The Business of Bookkeeping

Meet members of First Class Accounts, Australia's largest bookkeeping network and learn how and why they got into the business and what they do to succeed. Presented by Robert Gerrish, Founder of Flying Solo and host of the Rekindle podcast.

How to make 2025 your best year yet 12/19/2024

How to make 2025 your best year yet 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! /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/34527760

When the joy is in helping 11/28/2024

When the joy is in helping 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/34197190

"I like messy clean ups" 10/24/2024

"I like messy clean ups" 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/33604997

Modelling a new way of working 09/26/2024

Modelling a new way of working 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/33226057

How to ‘turn off’ while still supporting your clients 08/29/2024

How to ‘turn off’ while still supporting your clients 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/32789137

Less clients, but with greater turnover 08/02/2024

Less clients, but with greater turnover 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/32393347

Don’t get too busy before you bring on support 07/05/2024

Don’t get too busy before you bring on support 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/32020367

The importance of face-to-face when business shifts to remote 06/06/2024

The importance of face-to-face when business shifts to remote 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/31640067

A strong desire to get things moving 05/10/2024

A strong desire to get things moving 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/31224442

Why small can be beautiful 04/12/2024

Why small can be beautiful 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/30723403

How Elisa brings years of experience to franchisee support 03/14/2024

How Elisa brings years of experience to franchisee support 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/30367073

How positive self-talk can help get you through the early days 01/18/2024

How positive self-talk can help get you through the early days 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/29552023

Doing due diligence 12/21/2023

Doing due diligence 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/29193173

Why following a familiar footpath made so much sense 11/27/2023

Why following a familiar footpath made so much sense 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/28799663

Shining the spotlight on the Australian Bookkeepers Network 10/26/2023

Shining the spotlight on the Australian Bookkeepers Network 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/28415615

How Jackie narrowly avoided burnout and the lessons she's learned 09/29/2023

How Jackie narrowly avoided burnout and the lessons she's learned 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/28174019

Shining the spotlight on MYOB 09/01/2023

Shining the spotlight on MYOB 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/27911520

The marketing plans work! 08/04/2023

The marketing plans work! 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/27653625

Knowing where you’re going and how to get there 07/06/2023

Knowing where you’re going and how to get there 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/27395004

Realising that people want to meet you 06/09/2023

Realising that people want to meet you 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/27089022

Knowing what to do when you need to grow 05/12/2023

Knowing what to do when you need to grow 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/26818788

Allowing time for trust to build 04/14/2023

Allowing time for trust to build 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/26436750

Getting set for success 03/17/2023

Getting set for success 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/26256195

"Just doing a good job" 02/16/2023

"Just doing a good job" 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/25956069

Your business, your way. 01/19/2023

Your business, your way. 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/25663326

Nurturing faith in yourself 12/22/2022

Nurturing faith in yourself 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/25411614

Designing the work life you really want 11/24/2022

Designing the work life you really want 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/25126971

The delightful process of organic growth 10/27/2022

The delightful process of organic growth 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/24825792

Our 2021 Franchisee Of The Year shares her story 09/30/2022

Our 2021 Franchisee Of The Year shares her story 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/24539451

How teamwork and discipline helps success 09/01/2022

How teamwork and discipline helps success 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. /episode/index/show/businessofbookkeeping/id/24245769

The Business of Bookkeeping

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