Accountant versus Business Consultant
July 25, 2009 by Admin
Filed under Business Face-off
This is the second article in our business face-off series. Previously, we have brought vis-à-vis the entrepreneur and the employee. This time we will bring face to face the two professionals who play very important roles in business life cycle. Accountants, as we usually know, are responsible for recording, analyzing, summarizing and reporting an entity’s economic transactions. On the other hand, business consultants are the ones who analyze an entity to search for business flaws or rooms for improvements. To better distinguish the two, let’s now start our business face-off.
| Accountant | Business Consultant |
| 1. More concern on the past | 1. More concern on the future |
| 2. Focuses on quantifiable data | 2. Focuses on both quantifiable and unquantifiable data |
| 3. Uses economic and financial data | 3. Uses economic, financial, psychological, emotional and social data |
| 4. Conventional | 4. Innovative |
| 5. Conservative | 5. Offbeat |
| 6. Modest | 6. Exposed |
| 7. Must strictly comply in accordance to accounting standards | 7. Complies with the need of his client |
| 8. Less aggressive in marketing | 8. More aggressive in marketing |
| 9. More on financial | 9. More on operational |
| 10. Assures integrity, reliability and fairness | 10. Assures effectiveness, efficiency and profitability |
| 11. The entity’s management, owners, investors, creditors, government, and others are the users of his work | 11. The entity’s management and owners are the users of his work |
| 12. All accountants can be a business consultant | 12. Not all business consultants can be an accountant |
Now, who do you think wins? Who do you think plays the more important role in the business world? What would you want to be? Do you want to practice as an accountant or as a business consultant? If you have any comments, objections and or any additional features of an accountant and business consultant for differentiation, please feel free to comment below.
No related posts.
Victorino,
This was very helpful. I'm currently going into my last year of high school, and need to start deciding what direction I want to take (as for my career). Business & Finance have always interested me. The table you provided really made it easy for me to see the differences between and Accountant and a Business Consultant, two positions I would definitely consider in the future.
Hello,
It is okay to be an accountant (CPA), get an MBA degree or even a Doctor in Business Administration, then become a business consultant. Good luck in your final HS year. Your a clever person, I know you can do great in college.
Now, who do you think wins?
In Respect to what? Both have their own “wins” so to speak, but overall I would say the Business consultant wins more, because his work is very diverse, where as the accountant is more fixed. Where as the consultant does more unique things.
Who do you think plays the more important role in the business world?
It's a tough one to answer, But I think the consultant players the more important role, because anyone can do the accounting job, but the consultant really does more of an impact of the success and direction of the company.
What would you want to be?
I just started as a Finance major at the university, but I would choose being a business consultant, because of the diversity it presents. Although.. I would say that the job of an accountant is more secure… so it's tough to answer…. But I would in the end more than likely choose being a Business consultant.
Till then,
Jean
Hi there Jean,
Thanks for visiting and sharing your insights about the topic. I'm glad to meet a finance major. It's true you can be a good accountant, even have an MBA, but it doesn't assures greatness in business consultancy. So although I am an accountant, I still aspire to have a substantial experience and wisdom in becoming an outstanding business consultant.