Latest Articles
The value of year end reflection and projection
I love the end of a calendar year. It is a time for family Christmas celebrations. It’s summer and there are some extra holidays to be had. There is generally a positive vibe in the community. These are all good things, but perhaps the thing I like most about the end...
Thoughts from ATSA (Accountants Technology Showcase Australia)
I’ve just returned from ATSA and wanted to share six observations. Accountants are Interested in technology to support smarter ways of working There was a big attendance in Melbourne, the biggest yet I believe, and that is a fair indication that accountants are...
What accountants (and others) can learn about referrals from Steve the pool guy
There are many ways an accounting firm (and other businesses) can win new clients and in an earlier article on accounting firm management I wrote about some of them. Today I want to focus on referrals - why they are important and what my recent experience with Steve...
Retaining and Delighting the Right Clients for Your Business
In my last article on accounting firm management I focused on attracting the right clients and promised another article on retaining them. Although I’m writing this in respect of accounting firm management, the principles can be applied across other businesses,...
Attracting the Right Clients for Your Accounting, Legal or Other Professional Firm
In my last article on accounting firm management I focused on attracting and retaining the right people and promised another article on clients. We talked about people first because you need the right people to be able to attract and retain clients. So here is a five...
How to attract and retain the best people for your accounting business
In my last article on accounting firm management I finished by saying: Your team and your clients are like the grapes in wine making. You source the best quality you can and then cultivate them and care for them. The result is season after season of great output and...
Why accounting firm management is like wine making
I know this sounds a little farfetched but let me explain! I’m presenting a workshop in multiple regional Queensland locations called 12 Important Lessons from 30 Years in the Accounting Profession and it brings together some of my key thoughts on accounting firm...
Why coaching is so powerful in business and not just for Olympic and other athletes
As many Aussies and Kiwis stay glued to their TVs and other devices watching the Olympic Games, it is not just the athletes we are hearing about. We also regularly hear who the coach is for each athlete or team. And in Australia we are mourning the death of famous...
How often do you really look at your website? And why it should be often.
Before you answer, let me just say there is looking and there is looking with purpose. As part of keeping up to date in my area of specialisation (coaching accounting firms) I look at websites on a daily basis. I get to see some really innovative things that some...
Could working less deliver better results for your business?
Intuitively, many of us would say, surely this could not be so! The harder we work the better the result. But is that necessarily true in all cases? Perhaps not. I read an article recently in the AFR reporting on a trial in Sweden of a 6 hour work day at one of the...