The Business of Bookkeeping: Recent Episodes
First Class Accounts, presented by Robert Gerrish
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.
Serena Dendle is very new to First Class Accounts and while finding certain aspects of her business a little overwhelming, she feels well supported. In this podcast she shares how promoting the brand has quickly brought results and helped her develop an exciting vision for the future.
In this episode, we catch up with Chloe Druery, Head of Merchant Experience at Pinch and hear about how their service makes life easier for bookkeepers and their clients.
With over 20 years experience in the franchise industry, Vicki Crawley-Prout is the latest addition to First Class Accounts. In a few short weeks she has developed a strong admiration for the company and has a wealth of knowledge to share. In this episode she shares her thoughts on what makes an ideal franchisee.
A self-confessed workaholic, Jo French clearly enjoys being busy. With her First Class franchise sitting alongside other ventures, she loves the flexibility the business model gives her. While she's in no rush to pull back her work, she's slowly starting to plan a more relaxed schedule for the future.
Happily for Akanksha Maheshwari it is possible to enjoy an improved life balance when starting a new venture alongside a young family. While the working hours may shift around a little and the challenges are many and varied, overall the move has been positive and the outlook is exciting.
Having held senior roles within the Armed Forces, Mark Nolan knew a great deal about commitment to service and how to support people in difficult situations. For the past 8 years he has supported a small team of clients, keeping very close tabs on their businesses. Not surprisingly, they reward him with loyalty and friendship.
When Peter Morgan left a career in engineering, he thought starting his own business would be relatively straightforward. However, he soon realised he needed more behind him than just bookkeeping skills. Happily, 12 years on he continues to draw value from the community.
Having relocated from Interstate, Mary Hackett was delighted to take a role supporting a busy First Class bookkeeper. Little did she know it would become her own business and one that she's now been running for six years. In this podcast, we learn of the benefits of this unexpected 'try before you buy' strategy.
When Victoria Wilkinson took her life and business on an adventure, little did she know it would last for so long and hold the key to a shift in how she sets boundaries with clients. In so many ways the experience has been a game changer.
For Abbey Vu, the move to her own business came after a good deal of planning. She knew it was something she wanted to do, but with a successful career and a young son, the timing had to be just right. We talk to her a few months into her new business.
When Hetal Lakdawala started her business six years ago, she was faced with a number of challenges. Through perseverance and the support of both the First Class network and her local community, she won through. Today her business is running well and she’s enjoying helping others on their path.
This year is a 'Happy 21st!' for Renae Pitargue and her First Class Accounts franchise. Having successfully created her ideal business, Renae is now able to step back from day-to-day client management and is enjoying her primary role of support person to her small, dedicated team. When asked why she chose a franchise business, her response is quick and compelling.
It's the classic small business trap, the 'too many eggs in one basket' scenario. Being aware of the problem is one thing, but it can be hard to avoid. In this podcast, Andrew Walker explains how in the midst of storms and flooding, his business appeared to be sinking too. Happily, today he's well and truly on higher ground in every respect.
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.
A strong sense of community is essential to Sumi Suvalingam, so how is she managing in the midst of this pandemic? In this podcast we learn about the actions she's taken with her clients and how she maintains connection with her all-important line dancing friends.
Anyone who has met Kelly Marshall knows her as being upbeat, outgoing and social. So has is she coping in Melbourne's second lockdown and how is she serving her clients? Let's find out.
When Trevor Taylor left his role as a Bank Manager, he knew he wanted to change the balance between life and work. It took a while to get things running as he wanted, but these days he's often relaxing by the pool by mid morning.
From her base in Rockhampton, Nerida Pokarier enjoys figuring out how her customers can best set up and run their businesses. It's this curiosity that's driven her throughout her working life and it suits her well in her bookkeeping practice.
After nearly 20 years working overseas, Vanessa Malcolm knew how she wanted to live and work when she returned home. She has designed her business to suit her lifestyle and as you'll hear, she embraces variety.
A little over a year ago, Belinda Parsons realised that a career in hospitality, two young children and a very busy husband were getting too hard to handle. Happily she found First Class Accounts and set about changing how things ran. So how is it going? Let's find out.
When newbie, Nikki Douglass attended the First Class National Conference in 2019, she'd been a franchisee for a matter of weeks. She found the experience overwhelming, but not for the reasons you may expect.
Helen Wood was cautious before starting her First Class business. In fact it took her a couple of years before she finally took the plunge. A couple of years in, let's find out how it's going.
For many in the First Class franchise, an important milestone is the employment of that initial team member. With the changes and legislations impacting staff recruitment, it's reassuring to have access to the team at HR Central. And their support is available for clients too.
Nader Gayed was working 80 hour weeks, traveling constantly and never spending quality time with his wife and four teenage children. Something had to change and happily it did.
Carol Girvan is one of the growing number of franchisees who identify as a 'grey nomad'. Together with her husband, they move around the country and just love the freedom. It's not hard to see why.
Practice Protect is a cyber security solution that helps secure and control sensitive client data for members of the First Class franchise. Comprising a full suite of components including compliance documents, training and certification, they are a much valued partner.
Following health issues that lead to a forced retirement from his role as a School Principal, Mike Townsend decided to combine his revenue needs with a renewed commitment to his local community. He's going extremely well, taking on new clients at the rate of one a week and is already fulfilling his goals.
Before Darrelle Puttock started with First Class Accounts she ran an independent bookkeeping business. However it quickly started to feel too much like a job. Thankfully she made the switch and everything changed.
Parul Mehta has retained most of her clients for years and little by little guides them to work precisely as she chooses. This allows her to run her ideal business and honour her commitment to her local community.
Practice Ignition eases the on-boarding process for any new clients working with members of the First Class Accounts network. Their systems create a single smart proposal that can be read, signed and paid in one place. It's little wonder their service is in demand.
While some are attracted to First Class Accounts because it allows them to move around, Gabi and Bruce Reid are enjoying settling into a community. And they're finding that networking does much more than just help build business.
Along with her young family, Karen Bradshaw relocated to Australia from the UK and soon began her business with First Class Accounts. While she started with few contacts and an intimidating learning curve, she quickly felt the benefit of community support.
When Charmaine Perry and husband Tony started their First Class franchise it was a challenging time. Their prior business had major complications and stalled their plans. Happily once they got going 'the system' saved them. That was 16 years ago.
Three years into her bookkeeping business, Felicity Menchin still has the occasional day when things feel new and daunting, but in the main she's very happy with how it's going. A person who enjoys variety, she's resisting the lure of the niche and for now is unlikely to change.
Eric Tong has always wanted to start his own small business. With little marketing experience and a country and language that were new to him, it was always going to be a challenge. But rise to the challenge he has!
When he swapped his rubbish removal business for a bookkeeping practice, Gary didn't hesitate to go the franchise route. He realised that having a proven system and the back-up of a successful model would likely serve him well. Nearly 5 years in, he's happy with how it's going.
Calxa helps make reporting easier for bookkeepers and their clients. Their app creates management reporting for small businesses and not-for-profits, generating reports against budgets, cashflow forecasts, KPI reporting and a whole lot more.
Sue Jenkins describes herself as something of a 'gypsy', but for now she's happy to be in one place and build her business. A newcomer to the industry, she's loving the freedom and enjoying the challenge.
When Joy Liu moved to Australia from China, she wasn't about to make any hasty decisions. Before buying her franchise, she did plenty of research and took advantage of the multicultural nature of the established network.
In this episode we meet Skye Taylor from field service management app, Service M8 and hear how they support the work of our bookkeeping network and make life easier for a key sector of small business.
Now in her ninth year with First Class, Michelle Timperley reckons she gets more and more value from other franchisees as time goes by. Regardless of the challenge or question, she never struggles to find solutions and answers.
Unlike many small business owners who see benefit in specialising, Dheeraj Sachdev loves to have a varied client base. He gains much from learning about new industries and is clearly energised by the process. Having recently left the world of employment, he's revelling in the freedoms he enjoys now.
When Jenny Bayly decided to start her own bookkeeping business she figured she could do it all by herself. Sadly, things didn't go too well, so she promptly invested in a First Class franchise. And what a good decision that turned out to be!
Chelsea Sanginiti has experienced her share of highs and lows in her bookkeeping business, but never loses sight of the bigger picture. Time and again she comes back to what she values most and therein lies the answer.
In this podcast we hear from Debbie Stanton, General Manager of First Class Financial Group and the path that led her to where she is today. We learn the source of her strong caring instinct and how following her heart has got her into trouble on occasion.
When Trevor Lindsay stepped away from his corporate career he wanted a lot less commuting and a lot more control. As we'll hear he's largely got what he wanted and he's got some inspiring plans for the future.
When Irene Latoa moved back to Australia following a big career in Asia, she wanted things to be different. As you'll hear, she got more than she bargained for, but has a clear and exciting picture of the future.
Milton Young didn’t enjoy being in an industry that was undervaluing its customers, so he left the world of Banking and set up on his own. Here’s how he adapted to his new life.
For much of her working life, today's guest got restless in her work. That all changed when she started her business and she's never looked back. Keeping things fresh and alive is essential, particularly as she plans for the next phase of development.
When Robyn Graham started her business, the path ahead was unclear. Over the years she's evolved and grown and today has a clear picture of the future.
When Hilmi Dabbagh relocated to Australia he bought with him unique skills and a passion for justice and equality. Here's how he combines all that is important to him.
Anthony Furniss has big plans for his franchise, but with grandchildren and a hobby to keep on track, he's prioritising how business and downtime intersect.
When Jackie Becker first moved to Australia, she set aside her bookkeeping skills and instead worked as a personal trainer. It wasn't long before she exchanged human figures for business figures and while she's had challenges, she's learned a great deal.
Samantha Parker loves helping people. It's what drives her, fuels the growth of her business and helps determine her picture of an 'ideal client'. She's a skilled marketer and has some great tips to share.
Elisa Mayenco's clients know that they have an intrepid bookkeeper - one who balances the books alongside balancing her life. In this podcast, she explains how she does it and how you can join the nomadic lifestyle.
From the get-go, Victoria knew how and where she wanted to work and developed a clear picture of her ideal business. It's largely gone to plan and now she has some exciting plans for the future.
A new franchisee, Mario is getting used to pushing himself into new activities and as you'll hear, he's rather enjoying it!
When this Gold Coast business started, no-one realised how ideal it would be and for so long. Here's why it works so well.
When Ann King's professional life went through a tumultuous time she decided it would never happen again. Nine years into her First Class Accounts business she's loving the autonomy.
When Sumi Sivalingam arrived in Melbourne, she barely knew a soul. Now into her second term with First Class Accounts, she's built a business that supports her life on many levels.
There are a lot of elements to today's bookkeeping business and the industry is constantly evolving and adapting. In this podcast, recent startup Louise Keir talks frankly about her initial concerns, the support she gets from Head Office and the sense of achievement she feels as her business grows.
It's six years since Darren Butterick broke out on his own and set up his franchise in South Australia. He's had his ups and downs, but would he change anything? Listen in and find out.
Renae Pitargue doesn't think of herself as a marketer, but as it turns out, she's a natural. And as we hear, this was a momentous day to be interviewed!
As we hear through this podcast series, people come to First Class Accounts at differing stages of life. In this interview, we meet Muhtab Shakil and hear how his keen interest in technology and his view of the future of small business support, were key factors in his decision-making process.
When Mark Treloar embarked on a career in archaeology and anthropology, he didn't imagine his skills would later prove valuable in his bookkeeping business. In this show, we hear how Mark uses his past experiences to grow his business and how a one-person venture may just turn in a truly family-focused business.
In this show, we hear how John Dyke's career went from mining to wool production to business consulting. He explains how he uses bookkeeping as the first step to a deeper and more lucrative client relationship and how he plans to gradually remove himself from the front line.
In this podcast, we hear how Kay has benefitted from the franchise's mentoring system and has surprised herself with how much she enjoys running her business.
Niamh started her bookkeeping business with her father, Eamon in the northern suburbs of Perth. In this interview she tells us how things are going, her vision for the future and how she hopes to enrol the support of her mother too.
Don came to First Class Accounts after first hand experience with a couple of other franchise groups. He's built a terrific business, twice being awarded "Franchisee of the Year" and has some fine tips to share.