Lead SMEs Through the Innovation Journey
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
Release Date: 12/09/2025
Buying a Business: An Advisory Services Opportunity
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
Buying a business can be one of the biggest financial decisions an SME client will make — and accountants, bookkeepers and business advisors can play an important role in helping them make an informed decision. In the latest episode of Accountants Minute Podcast, we explore how you can guide clients through the buying process, including due diligence, debtors and suppliers, working capital, business planning, financial forecasts, premises, employees, competitors and other important considerations before a contract is signed. Discover how a structured Buying a Business Advisory Service can...
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Are Your Tradie Clients Charging Enough For Profit?
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
Are your tradie clients charging enough? In this episode, Peter Towers explores how accountants, bookkeepers and business advisors can help tradie clients establish the right charge-out rates to achieve their targeted profit. Discover the key factors that influence charge-out rates, including labour on-costs, productivity, overheads, material markups and profit targets — and why these figures should be regularly reviewed against actual business performance. Learn how this can become a valuable advisory service that helps your tradie clients improve pricing, profitability and financial...
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SME Debtors Management: Helping Clients Improve Cash Flow & Get Paid On Time
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
Making the sale is only the beginning. The sale isn't complete until the business gets paid. In this ESS BIZTOOLS podcast, Peter Towers discusses how accountants, bookkeepers and business advisors can help SME clients establish an effective Debtors Management System. Discover the importance of credit assessment, Debtors Days Outstanding (DSO), payment terms, debtor follow-up and structured credit management. Learn more about ESS BIZTOOLS and the SME Debtors Management System: You can also access our podcast on:
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Are Your SME Clients Getting Enough Support?
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
Are accounting firms doing enough to support SME clients beyond tax compliance? In this episode, Peter Towers explores why accountants, bookkeepers, and business advisors need to embrace advisory services, predictive accounting, business planning, cash flow forecasting, KPI monitoring, and capital raising support. Discover how firms can strengthen client relationships, create new revenue opportunities, retain talented team members, and help SMEs survive and thrive in challenging economic conditions. You can also access our podcast on:
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From Compliance to Virtual CFO Leadership
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
In this episode of Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers explores why accounting firms, bookkeepers and business advisory firms are at a critical crossroads: remain focused on compliance or begin building structured advisory and Virtual CFO Services. Peter reflects on the original FMRC vision for accountants to become trusted business advisors to SMEs, then compares that ambition with today’s reality — where only 15% of SMEs identify their accountant as a Key Strategic Partner. This episode highlights the opportunity for firms to move beyond tax returns and annual accounts by delivering...
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The Talent Crisis in Accounting Firms
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
Why are so many firms struggling to attract and retain accountants? In this episode of Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers explores the talent challenges facing accounting firms in Australia, and why younger accountants are looking for more meaningful, advisory-driven work. He discusses how broadening your services beyond compliance can help your firm build stronger teams, deliver greater value to SME clients, and position itself as a true Key Strategic Partner. You can also access our podcast on:
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The 85% Advisory Gap in Accounting Firms
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
Discover why only 15% of SMEs see their accountant or bookkeeper as a Key Strategic Partner, while many firms believe they are already delivering that level of service. In this episode, Peter Towers explores the disconnect, the missed advisory opportunities, and the practical questions firms need to start raising to become more valuable to their SME clients. You can also access our podcast on:
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Start Advisory Services Without Changing Your Firm
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
How do you start offering advisory services without disrupting your firm? In this episode, Peter Towers explains why advisory services are too important to ignore – and how accounting firms, bookkeepers, and business advisory firms can begin with a simple, practical step-by-step approach. Discover how to start small, deepen client relationships, and position your firm as a true Key Strategic Partner with the support of proven tools, training, and client communication resources from ESS BIZTOOLS. You can also access our podcast on:
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Transforming Client Relationships Through Advisory Services
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
Advisory services can create significant value for clients, but they do not sell themselves. In this episode of Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers of ESS BIZTOOLS explains why accounting firms, bookkeepers and business advisors need to actively position, communicate and sell advisory services if they want to be seen as true Key Strategic Partners. Featuring insights from the Intuit QuickBooks SMB 2025 Survey and The Boss Factor Library, this discussion highlights how firms can strengthen client relationships, build new revenue opportunities and deliver the forward-looking advice SMEs...
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Podcast with Darren Gleeson of TaxFitness
ESS BIZTOOLS Podcast (Accountant's Minute)
In this episode of Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers of ESS BIZTOOLS and Darren Gleeson of TaxFitness discuss the growing need for accounting firms to move beyond compliance and deliver real advisory services. They explore benchmarking, business improvement opportunities, and practical ways accountants, bookkeepers and advisory firms can strengthen client value and work towards becoming a true Key Strategic Partner. You can also access our podcast on:
info_outlineIn this episode of Accountants Minute Podcast, Peter Towers introduces Stage One of the Innovation Journey — where every breakthrough begins with a simple idea. You’ll discover how accountants and bookkeepers can guide SMEs from that first spark through R&D eligibility, record-keeping, prototype development and commercial planning.
This is your roadmap to becoming the internal auditor, advisor and strategic navigator SMEs desperately need as they innovate, experiment and build new intellectual property. If your firm wants to lead clients through real innovation (and unlock new advisory revenue along the way), this episode is your starting point.
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