Talking Cents

Small business accountant in Sydney tells you about Xero and your small business

Today’s musings are inspired by a new client meeting that has just wrapped up.

The client is a typical small business that started out as a sole trader, got serious, incorporated the business within two years of start-up and now has a team of five under his control. By the way, he now also has two little boys at home and would love to be spending more time with them and not interacting with a screen trying to decipher accounting jargon and what that means to his family. Like many typical small businesses his wife works on the business paying bills, wages and so on. She doesn’t really want to but it’s the choice she has made to support her husband’s small business here in Sydney.

They are a happy couple but know that there is more to this than what they have been advised thus far by their current, reactive only, accountant. From a quick thirty-minute chat I’ve already found areas that will save them time and allow them to focus on servicing their clients, targeting new clients and watching their boys grow up.

Often we try and over complicate matters, not on purpose, but without focusing on what the client actually desires. Tax minimisation should always be at the core of what an accountant does for your business, but equally important is that the client understands why certain specific steps have been taken and why. There are many ways to skin a cat but more often than not the simplest way is the best way. Using the right tools for the job is also the critical starting point.

Our happy family is already onto Xero and sees the benefits of its ease of use after switching from an overcomplicated competitor. Of course, not being skilled accountants or Xero certified partners they aren’t getting the most out of Xero and that’s why they came to us. So I am now looking forward to working with the clients to actually save them time and seek out ways to grow the business and seeing what benefits we can bring to the client’s small business by maximising their use of Xero and relevant add-on’s.

For more on how mas accountants can team up with Xero and your small business to deliver uncomplicated services speak to our friendly team based on Sydney and Melbourne.