How to Select An Accountant, Attorney and Startup Consultant For Your Restaurant

The best and brightest businesspeople in any industry surround themselves with smart advisers. There are a number of aspects of launching a new restaurant in which you will require highly trained specialists in the startup phase and beyond. Donald Trump has a team of lawyers, accountants and consultants on his team, and so should you. Unlike Trump, you might not have a Rolodex full of the top advisers in the country. Most likely, you'll need to do a little homework to find your dream team.

As with many of business's conundrums, often the answer lies in the simple phrase, "Ask and Ye Shall Find." As you've planned for your new restaurant, you've likely visited a number of other restaurants in your community or restaurants with similar concepts. You've talked with friends and neighbors about what they like in a restaurant; why they return over and over again. You've taken notes and done research on what appeals to you in all aspects of the dining experience. Such an approach is exactly how you should select an attorney, accountant and consultant for your restaurant -- ingredients as fundamental as salt and pepper to the success of your business.

"Find a restaurant that you like, someone who runs a good operation, and find out who they are using," says Kevin Heaton, owner of Stone Canyon Pizza, a successful restaurant in the Kansas City suburb of Parkville, Missouri. "People often find your restaurant through word of mouth, and that's exactly how I found the attorney and accountant that I've used for more than 10 years," Heaton said.

Leaders in the industry agree that the right combination of legal, financial and professional advice introduced at the appropriate intervals of the startup phase make indelible differences in the first few years and in the long-term success of your restaurant.