and contracts governing sales of goods tend to be pretty uniform across jurisdictions in the United States. I assume Canada would find similar consistency across provinces (with the possible exception of Quebec, of course).

I have an article on my website on how to find and choose a business attorney (http://www.illinoisbusinessattorney.com/articles/selecting_business_attorney.html). The article is not focused on online businesses, but the steps would be the same, only the questions would be different.

[Patrysha]

Oh this wasn't for me...it was more so I would be able to say "I've heard good things about so and so" when the question comes up.

The request for recommendations has come up several times in the last couple of weeks on where to find lawyers and accountants who are familiar with internet business.

When I was a childcare provider there were a couple of firms that specialized in bookkeeping and accounting for childcare providers that were always recommended and I observed the same thing amongst freelance writers.

Oh well, it was a shot in the dark...

[Evan]

In the United States, CPAs are licensed by the respective state Board of Accountancy, similar to attorney's needing to pass the bar exam and join the bar association.

In the professional services industry, you won't find any organizations providing a recommendation on those within the field, but perhaps a reference to somebody "local". As for their expertise and abilities, that varies from person to person.

You don't want a trial lawyer to work with your online business, just as much as you probably don't want your business attorney to represent you in some sort of felonious personal crime. There are a lot of CPA's who don't specialize in small businesses or taxation at all, and don't want to.

So if you ask me who is a good doctor... in relation to what? There are a lot of niches within professional services. The "best attorney in the United States" may be a criminal defense lawyer. So the term "best" is relative.

We generally appreciate clients recommending us to their associates. We, as professionals, also try to be active in organizations where we feel we can solicit business and build meaningful relationships with business owners.