The Business of Bookkeeping

Just into her 12th year, Jackie Becker intends to stay with her business for many years to come. Today we discuss her experiences trialling new software and indeed we attempt to handover some of the dialogue to ChatGPT.  Jackie tells us how she makes good use of the service within her business and this ‘live test' is pretty impressive.

We last caught up with Gary Jones a little over 5 years ago and today he explains how he's maintained much of the remote working capabilities that evolved during the COVID 19 period. Gary has grown his business, grown his team and increased the ways in which his working life can shift in the future.

From early in his career, Shaun Rafferty has worked with movers and shakers in the worlds of consulting and digital advertising and has contributed to the success of a number of market leaders. However, as industries and opportunities evolved and shifted during COVID, so too did Shaun's thinking. We catch up with him less than a year into his own business and his new path is becoming clear.

We last caught up with Ana Hindocha in 2023 when her business was less than a year old. She spoke of numerous goals, plans and dreams and shared her hesitancy in this her first independent venture. Two years on, a great deal has happened and while the picture may not be what she foresaw, it's been an exciting and transformative journey.

Surprisingly, one particularly effective way to maximise your success in the year ahead, is to close the current year in a powerful and strategic way. In this episode, business coach Tracey Leak shares some practical tips and tricks that are in fact very useful all year round!

For Yvonne and Andrew Syme, the key appeal when starting their bookkeeping business a dozen or so years ago, was simply to be of help to their customers. This clear objective has informed how they balance life and work and has yielded an extremely satisfying small business. And you'll be surprised at how they spend their spare time.

Lysa White likes nothing more than a new client whose accounts are in a shambolic state. Getting things organised is what makes her tick and builds her value. Having been employed by a franchisee for a number of years, Lysa was happy (if a little surprised) to take the business over. Seven years on, she has built a tight, little team and is starting to think about her own exit.

When Trudy Mendis started her business a little over a year ago, she initially struggled with the discipline of working solo and didn't take naturally to networking. Happily, by embracing the First Class community and learning from others, the tables have turned. Today, she's enjoying the transition from employment and is keen to demonstrate a work/life balance to her children.

Katrina Spratley has run her bookkeeping business for 20 years on the Gold Coast and has developed a way of working that really suits her lifestyle. She has some great tips to ensure you charge what you're worth and how to avoid getting too 'drawn in' if client demands are overwhelming.

This is the model that Carl Zwartkruis adopts in his business. Effectively working as a Chief Financial Officer, Carl spends most days working at his clients' offices and has done so for coming up to a decade. It's how he prefers to work and illustrates the flexibility of the First Class Accounts franchise and how it aligns with your expertise and workstyle. 

In her twentieth year with First Class Accounts, Renae Pitargue has some important lessons to share. As a self-confessed perfectionist, she had a problem ‘letting go' as she grew and expanded. How she overcame this and successfully maintains a growing business to this day reveals a host of good tips and strategies.

Serge Crismale never thought he'd be in his business this long, but strange things happen when you start enjoying yourself. Now in the early stages of designing his exit strategy, Serge is considering his options and reviewing the ways he works. One key consideration is the role of real life get-togethers, both with staff and clients.

From attending her first overseas conference while still undergoing training, to attracting a client before she was truly ready, Jana Aldhaibi has committed to making her business work. We catch her less than a year into her practice and her proactive style continues.

When Jeffrey Phillips left University he walked straight into an accounting career and quickly realised that sitting at a desk all day crunching numbers wasn't for him.  With an idea of how he wanted to balance life and work, he bravely started his own franchise business. Twelve years on, he's successfully designed his ideal venture, one where small, agile and mobile are essential ingredients. And it's working rather nicely. 

After many years as a First Class franchisee, Elisa Mayenco's needs changed and it was time to consider exiting her business. As we'll hear, this she did successfully, but happily her knowledge and skills have been retained in her new role supporting new bookkeepers.

When Bhayva Mittal started his bookkeeping business late last year, he was understandably a little nervous. Gone was the constant flow of work and a regular paycheck. However, holding the goal of an improved work/life balance and financial independence helped carry him through the early months. Thanks to this positive outlook and a commitment to effective, regular networking, business is growing and the vision is steadily becoming a reality.

In his area of franchisee recruitment, Howard Kodra recommends extensive and careful research when contemplating this investment in your future. He wants to ensure First Class Accounts are a good fit and in this podcast we find out how his past experience influences his approach.

When Robyn Welch decided to break away from employment and start her own journey, she didn't need to look far for encouragement. With her older sister already in the First Class family and loving it, the decision was not hard to make. In this interview, we catch her in the early stages of her business with the future vision still taking shape.

In this podcast we meet Peter Thorp one of the founding principals of ABN and learn about their important role in the bookkeeping industry. Peter shares a summary of how things are changing, an insight into the likely impact of artificial intelligence and the benefits to the client/bookkeeper relationship.

Based in Subiaco, WA, Jackie Becker loves her area and has enjoyed over a decade in her business with plans for at least another ten years. It's not all been straightforward, however and on a few occasions she has really felt the pressure. In this podcast, she candidly shares her experiences and her tips.

As Community Relations Manager at MYOB and head of her own bookkeeping business, it was no surprise to hear some gems regarding business building from Leanne Berry. Another passionate and dedicated supporter of the First Class Accounts network.    

Since starting his franchise 3 years ago, Deepak Vallabh has worked hard to structure the business to ideally suit his life and professional goals. As we hear, things are developing very well and he's mightily impressed with the results he's achieved using tried and tested marketing strategies.

Trent McLaren has been in the Accounting and FinTech industry for over a decade and has worked with a number of leaders in the field. He's recently established  ‘Journey' a business dedicated to furthering growth and success and it's going gangbusters. In this episode he talks about the importance of a clear vision, how to keep the culture alive and how to avoid the pitfalls of rapid expansion.

A new start-up, Sarah Tice has long had a picture of the business she wishes to grow and how it will fit into her life. In this podcast, we learn about her plans and processes and some great strategies for anyone fearful of networking and promotion.

Andrew Walker has run his business for a little over ten years and is currently, pleasantly full with ideal clients. Clearly this has taken work and Andrew is not the kind of person to take anything for granted. Should the situation change, he knows what to do to top up his new business opportunities and in this podcast he shares his tips.

When Ana Hindocha started her business, she knew that growth might take some time. She realised that allowing someone to dive into your finances calls for a high degree of trust and that was a process that could not be rushed. Happily she was prepared to wait while steadily building relationships. It's starting to pay off and she's loving her work.

For nearly a decade, Monique Kalter has helped First Class franchisees set up their business and prepare for growth. In this podcast, we hear about the breadth of training and the importance of the wider network. 

Kentucky born, Maria Jowett came to Australia with a background in corporate management, yet didn't hesitate to start her own business. In this podcast, we learn some of the reasons she's been chosen as our Franchisee Of The Year and - spoiler alert! - it has a fair bit to do with just doing a good job.

As he enters his 21st year with the franchise, we catch up with Andrew Eustace. A man with, as he says, a 'just get on with it' attitude. From the outset shunning business plans and marketing plans, Andrew has designed his business, his way. But as you'll hear, he's always had a picture of where he's headed and how to get there.

A very recent start-up, one of Wayne Spencer's biggest challenges has been building faith in himself. He's learnt a great deal from existing franchisees and through his strategy of simply getting out and about and talking to people his business is steadily growing.

Immediately prior to starting his First Class Accounts journey, Neil Hodgson helped out a mate driving his scrap metal truck. While this may not have contributed to his accounting skills, it surely helped him understand the value of autonomy and freedom. These were to become key values in his bookkeeping business.

David Gillies started his business just as COVID 19 hit and the surprises didn't stop there. Basking in new found freedoms and flexibility, David decided to take a slow-and-steady approach to business development. As it turns out, his 'organic growth strategy' has been working rather well and in this podcast he shares his thoughts about adding structure and discipline.

Robyn Graham and daughter Nikki Dempster run a successful and growing family business on the Fraser Coast. In this episode Robyn discusses her work-style and future plans.

When Karen Norman came to bookkeeping, her background may not have seemed ideal. It turns out the opposite was true and 17 years on she's constantly reminded.

In this episode we hear from Simon Boler who supports new and existing franchisees.  Working from head office, but frequently out in the field, Simon shares some of the common challenges and how to address them. 

Clayton Oates helps implement simple and effective business systems that allow us to spend more time working on the business. He's currently running a program with First Class and in this podcast shares some tips to create a growth mindset. 

Michelle Timperley jumped the fence from being a First Class bookkeeper, to working with the team at Ignition. As she says, 'leaving one family to join another'. Together we delve into how Ignition supports a franchisee and the ways they help establish an ideal client relationship.

In this podcast, Damien Gooden of HR Central shares his tips on how to confront challenging conversations head-on. He's knows all about 'Radical Candour' and he tells us who created the concept and how to embrace it.

When Gae Paino started with First Class Accounts the community was in its infancy. Not only did she help build it, she continues to support others every day. In this podcast she looks back on her early days and the lessons learned.

Tracey Leak knows more than most when it comes to understanding the benefits of a franchise. In this podcast, she shares what she's learned in over a decade working alongside startups.

Since starting her business, Trish Jones has evolved and fine-tuned the way she works. In this podcast she shares her many tips and strategies.

Matt Jeavons loves on-site interaction with his clients. So much so it governs how he works. For nearly a dozen years, this structure has proved ideal and is unlikely to change anytime soon. Riding a Harley-Davidson probably helps!

When Darren Law started his business, he hated the idea of networking. Now, two years in and having endured the disruptions of COVID, he looks forward to meeting his group and marketing his business. What's more, his work his giving him freedoms he's never experienced before.

As soon as David Jennings opened his doors, the questions began. After a hectic first few months, things are under control and this new business is growing nicely. 

During 2020 Sabina Romana realised that working from home could really work and took the leap into her own business. In her first year she's faced challenges and uncertainty and is fully embracing her new role as an entrepreneur.

When Marina Walker exited her retail business she intended to retire. Alas, travelling and reading soon became boring and so began the search for a new challenge. Less than 4 months in, her new First Class Accounts franchise nicely fits the bill.

With young children and pressured clients, Sally Poulton has honed her multitasking skills alongside coping with heightened frustration. And she's done well, perhaps better than she realises.

Like the rest of us, Anthony Furniss has had his challenges over the past year, but has managed to strengthen his connection with his clients. As you'll hear, he's approaching the coming months with enthusiasm and optimism.

Kay Godfrey has a broad range of primarily, small business clients. In recent months she's been faced with some who are bruised and battered and others who are going gangbusters. It's caused her to innovate strongly in her work.

As COVID-19 hit, Gita Hettiaratchi was in Canada on the holiday of a lifetime. Having hurriedly got back home to Brisbane, she quickly set about helping her clients and trying new things.

When it was clear that job applications were not bringing results, Krystal Brown decided it was time to start her own business. And then the world changed. She can't believe how well she's doing.