An audit provides the highest level of assurance that financial institutions, regulatory authorities or governing documents, such as bylaws, may require of a business or an organization. In the audit process, Susan C. Martin gains an understanding of your entity, its risks and internal controls, and performs testing as needed, determined through a risk-based approach, that provides an honest, unbiased opinion on your financial statements.

A review differs significantly from an audit, but still provides limited assurance that the financial statements of your organization are not in need material modifications. With a review, Susan analyzes your organization's financial information and supporting data, making inquiries as needed, to issue the Accountant's report. A review is often sufficient to satisfy the needs of creditors and financial institutions without the expense of the full auditing process. Susan can help you understand what is right for your specific situation.

A compilation is designed to simply present information about your organization in the form of financial statements that are the representations of management. This information has not been audited or reviewed, and accordingly, there is not an opinion or any other form of assurance on the statements generated by a compilation. These compiled financial statements may be requested by a bank or other lenders that want to see an organization's financial data in a standard, familiar financial statement format instead of internally generated reports, and Susan can help generate this information the way financial institutions need to see it.

Preparation of the 990, 990-T and 990-EZ

As laws and regulations continue to change and evolve, there are a number of key issues that small business owners, non-profits, banks and other entities need to stay on top of. Susan leads workshops, seminars, webinars and Lunch and Learn sessions catered specifically to an organization's needs and interests, designed to further the understanding of these key issues. Contact Susan for more information on these opportunities or to discuss exactly what is right for your organization. Check the News Room for upcoming events and other information.

Many consulting services are offered to business owners and non-profit organizations by certified public accountants. This is a short list of some of the consultative services Susan C. Martin provides to clients:

Financial Statement Preparation

Turning financial information into a standardized statement can be a daunting task for many business owners and non-profit leaders. Susan can help you not only prepare a statement for your business, but also understand the process of what is needed and why.

Audit Preparation

Audits are very thorough affairs that can require much more than the production of a simple financial statement. If you are not properly prepared going in, audits can be very frustrating and costly ventures. Susan can help you get ready for an audit being conducted by another CPA, and can teach and explain to you what will happen throughout the process so you are fully prepared and armed with the information you need from the outset.

QuickBooks consulting

Susan is a certified QuickBooks Pro Advisor and can help organizations setup and customize their QuickBooks files. This software has a number of incredibly useful features for business owners, entrepreneurs and nonprofits, and Susan can show you how to use the software effectively for your own purposes - tracking day-to-day transactions as well as running reports that help to manage finances and plan for the future.

Bookkeeping

Susan offers organizations bookkeeping services that include assistance with entering transactions, monthly close and internal financial reporting.

Policy consulting

Many business owners and non-profit leaders need some assistance and guidance to establish and document financial policies and procedures that make sense for their specific situation. Susan offers this service and can advise you on what makes sense, what doesn't and options that may have not have been fully considered. Policies act as guidelines for future financial success and stability, and getting them right from the start is essential - especially for small businesses. The end product of these consultations is generally a set of formal, written policies or a procedural manual, whichever official form of documentation makes sense for your organization.

Internal control consulting

Susan can help by documenting internal controls in preparation for an audit, assist in performing risk assessments, as well as testing, evaluating and remediating where specific deficiencies may lie. After an audit, some organizations must respond to specific internal process or control deficiencies found by the independent auditor. Susan can help management develop these responses.