John Josephs, an audit manager for Tip, Acanoe & Tylerto, was asked to speak at a dinner meeting of the local Small Business Administration Association. The president of the association has suggested that he talk about the various phases of the audit process to help small business owners better understand what auditors do. John has asked you, his trusted assistant, to prepare an outline for his speech. He suggests that you answer the following

Describe how audit procedures involving tests of controls can provide indirect evidence about whether financial statement account balances are free of material misstatement.

One of the phases involves understanding an entitys internal control. Why might the members of the association be particularly interested in the work conducted by auditors in this phase of the audit?