If we start at the beginning of an Accounting business, a discussion of the basic terminology that flows through the business is probably in order. Definitions for ledger sheets, the language of the business, the pieces that make an accounting system fit together – it helps to be conversant in the language of the trade and understand the tools. You can find an excellent and thorough overview of the basics, written in comfortable English, at http://www.businesstown.com/accounting/basic.asp.
Also at that site, you will find discussions of concepts such as cost control, projections, and credit and collections. An understanding of these issues is important in helping a client analyze his business based on the evidence found in the accounting documents. It is also helpful in analyzing your business, or potential business if you are thinking about opening an accounting firm.
Most of us researching the accounting business at this juncture are contemplating small business ventures. You can still draw ideas and knowledge from looking at the business plans of larger concerns. A marketing and business plan for a mid-sized accounting firm can be found at http://www.bplans.com/spv/3382/3.cfm. There is some market analysis, discussions for growing the business in various sectors, and a table of hourly fees that the firm charges for various staff: CPAs, accounting staff, bookkeeping staff and so forth. The firm is based in Southern California, so adjust your expectations accordingly.
There is a wealth of information at the web site of the AICPA, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Much of what is found in their main section is news of the industry and the Association. A little clicking though, and you will find a roster of accounting organizations’ websites at http://www.aicpa.org/yellow/ypaass.htm. There are dozens of them, regional and worldwide. There is an American Association of Women Accountants, the British Accounting Association, etc. One of those groups, the American Accounting Association, has a research page on their website at http://aaahq.org/facdev/research/rpubs.htm.
A professional website that is a little less mercenary and written for the CPA-to-be as well as people in the trade can be found at http://www.accountingeducation.com. This site has some advertised links on it that may or may not be of value. There’s a lot of information about the accounting business for sale on the internet; the trick is finding what you want to know without pulling out a credit card.
One of the choices you might consider is asking a few questions locally. Call a local accounting firm and ask if there is a local organization. Poke around the local community college and you will certainly find a faculty member willing to talk with you about resources. There are texts on how to structure a small business and entire college majors on the business of accounting. Let the web take you as far as you can go and then decide what questions you have that remain unanswered.
Contact the community college and find a lecturer or professor who will speak with you. At that level, faculty members often welcomed interested parties of any stripe. Give it a try: one expert in accounting might lead to another one in small business, who can then send you to a Chamber of Commerce member who has run a small business for a couple of decades. Just follow the trail.
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