One of the biggest challenges accounting firms face today is how to go about their outsourcing, no matter how complex outsourcing might sound, and it is not that difficult. The biggest advantage that accounting firms have when it comes to outsourcing is that there is very little that has not been done before, many firms have probably outsourced before, and more often than not they would have faced the same problems. The same applies for CPAs if you are a CPA and have more work then you can handle, then the right time is now.

Before you consider outsourcing your accounting work overseas, there are a couple of pointers or call it a check list that you should have in mind. The first thing to remember is that outsourcing will not happen over night, it will have to be carried out in a phased and progressive manner. Also that you can decide on which aspect to outsource and which one to keep in house depending on your budget, amount of work and other factors. A detailed study of each aspect involved is mentioned below and is intended to inform how a CPA can outsource his accounting work overseas.

Preparing for outsourcing: Before you go out and try to outsource, you must take into consideration some basic aspects:

?How much work do you want to outsource?

?Are there any security issues involved?

?If possible, speak to other CPAs that have outsourced, and get their inputs on the way they outsourced their accounting. Once you are ready and have decided to outsource, and then proceed to phase 1.

Phase 1: The first step, which is the same in almost all business ventures the world over, is to find a firm that can help you with your accounting outsourcing. There are numerous sites that allow you to register and offer projects online. Once you put out a project you will get bids from numerous companies that will claim they are capable of providing you services for your accounting. Make sure you establish the credibility of the BPO vendor you have chosen, and if possible a physical visit to the KPO firm is not a bad idea. Conversely you can get in touch with a US based firm that can then take care of further outsourcing of your accounting. This is a simpler method, and costs only little more than directly outsourcing your accounting.

Phase 2: Once you have finished the paperwork and have agreed on the costs with the KPO, your next task will be to outsource your book keeping, or accounting. Remember this is not a one day process, and you should have a plan at hand. Once the processes have been outsourced as you planned, you can move on and work with BPO vendor to get results.

Phase 3: This is the final phase in accounting outsourcing, once all your accounting outsourcing is done; you should stay in constant touch with the KPO and should work towards automating your interactions with the firm involved.

Depending on the amount of work to be outsourced the time period and duration of each phase mentioned can vary.