Audit firm business plan

Today, almost all business entities are subject to control by government agencies, the result of which directly affects the possible costs of enterprises in the event of incorrect accounting and management reporting.

In these conditions, as well as taking into account the constant changes in the legal framework, the services rendered by audit firms are in constant demand in the market. A sample business plan of an audit firm is intended for those who are thinking about starting their own company.

Personnel and responsibilities

Before registering a company, you should determine the potential staff who will be invited to work. It is more expedient to recruit a staff of specialists with experience in this field, promising newcomers can be attracted when the company has already occupied a certain niche in the market.

It is also necessary to pre-allocate some responsibilities between management employees / owners, namely, accounting, legal work, determine the responsible for the functions of the sales manager, HR specialist, secretary, courier. All responsibilities are recommended to be clearly stated in writing.

Foundation of the company

At the initial stage, you should register a legal entity, as this is the most acceptable form for doing this kind of business. Open a bank account. Then rent a room, while paying attention to the convenient location and interior, as this is the company's image.

The next item will be the purchase of working furniture (if the premises are rented out empty), shelving for documents, several safes for storing documents, office equipment.

Commercial offer and advertising

The business plan of the audit firm must include the following mandatory items:

• target audience - enterprises of which industries will be provided services, for example, bank audit will differ from the general one, audit of insurance companies has its own characteristics, etc. .;
• regulations for the provision of services - what services, in what volume, in what time frame will be offered by the company. Audit firms usually provide related services, for example, tax optimization;
• price lists, which clearly indicate the cost of various works, include possible attractive offers: first consultation - free of charge, bonuses, visit of a specialist;
• promotional activities. At first, the firm will serve clients who will be "brought" by employees "with old connections", then it is necessary to attract new clients. This can be done by placing advertisements in the media, on the Internet, as well as with the help of "cold sales" - telephone calls to the city telephone directory.

Project Costing

The opening of audit companies in cities with a population of 100 to 300 thousand people, until recently, was considered a hopeless and unprofitable business activity. However, current realities show that with the increase in the number of small and medium-sized enterprises in the province, audit-related services are becoming more and more in demand. This business plan of an audit company with calculations has been drawn up to help entrepreneurs who want to organize a similar business in a small Russian city.

The estimated initial investment in opening an audit firm will amount to 900,000 rubles, of which 500,000 rubles are free funds of a businessman, and 400,000 are a bank loan or other type of loan.

Concept Brief

An audit company, the example of the organization of which is described in this business plan, is registered as a limited liability company with one or more founders. Taxation system - UTII ("imputation"). The tax rate is from 7.5% to 15%. To be fair, it should be noted that so far no region has introduced a reduced rate of 7.5%, all organizations pay this tax to the maximum. OKVED codes are as follows:

• 69. 0 "Activities for the provision of services in the field of accounting, financial audit, tax consulting."
• 69. 0. "Activities for financial audit".
• 69. 0. "Activities in the field of tax consulting."

Premises for the office of the auditing company, 70 sq. meters, is rented in the city center and must comply with fire safety rules and SanPiN standards. It is advisable to conclude a lease agreement for several years at once, while paying in full for the first six months. You should also first conclude a contract for the repair of premises, contracts for the purchase of computer and office equipment.

The work of an audit firm is based on the provision of a number of services:

• Checking the correctness of accounting and tax accounting of the company.
• Assistance in accounting and preparation of financial documents.
• Acting on behalf of a client organization in government agencies, including the courts.
• Consulting on the problems of competent management of financial and economic documentation.
• Assessment of the qualification level of accounting staff.
• Advising on the selection of the most appropriate taxation system.
• Help in recovering lost accounting and tax information.

It is not necessary to start providing all of the above services from the very start of an audit firm. Even before the opening, you need to "probe" the regional market and select the types of services most demanded in a particular region. As the company develops, the list can be supplemented with new proposals.

How much to invest in opening

The initial costs of setting up a private audit company are shown in the following table (figures are current as of early 2021):

As can be seen from the calculations, half of the financial investments fall on the purchase of software and equipment. Operating systems, text editors, and antivirus software are vital to the operation of a company. It is not worth saving and installing pirated versions of these programs - this threatens with criminal prosecution. It is also necessary to purchase computer equipment of high quality, with a "reserve" for three to five years of active work.

Introduction

All managers of large firms know that it is important for business that accounting and tax accounting work well. In order for the company to develop and become more successful, it is necessary to have as detailed information as possible about the activities of the company.

That is why managers often resort to audit of the company, because this way it is possible to show the contradictions between the real situation and the documentary registration of operations. Auditing is an important part of modern business activities. There are firms that are legally obliged to carry out such checks annually.

In this case, the manager will need either an independent auditor or an audit firm. The services of such an organization involve checking all the documentation and the work of the company, after which a result will be issued, both negative and positive, with recommendations on how to eliminate the shortcomings, if any. Audit firms sometimes provide services that are far from audit, for example, assistance in taxation, restoration and maintenance of financial accounting of the company, and others.

Features

Such organizations can be formed on the basis of various forms of ownership, except for the completely state-owned. The staff of such a company may also have employees who are far from auditing, but such people should be no more than 28%.

Only a certified specialist in this field can be represented as a manager. In accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation, an audit firm must have at least five auditors who are citizens of the Russian Federation and reside in its territory.

How to open an audit firm?

Based on the characteristics of the services provided by such organizations, they can be divided into two categories:

- universal, that is, one that has the right to implement several types of audit and engage in different types of work;

- specialized, which provides only a specific type of service.

Today, the domestic sphere of provision, in contrast to the western one, is at the initial stage of its development. However, the demand for audit is growing monthly and exponentially. Therefore, any specialist with a legal or economic education can learn from foreign experience of successful business, collect and receive the required documents, open an audit firm, work for himself and earn decent money.

Features of the functioning of the audit firm

In addition, the staff must include at least five Russians living in the Russian Federation.

The firm is entitled to provide specialized services only after entering the register of auditors and audit firms, the fact of which is confirmed by a certificate of the established form.

Levels of regulation of auditors' activities

Legislative regulation of the work of auditors and specialized firms includes 5 levels:

• Federal Law No. 119;
• Government decree, presidential decrees;
• Federal audit rules (standards), the study of which should be given special attention ;
• Standards of audit associations, normative documentation for types of audit;
• Internal standards of companies.

Auditing firm business plan

A business plan may contain more than a dozen sections, but the following data must be mandatory for collection and reflection:

• The results of market analysis and marketing research, obtained during a detailed assessment of the demand for services and the presence of competitors in the field, development of pricing policy, etc.;
• Company description ;
• Calculated amount of expenses (for registration, main and possible costs);
• A clear and concise list of services provided, as well as directions for further strategic expansion and development;
• Payback forecast. A very relevant point of the plan if it is planned to attract investors or financial organizations to the opening of the company. The latter should have an idea of ​​what dividends they will receive and what prospects they can count on
• Legally formalized financial reporting.

Other provisions may also be reflected in the document, which we will talk about further.

Selecting a profile of the audit company

What services can an audit firm offer

When creating a plan for organizing an auditing company, experts first advise asking the question: what is the company ready to offer to its clients? The list of services can be impressive:

• Preparation of enterprise documents for subsequent audit, systematization of archives.
• Legal and accounting advice.
• Defending the client's interests in government agencies, for example, at court hearings.
• Checking the correctness of the prepared financial statements.
• Analysis of the control system that operates at the enterprise, how the labor of workers is stimulated, the adjustment of the functions of the management.
• Consultations on how to properly draw up accounting records.
• Consulting on various taxation systems.
• Creation of an effective management methodology.
• Control over the movement and spending of investments.
• The audit firm will help you recover lost accounting information and tell you how to prevent such a mistake in the future.

Target audience

Large enterprises and serious businessmen prefer to contact diversified audit companies. After all, this means that the organization employs experienced specialists who are competent in many issues. The target audience (target audience) in the form of such clients allows you to set high prices for audit services. If the client is satisfied, he will pass on his positive recommendations to partners and customers.

The company's business plan is also based on the need to study competitors who are located in the same locality. An adequate assessment of their performance includes the study of such parameters:

• what competitors offer to the consumer;
• how much their services cost;
• advantageous offers, discounts for regular or large customers.

You need to find your uniqueness - what “tasty” can you offer your target audience. It would not hurt to consider one of the options:

• A universal company - professionals who are focused on solving many problems at once work here. But such employees need to be paid a large salary, because their qualifications are above average.
• Specialized company - focused on a narrow circle of customers. For example, it helps to understand the basics of accounting or offers advice on conducting a financial audit.

It can be extremely difficult to find sensible auditors with broad knowledge. Then you need to go to plan B - a specialized form is also a good option.

How a company office should look like