Start their engines

Most people think of startups as technology companies. Sure, that may characterize the majority of startups, but the real differentiator is that a startup is purposely built for fast growth. The ideal lifecycle of a startup often consists of an agile product development, a push for product traction in the marketplace, attraction of growth funding, and then rapid growth to attract an exit. Profitability is important, but a startup typically views cash as fuel for business growth, not as an end product for the owners. For startups, that means using cloud-based accounting systems like Xero, QuickBooks Online or Intacct. One of your primary goals as their accountant should be to build an accounting function that isn't a huge distraction.