Niagara Region is Hive of Business Activity
The Niagara Region is a dynamic player in the Ontario economy, strategically situated between
the Golden Horseshoe and Western New York. The highly diverse economic activity of its nearly half a million
residents requires Licensed Public Accountant (LPA) firms to be able to serve such a broad range of business
interests.
The region is famous for its university and colleges, traditional agriculture, industry, small
and large businesses as well as manufacturing. Every year, twelve million people visit Niagara Region’s wineries,
acclaimed theatres and, of course, the world-famous Falls.
The firm of Jones & O’Connell LLP, is based in Niagara Region’s biggest city, St.
Catharines. It is perfectly positioned to serve the area’s financial interests. The firm has a broad-based team
that focuses on financial planning and forecasting; auditing; tax planning and compliance; credit union support;
and both private and publicly-held businesses.
Businesses Require a Full Range of LPA Services
In such a busy and productive business environment, an LPA firm must be prepared to supply a
full menu of assistance.
The firm must be able to work with businesses to satisfy compilation requirements for its
financial statements. Again, the goal is keeping costs at a minimum and ensuring staff continuity throughout the
process.
Special services include financial advisory, with budgeting and forecasts, as well as valuation
when there is a purchase or sale of the business.
System planning and selection, installation and implementation of computer services, and
relevant training are other areas of available expertise. At the human end of the scale, management advisory
services include the creation of business plans; business and marketing strategy; and management
consulting.
At a time when many organizations are inundated with compliance requirements from differing tax
authorities, it is broadly helpful to work with an LPA firm that offers staff continuity and specific expertise
with compliance issues.
Bookkeeping services for businesses must have the goal of keeping costs to a minimum, while
ensuring that additional services bring an appropriate cost-benefit relationship. This includes a bookkeeping
specialist on staff who has a high certification with QuickBooks.
Review Engagements – Another Service Offered by Chartered Professional Accountants
Broadly speaking, a review engagement is a process by which a business's financial statements
are examined for material misstatements. Specifically, it is designed to determine if the financial statements are
believable or plausible. The information presented by the company being reviewed is tested, unlike with a
financial compilation, which relies entirely on whatever is presented by the inspected business.
Review engagements may be done when a business is trying to get additional bank financing.
Alternately, shareholders might require further analysis or assurance from the reviewed financial statements. The
review engagement is intended to furnish an opinion from an accountant that nothing has come to their attention
that suggests a business’s statements are not in accordance with proper business and accounting practice.
The St. Catharines LPA firm of Jones & O’Connell LLP can carry out review engagements across
the Niagara Region, as well as throughout the Golden Horseshoe, including Hamilton and the Greater Toronto Area
(GTA).