Accounting Industry Insights with Mark Holton

In this episode, Mark Holton is joined by Ethan Tonelli, Digital Marketing Director and co-founder of Canyon Digital. With a background spanning global brands like Netflix and Spotify, as well as not-for-profits and local businesses, Ethan shares how digital marketing strategies are evolving and what accounting firms can learn from other industries. They discuss: - Key shifts in digital marketing that accountants should be aware of - How to strengthen your firm's online presence without losing the personal touch - Common mistakes small businesses make with marketing—and how to avoid them - Practical tips for accountants to create valuable content and engage clients online If you're looking to make smarter marketing decisions and build deeper client relationships, this episode is packed with actionable advice. Get in touch with Ethan: www.canyondigital.com.au  

In this episode of Accounting Industry Insights, Mark speaks with Julia Thomson from The Benchmarking Group about the key findings from The Crunch: The Annual Accounting Firm Benchmark Report. They explore what sets high-profit firms apart—focusing on quality over quantity, efficient systems, proactive partners, and diversifying beyond traditional accounting services. Julia also shares insights on industry trends, including AI's growing role in accounting, the biggest challenges firms may face in 2025, and the untapped opportunities for firms willing to evolve. Tune in for expert advice on how accounting firms can boost profitability, enhance client relationships, and stay ahead in a changing industry. The Crunch: The Annual Accounting Firm Benchmark Report: www.benchmarking.com.au/accounting-industry-report The Benchmarking Group: www.benchmarking.com.au

In this episode, Mark sits down with Krish Sritharan from Solutions Centric to discuss the evolving role of offshoring in accounting firms. They explore the most significant challenges firms face today, the importance of a strategic approach to offshoring, and key factors to consider when selecting a provider. Krish shares best practices for building high-performing offshore teams, managing staff across time zones, and leveraging technology to maximise efficiencies. Whether you're new to offshoring or looking to refine your strategy, this episode offers valuable insights to help your firm succeed. www.solutionscentric.com.au

In this episode, Mark chats with Dave Birch, Group Managing Director of smartAR Group, about his journey, the pivotal people who shaped his career, and the evolution of accounts receivable in today's business landscape. Dave shares insights into the challenges accountants face, the practical role of AI in accounts receivable, and how accounts receivable conversations can open the door to impactful business advisory services. Tune in for a dynamic discussion blending innovation, leadership, and practical advice. smartAR website: www.smartar.com

In this episode, Mark speaks with Peter Annis-Brown, a qualified Mental Health Educator and Master Mental Health First Aid Instructor, about his inspiring journey to create Mental Fitness Australia. Peter shares his mission to shift the focus from mental health challenges to mental fitness opportunities, empowering individuals and organisations with proactive education and government-certified training. Discover how Mental Fitness Australia's programs are transforming workplaces, including accounting firms, and how individuals can become certified advocates driving positive change. Contact details for Peter: Email: peter@mentalfitnessaustralia.au Website: www.mentalfitnessaustralia.au

For his latest podcast episode, Mark caught up with Magnus Yoshikawa of Jadeja Partners, a firm with decades of experience helping accountants from startup to retirement and beyond. Magnus shares unique insights into the journey of accounting practice sales, focusing on the cultural fit, post-sale realities, and maintaining long-term relationships. Plus, hear the story behind his intriguing surname and the legacy of his father, Dip Jadeja, who pioneered the industry. Whether you're buying, selling, or just curious, this episode offers valuable advice for accountants at any stage. To contact Magnus: m: 0408 885 944 www.JadejaPartners.com

Tune in to Mark's latest podcast episode featuring Mike McHenry, founder of Seamless SMSF. Mike shares his journey of scaling a successful business while fostering a strong culture. Discover how he built a leading SMSF firm, the keys to designing an impactful business culture, developing effective processes, and keeping teams engaged. Get actionable advice on creating a thriving business environment and differentiating yourself in the market. Seamless SMSF website: www.seamless-smsf.com.au

In this episode, Mark speaks with Kate Shanahan, Co-Founder of Brieff, about the critical role of advisory services in today's business landscape. They discuss the common challenges firms face when trying to expand their advisory services, explore effective strategies to overcome these hurdles and share quick wins for firms aiming to enhance their advisory offerings. The conversation also addresses common misconceptions about advisory and examines the potential role of AI in transforming these services. Tune in to gain valuable insights and practical advice from a leading industry expert. Kate Shanahan Co-founder | CEO  Email: kate@brieff.io Website: brieff.io

Join Mark as he chats with Dan Beck and Krish Sritharan from Kloud Connect. Discover what inspired them to create a top-notch practice management solution for the Australian accounting industry. Learn how Kloud Connect streamlines operations, integrates with Microsoft technologies like AI Services (CoPilot) and Power BI, and tackles emerging industry challenges with innovative solutions. Don't miss this insightful conversation on the future of accounting technology! Find out more about Kloud Connect here: www.kloudconnect.com.au

Tune in as Mark sits down with Joanne Bell, the founder of Bells Accountants in the UK, to explore her journey from starting an accountancy business to achieving a £2m turnover in just 15 years. Uncover the secrets behind her success, the key factors that drove her growth, and the valuable lessons she's learned along the way. From humble beginnings to unique services offered, Joanne shares her story and insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners. Joanne's personal website: https://joannebell.co.uk/ Bells Accounting website: https://www.bellsaccountants.co.uk/

Discover the transformative power of forecasting in business with Michael Ford, CEO of Castaway Forecasting. From his journey in accounting to entrepreneurship, Michael shares valuable insights on the evolution of forecasting and its role in driving positive change with Mark. Gain practical advice on transitioning to advisory services, overcoming challenges, and delivering impactful forecasts. Whether you're an accountant or a business owner, this episode offers essential guidance for leveraging forecasts to fuel growth and performance improvement. Contact Michael on LinkedIn Castaway Forecasting website

Join Mark as he delves into the world of accounting with Graeme Tennick, founder of Tennick Accountants in the UK. Discover what sets Tennick Accountants apart, insights into the UK accounting market, and the impact of Making Tax Digital (MTD). Graeme shares his passion for helping business owners, the evolution of advisory services in his firm, and insights from his unique business book club. Plus, get Graeme's predictions for the future of the accounting industry worldwide. Find out more about Graeme's accounting firm here: www.tennick.co.uk

Join Mark for his latest podcast with guest Mick Devine, CEO of Calxa, as they discuss the world of accounting and advisory services. They explore the landscape of accountants who excel in advisory roles and discuss the barriers preventing widespread adoption. Discover the crucial role of reporting in client discussions and the significance of budgeting and cash flow forecasting. Differentiate between management and financial reporting and uncover the power of visually engaging charts and dashboards in enhancing client communication. Tune in to gain valuable insights and stay ahead in the ever-evolving realm of accounting advisory services.

Join Mark and guest Damien Greathead, Head of the Accountant and Advisor segment at Intuit Australia, to explore the crucial link between clean books and advisory success. Damien shares global insights, revealing the revenue goldmine for Australian firms—bookkeeping. Delve into why outsourcing became vital and learn how bookkeepers can secure their future. Gain actionable strategies for profitable bookkeeping and understand its transformative impact on accounting firms. Don't miss this episode shaping the future of advisory services! 

Join Mark for a concise and thought-provoking discussion with Richard Snell of Aider as they explore the impact of Generative AI on the accounting industry. Is it a competitor or ally? Will SMBs bypass traditional advisors? How can accountants scale services with AI tools? We also tackle the challenge of "black box" perceptions and speculate on the biggest impacts five years from now. Tune in for a quick dive into the future of accounting and Generative AI.

Listen to Mark's recent podcast, where he is joined by Sonia Gibson, Director at Accounting Heart Chartered Accountants. Explore the journey of sustainable accounting with insights on why it's crucial in today's evolving landscape. From addressing gender pay gaps to embracing innovation, discover the mindset shifts, skills, and practices needed for a contemporary and resilient accounting future. 

Mark delves into the fascinating world of business advisory and the Strategy 360 Program with our guest, Jenna van Nierop from Smith Thornton. Join us as we explore the journey of creating a Business Advisory division. We also discuss the key steps business owners should take to gain a deeper understanding of their business performance. Jenna is the Access Group's Young Gun of the Year for 2022 and has some valuable insights and behind-the-scenes stories you won't want to miss!

Join Mark for an enlightening podcast session as he sits down with Paul Miller, Cornish Accounting Solutions' founder, to explore the lessons learned from 40 years in the financial profession. Discover the secrets to building lasting client relationships, staying motivated, overcoming challenges, and the tech tools that have transformed their journey. Plus, get a sneak peek into what's on the horizon for Cornish Accounting Solutions. Don't miss this seasoned perspective on finance and business success!

Tune in to my latest podcast episode as we dive into the dynamic world of accounting and business advisory with Scott Monotti of Bstar. Discover how Bstar's automated solutions are reshaping the industry landscape, and explore key trends Scott is seeing with Bstar's Alliance Partners. Uncover the essential success factors for tomorrow's accounting practices, from automation and staff dynamics to succession planning. Join us for actionable insights that will help you elevate fees, profitability, staff engagement, and practice value. Don't miss this episode packed with valuable strategies and expert advice. Contact Scott directly: Scott Monotti Executive Director Bstar www.bstar.com.au

Join Mark in this insightful episode as he sits down with Tom Bilton, Head of Advisory for Fathom in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia Pacific. Discover the fascinating journey of Tom's career change from being an accountant to venturing into the world of accounting technology. Explore the pivotal role of culture and innovation in shaping the future of accounting, and delve into Tom's passion for empowering accountants to harness technology to its full potential. Tune in for an engaging conversation that will leave you inspired about the transformative power of technology in the accounting industry. If you would like to get in touch with Tom see below: Tom Bilton FCA Head of Advisory Channel - Fathom Tom.Bilton@theaccessgroup.com www.fathomhq.com

Join Mark in this engaging episode as he delves into the world of accounting, technology, and personal growth with Heather Smith of ANISE Consulting. Heather is a renowned expert in the field, and shares invaluable insights and practical tips on creating boundaries, selecting accounting technology solutions, discovering hidden gem apps, exploring app advisory, impactful book recommendations, and fostering daily habits for success. Tune in to gain valuable knowledge and elevate your accounting game to new heights! Heather Smith ANISE Consulting E: heather@aniseconsulting.com W: www.heathersmithsmallbusiness.com

Mark caught up with Lynda Steffens, Accountant Coach, and chatted about unpacking the concept of advisory services. We discuss its meaning, the reasons behind the varying levels of success among accountants, the importance of effective communication with clients, and the potential scalability of advisory services. Join us for an insightful episode that delves into the intricacies of advisory services. To contact Lynda: Email: lynda@lyndasteffens.com Website: wwwlyndasteffens.com

For Mark's latest podcast, he speaks to Theo Mitsinikos from Dashboard Insights to talk about how accounting firms can become empowered, efficient, and operationally adept when helping clients create incredible businesses. Theo shares how accounting firms can use data-driven data to really drive successful business advisory services.  To contact the Dashboard Insights team: hello@dashboardinsights.com or www.dashboardinsights.com

In my latest podcast episode Brianna Sheppard, Senior Accountant at ALA Partners shares her experience and perspective of being a female in the world of accounting and business. Brianna gave a fantastic speech at our 2022 Young Guns Workshop on this very topic and I wanted her to share more on the podcast. We talk about Brianna's journey into leadership, balancing her personal life and career, and how that speech came about.

This month Mark sat down with one of the young guns who attended the Smithink Young Guns Workshop in 2022, Ashreen Lochan from Generate Accounting in New Zealand. Ashreen is an Accounting graduate and a member of CPA Australia as well as on the Women in Business Committee for CPA in NZ. She is also a mentor for the University of Auckland's Business Women's Mentoring Programme. We talked about how she is helping out businesses with the current economic challenges as well as the current trends and signs of business performance in New Zealand and many other things.

This month I sat down with Andrew Paton-Smith, CEO and Founder of Jazoodle, to find out more about this passion for small businesses, demystifying business numbers, and where he sees how numbers will help the businesses of Australia in the future. Andrew Paton-Smith  Chief Executive Officer Jazoodle www.jazoodle.com

I recently sat down with Chris Palmer, Director of Maus Software, and we chatted about all things business advisory. Find out what his thoughts are on business advisory being a critical component for firms, the key steps to implementing business advisory services, and much more. To find out more about Maus: Chris Palmer Director - Maus Software LLC https://maus.com/

This month I spoke to Amanda Gascoigne from The Balanced Firm and we discussed getting the right balance between business advisory and compliance, the roadblocks stopping firms embrace business advisory, what's working well and a whole lot more! Connecting with Amanda Amanda can be contacted on her email amanda@amandagascoigne.com, she's on social media channels and she has two websites: Her coaching, resources and courses - www.amandagascoigne.com Her community, The Balanced Firm - www.thebalancedfirm.com

For this month's podcast episode I caught up with Florence Ioannou of LDB Group. We discussed her journey to become LDB Group's first female associate, how she became interested in blockchain technology and cryptocurrency and how she sees clients engaging in this space.

In my latest latest podcast, I speak with Aaron Jupp of Aspira Business and Financial Services and chat about taking a holistic approach to helping clients, staff challenges including offshoring, as well as tips on how to run a smarter and more profitable practice.

This month I sat down with John Beasley, Associate Partner of LDB Group, and we discussed ways to attract talent as well as ways to get new clients, work/life balance, technology and much more. 

This month Mark sat down with Matthew Feehan Accounting Director of Salt Financial Group, to discuss Matthew's personal experience with setting up advisory services in his firm including the reasons why they decided to go down the advisory path, the challenges, benefits and learnings for the team and clients.  Matthew Feehan Accounting Director Salt Financial Group Matthew.Feehan@saltfinancialgroup.com.au www.saltfinancialgroup.com.au

I highlighted the opportunities of business advisory in part one. Now I talk you through the next few steps to help you successfully implement business advisory into your firm: Create; Analyse; Implement; Service; Generate. With the right and committed implementation adding business advisory into your firm creates more opportunities.

Where is your firm in its business advisory journey? Do you know what you need to do to get more advisory services happening? Have you created an ongoing and successful stream of income in your business with your advisory services? Or are you not even sure where to start? In this session, I'll take you through the initial steps to get you on the right track. If you would like to have a complimentary 45-minute Business Advisory assessment, please contact me to confirm a suitable time: mark.holton@smithink.com

This month I spoke to Craig West of Succession Plus, about his thoughts on the importance of succession and exit planning for businesses. He shares some great insights into how you can get involved in providing this service, the best way to start the conversation with your clients, and advice around pricing these services. Craig can be contacted as below: Craig West CEO & Founder Succession Plus E: cwest@successionplus.com.au P: 1300 665 473 www.succession.plus

Your Client Relationship Management (CRM) system in an integral part of your firm's business advisory success. In this episode, I talk about what a CRM system is, why some firms don't have a CRM, why I think CRM's are a good idea, and a whole lot more!

For my latest podcast episode, I caught up with Mark Silveira and David Wyner of Advisor Risk Management. We discussed the changes they have seen to professional services over the last few months due to COVID-19, we dive a little deeper into the risk management services the team provides to accounting firms and how this can work with business advisory services. If you would like more information from Advisor Risk Management see contact details below:  Mark Silveira Email: marks@advisorrm.com.au www.advisorrm.com.au  

Vincent Keogh of The Benchmarking Group, joined me for a chat about his experiences with benchmarking for all businesses including accounting firms. He shares some interesting insights into what he has seen over the last 5-10 years and what trends might come out of the last few months for accounting firms. The Benchmarking Group website: www.benchmarking.com.au

David Francis from APS sat down with me to discuss the current challenges facing accounting firms and small businesses in the current Australian economy including what he has seen over the last year. Visit the APS website: www.aps-software.com

In this podcast episode, I talk with Gordon Gilchrist of 2020 Innovation in the UK. Gordon shares what he has seen happen in the accounting industry in the UK over the last 12 months and covers working virtually and how that has affected work culture, how do you approach training people virtually as well as how he thinks accounting firms can grow and thrive over the next few years.

Malcolm Ebb of Fee Synergy joins me for the latest podcast episode. Malcolm started Fee Synergy nearly 15 years ago and his experience within the accounting industry is extensive. Find out how Fee Synergy came about, how Malcolm has seen accounting firms change and work over the last 15 years, particularly coming through COVID-19 as well as his tips for accounting firms to grow and thrive over the next two-three years.

In the latest podcast, Mark has Dave Birch of smartAR, based in New Zealand but servicing Australian firms as well, shares how he has seen firms on both sides of the Tasman manage COVID-19, what differences there have been in each country including the challenges, and what trends Dave thinks we will see in 2021 and beyond.

In this podcast session, I talk to Joss Milner CEO of Cashflow Story, to discuss what advisory services Joss has seen accounting firms globally implement. Joss will also talk about how accounting firms can grow their business advisory services coming out of COVID-19 and into the new normal as well as the importance of the power of one as a key consulting tool.

For the first podcast episode, I asked Peter Towers to share what he has seen after talking to many accountants around Australia during COVID-19. He shares his view on how COVID-19 has affected accounting firms, what specifically he has seen with some firms really taking advantage of the crisis and how he thinks Business Advisory offerings should be managed out of this. Peter has worked with accountants for many years and his insights are very valuable.