Start-up: accountant, the preferred interlocutor.

Chartered accountants at the service of business creation. The profession of chartered accountant is often unknown by the general public. The heart of this business is to support a company in the stage of its creation. Indeed, they intervene in this stage to the extent that they accompany the financing procedures. They are also excellent support for mid-caps and social economy players. They provide the aids in their operation and management. An accounting firm therefore provides an accompaniment function on three central dimensions of the company: technical, commercial and managerial. However, accountants do not advise all types of companies in the same proportions. It will be said that some are even under-represented, they are in particular start-ups.

Accounting expertise, the trusted partner of business leaders in business creation

Accounting firms are assets of companies in terms of financial engineering when setting up a business. They are a loyal partner and a recognized expert… chartered accountants are indeed the trusted partners of business leaders. When it is going to be about financing companies, accountants and their firms know how to detect new opportunities. This is particularly the case with the strategy of optimizing the bank rating. Indeed, it can be penalized following the discrepancy that can sometimes exist between the tax approach and the economic approach to the balance sheet.

Absoluce is a network of independent accounting, auditing and consulting firms. It offers a complete range of services in accounting, taxation, legal, social, information systems and strategic support. The network has 22 firms spread over 49 sites throughout France and includes 690 employees. It has a turnover of 61.5 million euros. In Bordeaux, Lassus has been part of the Absoluce network since 1957. Thus, it is a historical actor of regional economic life. Absoluce is also a regional correspondent of INAA GROUP. INAA GROUP is an international association of independent audit and consulting firms. When we talk about support for business creators, it is usually set over three years. A comprehensive support on the personal and professional wealth of the entrepreneur.

creation of a chartered accountant
Accountants help entrepreneurs in the creation stages

Support to be strengthened with start-ups

The current context is constantly changing. In this sense, accounting firms must be able to adapt to these changes. They must also adapt to new business creation needs. Indeed, new working methods are emerging. Automation is developing in traditional accounting production. The change of perspective for accounting firms must focus mainly on the type of missions they handle. In particular, they must make a switch to missions with higher added value.

This diagnosis notes a lack. This lack is that of the weak support provided by accounting firms to start-ups. Indeed, from the point of view of their traditional business creation support activity, start-ups are a key target. Indeed, they are prime targets insofar as their phases of development are crucial. Start-ups are the economy of today and tomorrow. Thus, this is a significant point. This choice is all the more interesting insofar as France wants to become a “start-up nation”. In addition, Nouvelle-Aquitaine is a “start-up” region that supports nearly a hundred start-up projects every year.

The main weakness of start-ups that focus on innovation is the high failure rate. As a result, nearly nine out of ten start-ups fail to start a business. Solidifying their support thanks to chartered accountants would therefore reduce this rate. Indeed, this would make it possible to manage their growth and anticipate their financing needs. It is true that the development of start-ups, more flexible and agile in their management, is different from that of traditional companies. A start-up creation requires fundraising. Moreover, it is often important for their development.

The biggest difficulty sometimes lies in the lack of understanding between the company’s management and finance experts and the start-up world. There is a gap between the traditional business and the start-ups that break the codes. The language and culture between these two worlds are therefore sometimes very far apart. In order to overcome this difficulty, a Bordeaux start-up “StartFlow” has developed animations to popularize the jargon of start-ups. The objective is above all to make people understand the stages of development phase by phase. StartFlow is aimed directly at chartered accountants. It will offer them a global understanding of the financing problem of a start-up when setting up a business.

Digital technology and the new uses that have emerged from it raise many questions about the evolution of the practice of the profession of chartered accountant. Recognized for their accounting and tax skills, accountants have strong assets to become advisors to start-ups. Digital transition and economic change, accounting firms are also affected by other ills. In particular, there is the uberization of the economy and the entry of new competitors who offer online solutions for businesses. There is a first sign of the shift from accounting firms to start-ups. This is the presence of about thirty accountants and auditors at the VivaTech start-up fair in June 2019. All that is left is to wish for the same shift on the side of bordeaux accounting firms.

Justine ANGIBAUD

Contact:

Cabinet Lassus

82 Tivoli Avenue

33110 Le Bouscat

05.56.02.08.18

Sources:

Absolute

StartFlow

Invest In New Aquitaine

Bordeaux Financial and Tertiary Centre

http://cabinetlassus.fr/





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