The CPA Conversation Every Business Owner Needs to Have

Why Finding the Right CPA Is One of the Most Important Business Decisions You Will Make

Key Takeaways

• Your CPA is likely the most trusted financial advisor in your business ecosystem. Choose that relationship with the same care you choose business partners.
• Not every CPA is the right CPA for you. The right one should understand where you are today and have the expertise to help you get where you are going.
• Poor cash flow management is cited in 82% of small business failures. A trusted CPA (or quality bookkeeper) is one of the most direct defenses against that outcome.
• If you do not have a CPA you fully trust, do not settle. Ask a successful business owner you respect for a referral, or reach out to a credible partner, like Journey Payroll & HR.
• Journey Payroll & HR has become the number one payroll company in the regions we serve in large part because of the deep, trust-based relationships we have built with CPAs across our markets.
• Kevin Welch and the Journey Payroll & HR team regularly refer businesses and CPAs to one another. Reach out to your local sales Journey team if you need a trusted referral.

I talk to business owners every day. And one of the questions I ask fairly often: Do you have a CPA you actually trust?

The answers I get tell me a lot. Some people light up. They have someone. That CPA has been in the trenches with them, knows their numbers, and has made calls that saved them real money or steered them away from a real mistake. Others go quiet for a second, and then say something like, “Yeah, we have someone who does our taxes.”

That pause tells the story. Because having someone who files your taxes and having a CPA you genuinely trust are two very different things. And the gap between those two situations can cost a business owner more than they realize.

Who Is the Most Trusted Advisor in Your Business?

Study after study confirms what most experienced business owners already know intuitively: the CPA is the most trusted advisor in the small business ecosystem. One widely cited survey found that 86% of small business owners view their accountant as a trusted advisor, and among those working with a CPA offering the right depth of service, that number climbs even higher. At the same time, according to the American Institute of CPAs, demand for CPA services has never been stronger, with firms reporting median revenue growth of 6.7% and clients actively seeking more advisory involvement, not just tax prep.

In my experience at Journey Payroll & HR, business owners trust their CPA more than they trust their banker, their attorney, and in many cases their own gut. That relationship shapes decisions about hiring, expansion, equipment purchases, benefits packages, and when it is time to bring on outside help. The CPA is often the first call when something feels uncertain.

Which makes it all the more alarming that so many business owners are in that relationship out of habit rather than intention.

By the Numbers:

• 82% of small businesses that fail cite poor crash flow management as a primary cause
• 65% of small businesses do not survive past the 10-year mark (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• 86% of small business owners view their accountant as a trusted advisor (AICPA)
• 17%  annual median growth rate for CPA firms offering ongoing advisory services (AICPA/CPA.com)

 When the Wrong CPA Becomes a Hidden Liability

Here is a statistic that should give every small business owner pause: 82% of small businesses that fail cite poor cash flow management as a primary cause. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 65% of businesses do not survive past the 10-year mark. Cash flow does not exist in a vacuum. It is a downstream consequence of decisions: how you price, when you hire, how you carry debt, what you pull out of the business and when. A great CPA is not just watching those numbers. A great CPA is shaping the thinking that creates them.

A CPA who is behind on your books, stretched too thin across too many clients, or simply not experienced in businesses at your scale and in your industry is not a neutral presence. They are a liability you are paying for.

One thing I tell business owners regularly at Journey Payroll & HR is this:  The wrong fit for your CPA, even with a highly competent accountant, can leave you without the insight you need at the moments that matter most.

Not Every CPA Is the Right CPA for You

This is the part that does not get said enough. The CPA who was perfect for you when you were a solo operator might not be the right partner when you have 25 employees and are thinking about acquiring a competitor. The CPA who handles hundreds of small clients beautifully might not have the bandwidth to give you the hands-on attention you need as your complexity grows. And the CPA who is a wizard at tax minimization might not have the strategic advisory background to help you think through a major business transition.

Fit matters. Expertise for your specific situation matters. A CPA who works primarily with restaurants is not automatically the right choice for a regional construction company, and vice versa. The accounting principles are the same; the nuance is not.

When I think about the business owners I have seen grow with confidence, the ones who navigate tax seasons without panic, who make bold moves at the right times and measured ones when caution is warranted, almost every single one of them has a CPA they talk to regularly. Not just at year end. Regularly.

That relationship is worth actively finding and actively investing in.

What Does a Great CPA Relationship Actually Look Like?

The right CPA does more than close your books and file on time. Here is what that relationship looks like when it is working the way it should:

• They know your situation when you call them.
• They ask questions about your goals, not just your expenses.
• They flag things proactively, not reactively.
• They talk to your payroll provider, your benefits broker, and sometimes your attorney, because great advisors coordinate.
• They tell you things you do not necessarily want to hear, because that is how you stay out of trouble. I remember a call with my CPA when it started with “Maybe we should meet over happy hour for this.” I laughed, as we would grab happy hour from time to time, but I was also prepared.  At the end of the call I was extremely grateful he’s not afraid to tell me something directly that I need to hear as an entrepreneur.
• They scale their involvement as your business scales.

The fastest growing segment in public accounting right now is what the AICPA calls Client Advisory Services. CPA firms offering this kind of deep, ongoing advisory engagement are growing at a median rate of 17% per year, nearly three times the overall firm growth rate. Business owners are voting with their dollars for the kind of relationship that goes beyond tax prep. If your CPA is not offering that, it may be time to ask for more, or to look for someone who can deliver it.

The Payroll-CPA Connection: Why It Matters More Than You Think

One of the things I am most proud of at Journey Payroll & HR is the trust we have built with CPAs across every market we serve. I built this company believing that the businesses best positioned to grow are the ones surrounded by great advisors who communicate with each other. We have become the number one payroll company in our regions by client count and retention in large part because CPAs trust us with their clients. That is not an accident. It is the result of years of showing up correctly, communicating clearly, and treating every client referral as the act of trust it actually is.

A CPA who knows and trusts your payroll provider is a powerful combination. When your books reconcile cleanly every month, when payroll taxes are filed accurately and on time, when your workforce data is organized and accessible, when your CPA can easily get payroll data, your CPA can focus on the things that actually move your business forward. When payroll is a mess, your CPA is spending hours untangling instead of advising.

The businesses that grow with the least friction tend to have two things in common: a payroll and HR partner they can count on, and a CPA who is genuinely in their corner.

What Should You Do If You Do Not Have the Right CPA?

If you read this and felt a flicker of recognition, that maybe your current CPA relationship is good enough but not quite what you need, I want to say something directly: do not settle.

This is not a vendor relationship you tolerate, as if it’s a internet provider. This is the person helping you manage the financial foundation of everything you have built. The right move when it is not the right fit is to find better, not to stay comfortable.

Here is how to find the right CPA:

• Ask a business owner you respect, someone whose company looks the way you want yours to look, who they use. A referral from someone with demonstrated success carries more weight than any directory listing.
• Ask your payroll provider or your attorney. These relationships live inside networks of trusted professionals, and a recommendation from someone who already works in your business is meaningful.
• Look for a CPA who has worked with companies at your stage and in your industry. Ask specifically about that experience in your first conversation.
• Pay attention to how they communicate. Do they explain things clearly? Do they ask good questions? Do they seem genuinely interested in your business? The technical qualifications matter, but so does the relationship.

At Journey Payroll & HR, we refer businesses to CPAs and CPAs to businesses all the time. It is one of the most natural parts of what we do because we are already sitting inside these relationships every day. If you are in a market we serve and you need a referral to a CPA you can trust, reach out to your local Journey team. We are happy to make that introduction. No agenda attached.

The Compounding Value of Getting This Right

I have been in payroll and HR long enough to see what happens when a business owner finally lands in the right CPA relationship after years in the wrong one. It is almost always a turning point. Taxes get cleaned up. Strategy sharpens. The owner stops feeling anxious about their numbers and starts using them as tools.

That is what a trusted CPA does. They do not just keep score. They help you play a better game.

If you have that person, lean into that relationship. Tell them your goals. Bring them in early. Let them do more than compliance work.

If you do not have that person yet, the best time to find them is now. Not next tax season. Now.

The Bottom Line

Your CPA is one of the most consequential relationships in your business. The right one helps you grow with confidence. The wrong one, or the missing one, leaves you flying blind. If you do not have a CPA you genuinely trust today, do not wait until tax season to fix it. Find a referral from someone whose business success you admire, or reach out to Kevin Welch and the team at Journey Payroll & HR. We make this introduction regularly, and we are glad to do it.

 Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my current CPA is the right fit for my business?

Ask yourself a few honest questions: Does your CPA proactively reach out with advice, or do you only hear from them at tax time? Do they understand your industry and your growth stage? Do you feel comfortable calling them when something unexpected comes up? If your answers give you pause, that is worth taking seriously. As Kevin Welch of Journey Payroll & HR often puts it, the right CPA should feel like a strategic partner, not just a filing service. If the relationship is purely transactional, it may be time to explore whether a better fit exists.

What should I look for when choosing a CPA for my small business?

Look for experience with businesses at your stage and in your industry, not just general accounting credentials. A CPA who primarily handles individual tax returns is a different animal from one who works with multi-employee businesses managing payroll, benefits, and growth planning. Ask how many clients they have at your revenue level, how often they communicate proactively, and whether they offer any advisory services beyond compliance. Referrals from successful business owners you trust are one of the most reliable ways to find the right person.

How often should a business owner talk to their CPA?

High-growth businesses, companies going through transitions, or those making major hiring or capital decisions should be frequent contact. Year-end-only relationships are a warning sign if you want someone more as an advisor throughout the year or you are a growing business with various financial situations on your plate. The best CPA relationships, according to Kevin Welch of Journey Payroll & HR, are ones where the business owner picks up the phone before they make a significant financial move, not after.

Why does the relationship between my CPA and my payroll provider matter?

Payroll is one of the largest and most complex line items in most businesses, with significant tax filing obligations, wage reporting requirements, and direct impact on your books. When your payroll provider and your CPA operate with mutual trust and clean, organized data, your CPA can spend their time on strategy rather than cleanup. Journey Payroll & HR has built its reputation in large part on being the kind of payroll partner that CPAs can trust with their clients, and the result is a smoother, more productive experience for business owners across every market Journey serves.

How can I find a trusted CPA if I do not know where to start?

Start with your network. Ask a business owner whose growth and financial stability you admire who they use. Ask your payroll provider or your attorney, since these professionals already work inside trusted business networks and can make meaningful referrals. Journey Payroll & HR regularly connects businesses with CPAs and CPAs with businesses across the markets it serves. If you are a Journey client or prospective client and need a referral, reach out to your local Journey team and they will be glad to help make that connection.

Can Journey Payroll & HR refer me to a CPA?

Yes. Referring businesses and CPAs to one another is something Journey Payroll & HR does regularly and genuinely enjoys doing. The relationships Journey has built with CPAs across its markets are among the most important in the company, and those connections exist to benefit the businesses Journey serves. If you need a referral in your area, contact your local Journey Payroll & HR team. There is no catch, no obligation, and no pitch attached. Just an introduction to someone who can help.

About Kevin Welch

Kevin Welch is the CEO, Owner, and Founder of Journey Payroll & HR. He built Journey on a simple belief: that success and happiness are not a tradeoff. The businesses that take care of their people tend to be the ones still standing, still growing, and still worth working for a decade later.

Kevin has spent his career trying to see what is coming before it arrives. Regulatory shifts, workforce changes, compliance traps, the stuff that blindsides business owners who are too busy running their companies to watch the horizon. That is the job he has given himself, and these articles are part of how he does it.

Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/kevinwelchjourney.

Journey Payroll & HR Weekly Articles  |  Kevin Welch  |  JourneyPayrollHR.com