Choosing the right accountant matters more than you think
For most new founders, an accountant feels like something you deal with later.
After the first invoice.
After things get “serious”.
After you’ve already made a mistake.
In reality, the right accountant shapes how cleanly your business starts - and how painful (or painless) it becomes to run.
What a good accountant actually does for a new founder
At the earliest stage, an accountant’s job isn’t really about numbers.
It’s about translation.
They help you understand what structure you’re operating under, what belongs to you personally versus the business, and what actually needs attention right now. Just as importantly, they help you ignore the things that don’t yet matter.
For a first-time founder, clarity is the real value.
When you should start thinking about an accountant
You don’t need an accountant on day one.
But you do need to think about one earlier than most people expect.
The right moment is usually when you’re about to incorporate, when money is about to start moving, or when you find yourself guessing rather than knowing. If you’re unsure what you can expense, how to pay yourself, or what records you should be keeping, you’re already at the point where outside clarity helps.
How to choose the right accountant
The biggest mistake founders make here is assuming all accountants are broadly the same.
They’re not.
Early on, you’re not looking for someone obsessed with scale, exits, or long-term optimisation. You’re looking for someone who understands early-stage businesses and is comfortable operating in that uncertainty.
Pay attention to how they explain things. The right accountant will speak plainly, prioritise what matters now, and be comfortable telling you that something can wait. If everything feels complicated from the first conversation, it usually is.
Structure matters too. Sole trader and limited company aren’t interchangeable, and your accountant should be completely fluent in how money moves between you and the business, and what that means for risk, tax, and compliance. If they skate over this, that’s a red flag.
Finally, be clear on how involved they’ll be. Some accountants are reactive. Some are proactive. Neither is inherently wrong, but surprises and silence tend to cost founders time and stress. You should know whether they’ll remind you about deadlines, flag issues early, or only appear once a year.
The questions worth asking before you decide
- Ask what you need to do now, and what can wait. A good accountant will prioritise without overwhelming you.
- Ask how you should pay yourself at this stage. The answer tells you instantly whether they understand early-stage reality or are jumping too far ahead.
- Ask what records they expect you to keep. Clear expectations here save enormous pain later.
- Ask how communication works - email, calls, regular check-ins and make sure it matches how you operate.
- And ask what new founders usually get wrong. Good accountants have seen the same mistakes hundreds of times and will happily warn you before you make them.
A quick note from our own experience
When we were setting up Foundrs, we looked for exactly the same things.
Clear answers.
No jargon.
No pressure to overcomplicate.
The accountant we work with, Joshua Leigh, stood out for a simple reason. They focused on getting the basics right first, and only building from there.
That’s the standard we’d encourage any founder to hold. On foundrs launching - members will also have access to a free introductory consultation with Joshua Leigh - not a sales call, but as a practical way to sanity check the basics and start with confidence.
