Differentiate or Disappear: Why Your Firm Must Stand Out
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
Release Date: 06/18/2025
The Road to Advisory Excellence Starts Now
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
In this episode of Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers unpacks why only 15% of SMEs currently see their accountant as a true Key Strategic Partner – and what you can do to change that. You’ll discover how to reposition your firm from “tax return provider” to virtual CFO, delivering Financial / Commercial / Management Accounting advisory services that help SMEs survive, thrive, and scale up. Peter also shares practical insights on debtor management, cash flow, the innovation journey, and capital raising – and outlines how the ESS BIZTOOLS product packages (including a...
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Your Launchpad into Business Advisory Services
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
In this episode of the Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers explores why so many SMEs are still failing – and how accountants, bookkeepers and advisors can change that story. Drawing on Michael Gerber’s “Dreaming Room” concept, real client case studies and the ESS BIZTOOLS Starter Package, Peter shows you how to build systems, introduce virtual CFO-style support, and position your firm as the strategic partner SMEs desperately need to survive and grow. You can also access our podcast on:
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Boost Business Sale Value for SMEs
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
Turn “it’s a buyer’s market” on its head. In this episode of Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers shows how advisors can double an SME’s sale value by planning early – embedding systems, documenting IP, driving weekly performance, building real business plans, and running annual valuations – so the multiple moves from “average” to outstanding. If you help clients prepare like a listed company, you don’t just tidy up before sale – you create the premium. Listen now and learn how to lead, lift the multiple, and help your clients cash out stronger. You can also access...
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Guide SMEs to Growth Through Crowd Sourced Funding
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
Crowd-Sourced Funding (CSF) Equity Raising: a real, underused pathway for SMEs – and a powerful advisory opportunity for your firm. In this episode of Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers busts the myth that only unlisted public companies can raise via CSF, explains the ASIC-licensed intermediary model, and shows how accountants, bookkeepers and advisors can prepare SME clients to raise up to $5M without a prospectus. You’ll learn where firms add the most value – investment-readiness (plans, budgets, cashflow forecasts, governance), crafting the CSF Offer Document, and converting...
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The Hidden Gaps in Business Buyers' Knowledge
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
When smart corporate leaders buy small businesses, they often discover hidden gaps—pricing by margin instead of markup, giving credit too freely, weak debtor follow-ups, and zero cash-flow rhythm. In this episode of Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers unpacks a real case study and shows how accountants, bookkeepers, and advisors can step in as the strategic partner: install weekly performance reporting, set pricing correctly, tighten credit control, and guide buyers with ESS BIZTOOLS Buying a Business toolkit. Help clients survive the first 6–12 months—and build a business that...
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R&D Tax Incentive: Advisory Opportunity for Your Firm
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
In this episode of Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers busts the myth that R&D is “only for engineers” and shows how accountants and bookkeepers can lead as the internal-audit partner—keeping evidence tight, forms right, and AusIndustry-ready. Learn how to spot eligible clients, ensuring at least $20,000 was spent on approved R&D work in the financial year being claimed, and turn refundable offsets for sub-$20m companies into real cash flow—opening pathways to ESIC, crowdfunding, and ongoing Virtual CFO work. You can also access our podcast on:
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Debtors Management: A Strategic Advisory Opportunity
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
Only 15% of SMEs see their accountant as a true strategic partner. In this episode of Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers unpacks why – spotlighting MYOB’s findings on poor debtor practices (no credit vetting, weak follow-up, rising DSO) – and outlines how firms can flip the script. Learn practical, billable ways to implement robust debtor systems, set clear terms, use pre-due reminders, and track Debtors Days Outstanding monthly. Equip your team to lift cash flow for clients – and your positioning as their essential advisor. You can also access our podcast on:
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The Blueprint to Selling Advisory Services
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
Selling advisory isn’t about luck – it’s a system. In this Accountants Minute Podcast episode, Peter Towers reports on discussion with master sales trainer Trevor Marchant to unpack how firms can move from transactional compliance to true “key strategic partner” status. Learn the internal prep you need (team training, SME needs analysis, rhythm of reporting), how to frame value around dominant buying motives, and practical steps to confidently package, price, and sell advisory services that SMEs will say yes to – consistently. You can also access our podcast on: ...
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Transforming Tax Work Into Business Growth
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
Peter Towers – Managing Director of ESS BIZTOOLS, and Darren Gleeson – Founder of Tax Fitness, presented a live podcast on moving beyond once-a-year compliance to true strategic partnership. The podcast covers the following: ✅ Why so few SMEs see their accountant as a key strategic partner—and how to change that. ✅ A simple advisory rhythm: quarterly/monthly reviews, onsite conversations, and deep client discovery. ✅ Turning plans into numbers: collaborative business plans that feed predictive accounting (budgets, cash flow, projected balance sheet) and weekly performance. ✅...
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Buidling Future-Ready Advisory Firms
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
Andrew Geddes – FMRC co-founder, long-time Chair of Greencross Ltd, and renowned industry mentor – joins Peter Towers to cut through the noise on where the profession really stands three years after Chris Jordan’s Xerocon warning. We unpack why many firms remain “compliance factories,” and lay out a practical four-step pathway to advisory: ✅ Set clear revenue, profit, and weekly activity targets ✅ Lift margins with pricing, client mix (A/B/C/D), and sales focus ✅ Strengthen cash and controls (stock/WIP, billing, debtor management) ✅ De-risk and build value (leadership,...
info_outlineIn this powerful episode Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers, Founder and Managing Director of ESS BIZTOOLS, urges accountants, bookkeepers, and business advisors to reflect on a vital question: Are you really helping your clients grow, or just lodging their tax returns?
Peter shares compelling insights from his journey—ranging from CFO of a public company to advisor on innovation and capital raising—highlighting how traditional compliance work is rapidly losing value in today’s tech-driven world. With AI, value-based pricing, and government-backed funding options reshaping the landscape, firms that fail to diversify will be left behind.
Tune in to learn:
✅ Why most SMEs don’t see their accountants as advisors
✅ How to break free from the “compliance-only” trap
✅ The real-world benefits of offering services like R&D support, cash flow forecasting, and capital raising
✅ What you can learn from corporate finance that applies to SME clients
✅ How ESS BIZTOOLS packages are built to help you stand out—and scale up
If you want your firm to thrive, not just survive, this episode is your wake-up call. It's time to differentiate—or disappear.
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