Hadrill AccountingBefore Hadrill Accounting was born, I was a partner in a small accounting practice. I learnt so much there that it would have been much harder to start out on my own without that experience. I decided to leave that practice because I got frustrated having to ask the permission of 3 other partners to send flowers to a client! I resolved then never again to go into business with anyone else.
In October 2006 I began my real apprenticeship to be a small business accountant. I started with me and a part-time receptionist in a newly fitted out office in North Lyneham. Many clients followed me, so I was lucky that I was busy from the start. But I remember thinking four months later that it was just all too hard, and that I wouldn’t make it. This feeling didn’t pass for some months, and it was only much later that I had enough confidence in the business to organise signage for the building!
But the business has grown, and I now have 3 full-time, 1 part-time and four remote staff. The necessity of remote staff came from the small size of the office and the fact that there was no desk room for anyone else! But what a successful strategy that has turned out to be! I have discovered the previously untapped resource of competent, capable, focused mothers at home who have made the laudable (yet unsupported by Govt…) decision to stay at home to nurture their family. They ‘remote in’ any time of day or night, and produce soft working papers for review. Every office and remote desk has 2 screens, and client documents are scanned to eliminate the need for paper files. We have monthly technical meetings in the office, and we always celebrate birthdays with a morning tea. I have fantastic staff, and I am always thrilled to hear that they love working here as much as I do.
I was always comfortable with the notion that before the business could really fly, solid groundwork had to be done. And now, after 3½ years, I am satisfied with the procedures and processes that have been adapted, developed and even scrapped. I don’t believe that expensive pre-packaged off-the-shelf ‘received wisdom’ can ever take the place of ‘workshopping and testing’ – you have to live with, adapt, modify something to make it your own. Our procedures are continually being updated and hopefully that means that the service and products that we provide are timely and consistent.
I am passionate about providing innovative tax and business services to our clients. We don’t just give out clients their tax return to sign, we make sure that they understand exactly what the figures mean, and with this analysis we then work together on a proactive approach to improve their business management skills. It’s no good being the best photographer in town, if you don’t know how to run your photography business….. After all, we’re in business fundamentally to make more money than if we were not in business. Don’t panic though, our aim to make our client feel cherished and loved. Frequent laughter heard resonating from the conference room is a great learning environment!
I am not a financial planner, but when you are discussing such personal topics as money, the conversation inevitably spills over to estate planning, home loan set up, managing risk with personal insurance, even marriage counselling! I have an extensive list of quality professionals that I refer clients to, but I refuse offers of ‘fee for referral’ because I believe that your accountant can be one of the last independent advisors, and financial reward could influence advice. I request that my clients to tell me if they have had a particularly good or particularly bad experience with someone that I have referred them to: that feedback will determine whether that professional will have the pleasure of assisting my clients in future.
One of my favourite clients paid me the highest compliment I have ever received. “Jane, you are the most unique person I have ever met!”. That makes me feel ecstatic! My second favourite compliment to receive is, “Jane, you’re expensive, but you’re worth it”.
My aim is to fully embrace our Mission Statement of Hadrill Accounting, which is to:
- Provide innovative tax and business services
- Become the Trusted Advisor to assist clients achieve their business and personal goals
- Provide a stimulating, rewarding and flexible work environment
- Provide return on investment commensurate with time, effort and skills Have loads of fun doing the above
Posted April 2010
