How a part time accountant can help you survive the holidays

How a part time accountant can help you survive the holidays

When you hear the phrase ‘Easter break’ what do you think of?

Some might imagine long, sunny Autumn days at a favourite holiday resort. Some might think of quality family time: swimming or bike riding with the kids. Others may imagine the white-coated sugar eggs or marshmallow treats that abound. Surely, Easter could be all of those things. But if you’re a business owner, it’s likely you are thinking of how to plug all the staff gaps that arise while everyone goes on leave.

It starts about six weeks before, sometimes even earlier. Everyone starts scrambling to be the first to submit their leave requests. No one wants to be seen as leaving the company in the lurch during lean staff times, but everybody wants to take advantage of that magical stream of public holidays. On a good year, you can take three days’ leave and get 10. Who would say no to that?

And as a boss, it feels a little mean-spirited to turn down leave during this season of good cheer. After all, the schools are out and business definitely slows down during the period. There’s no need to stay fully-staffed. But at the same time, you need enough workers to keep things ticking over, and a little extra to respond to the unexpected. Which is why you might feel your heart begin to palpitate when you realise that almost your entire finance team will be off for the next two or three weeks.

What will you do to manage cash flow? What if a sudden big deal comes in? Who will make sure your invoices are paid on time? Before you give in to the urge to rugby tackle the slowest accountant on their way out of the building, we have another, less risky solution to offer: a part-time accountant.

Of course, it’s often not wise to let an entire team go on leave at the same time. However, you can make sure that only a small contingent has to come into the office during the down period, and make up for the difference with a part time accountant. Here are some reasons why it may be worth it to bring on a part time accountant during the holidays:

  • A part time accountant won’t take a lot of downtime before they can function in their role. You won’t spend days or weeks training a part-time accountant to fulfill their temporary responsibilities. In fact, if you hire an associate from The Finance Team, all it could take is a few hours. These finance executives are professional temps; they know how to read systems, industries and job specs.
  • A part time accountant can ensure your brain gets an Easter break too. You might have considered not bringing anyone in and picking up the slack yourself. But is the money you’ll be saving worth the stress and extra risk you’re putting yourself under? Research has shown that a tired brain makes mistakes. So give yourself and your business a break, and bring in the extra pair of hands.
  • A part time accountant can keep the cash rolling in and make sure you don’t miss any important payments. In short, your credit record will remain intact while your regular staff are on leave, and so will your cash flow.
  • Giving your staff time off when they want it will help boost morale. When people ask for a break, their brain starts to think that they need it. Say no and you’re looking at a more stressed, frazzled and resentful workforce. Say yes and they’ll come back rejuvenated and ready to give more of themselves. Additionally, chances are you’re upping the loyalty stakes when your finance team realizes that you’re willing to bring in a part time accountant (making a financial sacrifice) to let them take a break.

Whether you’re planning for Easter, Christmas or any other time that implies a smaller staff compliment, consider bringing on a part time accountant. Doing so will give your mind the rest it needs, by knowing your company is still moving full steam ahead during the break. Contact The Finance Team for a free cost analysis.

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Photo credit: alphaspirit / 123RF Stock Photo

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