Accounting Apps Podcast

The Power of 💯1% Improvements | Gareth Burton

In this episode I speak with Gareth Burton Founder of Assure UK and Progress Accountants. 🤝 Why Gareth Burton decided to start two firms. 💯💡 100 1% improvements in 100 days. 💼 Why Gareth decided to start his own accountancy firm. 📈 The 100 1% improvement. 💻 Technology used in that business: Xero, Dext, Microsoft, BreatheHR, MyWorkPapers. 🌎 How Microsoft’s change to Teams has changed the landscape of the industry. 🎯 Finding a niche within a niche. 🔄 The transition from commodity to service-based business. 🚀 Key takeaway from attending the accountants bootcamp. 🐭🎢 How Disney would run an accounting practice. 🔑 Customer service and customer experience. 💬 Gareth’s advice for new accountants: “Look for small gains”. 📅 Making one small change each day or each week.   Today I’m bringing you an interview as part of a series of interviews I conducted at the Accountants BootCamp which was held in late April ‘23. I had the unique and rare opportunity to interview a few award winning UK accountants who travelled to Australia to attend the event.   The original Accountants BootCamp was held in the 1990’s at Sanctuary Cove on the Gold Coast and this re:Boot was an opportunity to bring back many of the speakers and attendees from the original event, including a legend of the industry Paul Dunn. Along with the CEO of Clarity, Aynsley Damery, they delivered a three day workshop on how to deliver repeatable, scalable services that are profitable for the firm, valuable for the client and at a price they can afford to pay. Many of the attendees used the Clarity software platform, to assist them in delivering these services.   Also I wanted to let you know Aynsley Damery joined me on the Cloud Stories podcast, back in May 2021, the episode was called ‘How to double your clients profits in 5 easy steps’. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Hg2rYG7mxiVFf1OL7tHuG?si=507287dc1e5f42a2    For today's episode, I’m joined by Gareth Burton (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gareth-burton/ )  the founder of two businesses, the first one is Assure UK which niches in the UK Pension market where they are Specialist Pension Scheme Auditors, and provide Assurance Reports for Independent Trustees, Master Trusts, Pension Scheme Administrators and other Service Organisations. While working in this field he recognised these professional practices were not being served appropriately by their accountants, and he drilled down into offering a double niched service, via his second business Progress Accountants: Accountants for forward thinking professional practices with more than three employees. For all of these interviews, we are walking through the beautiful ground of Sanctuary Cove, so there is a little bit of ambient background noise, which I hope adds to the experience!   Connect with me here:  Newsletter https://heathersmithAU.com  LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherSmithAU Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU Medium: https://heathersmithau.medium.com/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ANISEConsulting/podcasts

How leaders can prioritise themselves, reclaim energy and find joy | Mel Kettle

In this episode I’m speaking with Mel Kettle author of Fully Connected. Everybody should strive for a meaningful and purposeful life. And if you don't know what gives you purpose over your whole life, that's completely fine. But find a reason to get out of bed tomorrow. And one of the things that I love recommending to people is go to bed thinking about something that you're going to do tomorrow. That is going to bring you joy, something that you're going to do tomorrow that is going to make you happy. And it might be a day filled with Excel spreadsheets. And my husband's an accountant. He loves Excel spreadsheets. He used to send me one every day of our financial position and I'm just like, ah, once a quarter is enough I don't share your love. But you know, maybe it's you're going out for dinner with a friend or maybe it's you're going to the beach or you know walking Chester for you. But think about what are you going to do tomorrow that's going to light you up so that you can go to bed thinking of something exciting, and you can go to bed with something to look forward to the next day. Because when we have things to look forward to and then we do them, that gives us such fulfilment and such personal satisfaction, and that makes us feel valued in our lives. And when we feel more valued, we have a better life. Mel Kettle background Mel Kettle is an internationally recognised thought leader in fully connected leadership and communication. At the heart of everything Mel does is a commitment to self-leadership. She has an over-arching belief that we need to lead ourselves first before we can lead others. Mel's sub-speciality is helping women and organisations better understand the impact of menopause in the workplace and she is the founder of the award-winning menopause blog, Just as Juicy (www.justasjuicy.com). In January 2022 Mel was recognised by leadersHum as one of the Top 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership for 2022, one of only seven Australians on the list. Mel is the host of the podcast This Connected Life and the author of two books: The Social Association, published in 2018; and Fully Connected, published July 2022 This is what we talked about! Common communication challenges that individuals and organisations face and how to overcome them   The importance of having a conversation with your accountant about what you need.   What is a leader? What does work look like today?   Setting boundaries is an important aspect of personal growth and development in 2023. When setting boundaries, be clear on what it is.   Improving effective and active listening skills is crucial for individuals and organisations to enhance their communication.    Why it’s important for leaders to engage in self-care.   The Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus said, It's not what happens to you; it's how you react to it that matters. Behaviour is inextricably linked to attitude. How do you let go of a negative attitude?   Don’t let other people make you feel smaller.   How do you reassess and refresh your life?   Mel Kettle website https://www.melkettle.com/  Fully Connected and The Social Association Book. https://www.melkettle.com/books    Donna McGeorge  The 25-Minute Meeting The First 2 Hours  https://donnamcgeorge.com/books  From here, I suggest you join the Xero Mastermind group on Facebook for advanced conversations around the ecosystem. I suggest you subscribe to the informative Accounting Apps newsletter which gives you a great overview of the ecosystem space. It's available at https://HeatherSmithAU.COM. I encourage you to connect with me on LinkedIn and subscribe to the Cloud Stories podcast. 

Atomic Habits for Accountants and Bookkeepers

Inspired by James Clear's book Atomic Habits, this session unpacks the impact and power of habits on our business and our client's business.  *What are Atomic Habits, and why have we heard so much about this book by James Clear?! *How do Atomic Habits Work? How Can They Help You Achieve Your Goals? *How do you develop good habits and break bad ones? *Practical examples of habits that help achieve business success. *Apps we use to help us build and track good habits Speakers Moderator: Heather Smith, Founder, ANISE Consulting Dan Osbourne Podcountant at Two Drunk Accountants, Director CATS Accounting Michele Grisdale Founder Rainforest Bookkeeping Amar Latif Co-founder MAD Wealth    Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http://HeatherSmithAU.COM  This panel discussion was recorded at the GoCardless Buzz Labs at Sydney Accountex 2023. It is also available on the Cloud Stories podcast.  

Current Industry Trends and How They Impact the Accountants and Bookkeepers | Nick Sinclair

Join Heather Smith and Nick Sinclair Founder - Humanverse Group (TOA Global & AB² Institute) as they discuss the following trends and how they impact accountants and bookkeepers. Chat GPT  Embracing innovation: Automation, AI & Technology  Oversupply of clients Undersupply of staff Diversified skill sets and micro learning Inflation Practice Transformation (and whatever that means to you) Cyber Security and Data Protection The year of No Increased interest in data analysis and business advisory Building valuable communities for clients Connect with Nick Sinclair on LinkedIn here https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicksinclair/  TOA Global https://toaglobal.com/  AB² Institute https://ab2institute.edu.au/  TOACon 2023 https://toaglobal.com/toacon/  Transform Yourself, Transform Your Business Give yourself three days to recharge. Learn from world-class keynote speakers on building meaningful relationships and winning teams; managing adversity and change; the game-changing importance of mindset and mental health, and more. You’ll leave a better leader, with strategies to move your firm and your team members’ careers forward. Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter here http://HeatherSmithAU.COM  This recording was for the Cloud Stories podcast and was recorded at the GoCardless BuzzLabs at Sydney Accountex 2023. Many thanks to the GoCadless production team. GoCardless:  https://gocardless.com/en-au/  I strategically partner with TOA Global. You can read my https://endorsementdisclosure.com  

The Retirement of WorkFlowMax 🌄 | What You Need to Know

Xero have announced that they have decided to retire WorkflowMax (WFM) on 26 June 2024. This episode includes an interview with Cassandra Scott Queen of WorkFlowMax, moderator of the Bookkeepers in Practice Facebook group, and Founder of Laurus Bookkeeping and Matthew Peng Founder of Business Continuum Cloud Integrators and Independant Solution Advisors, sharing their perspectives on the sunsetting of WFM, and recommendations for next steps. A little trip down history lane. WorkFlowMax is a project management software that was founded in 2007 by Chris Spence and Gavin George, initially developed as a job management solution for Steelcraft Engineering business owned by Gavin’s brothers. Over the years, WorkFlowMax has become a reliable project management platform utilised by businesses worldwide. In May 2012, Xero, a global accounting software provider, acquired WorkFlowMax, leading to further development and growth of the software. After almost 11 years of servicing clients, Xero recently announced that they will retire WorkFlowMax on June 26, 2024. Three takes on the same story WORKFLOWMAX BLOG https://www.workflowmax.com/blog/future-plans-for-workflowmax? XERO DEVELOPER BLOG https://devblog.xero.com/xero-to-retire-workflowmax-mid-2024-6f12f45e4be XERO BLOG https://www.xero.com/blog/2023/03/xero-announces-future-plans-workflowmax/ It’s essential to note that WorkFlowMax is a completely separate solution from Xero Practice Manager (XPM). Therefore, Xero Practice Manager and Xero Tax will not be affected by this decision. Data separation is also guaranteed to ensure the privacy and security of user information. Read more about that here. If you or your clients are impacted by this announcement, here are some options I’m aware of, and please share others that you may know of with me. BlueRock have acquired the “WorkflowMax brand” WorkGuru.io MinuteDock G-Accon Ascora ProjectWorks.com Accelo Scoro StreamTime  

BlueRock 🔷Acquires WorkflowMax Brand | Peter Lalor

Today I am joined by Peter Lalor, the CEO and Managing Director of Blue Rock - Xero Platinum Partner, and Cloud Integrator. Peter is an experienced Director with a demonstrated history of working with entrepreneurial business owners. With a passion for technology and thinking differently, he’s a Chartered Accountant and has started and scaled multiple businesses.  Blue Rock describes itself as ‘We're more than an entrepreneurial advisory firm helping businesses grow and succeed - we're a community.’  In this episode we cover 🔷The history of the Blue Rock business 🔷The Blue Rock website 🔷The recent news that BlueRock has Acquired the WorkflowMax Brand 🔷What led to the opportunity to acquire the WFM Brand. 🔷Plans for New Job Management Solution (New website The website is www.workflowmax2.com.) 🔷Future plans   Resources: Xero to retire WorkflowMax product; BlueRock plans to offer new WorkflowMax solution https://www.xero.com/au/media-releases/bluerock-to-acquire-workflowmax-brand/  Blue Rock https://www.bluerock.com.au/  BlueRock Acquires WorkflowMax Brand and Announces Plans for New Job Management Solution https://www.bluerock.com.au/resources/bluerock-acquires-workflowmax-brand-and-announces-plans-for-new-job-management-solution/  Workflow Max by Xero is being retired. What are your options? https://heathersmithsmallbusiness.com/2023/03/25/workflow-max-by-xero-is-being-retired-what-are-your-options/  Subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter http://heathersmithau.com/        

🎙️Live at Sydney Accountex 23

It’s quite exciting that a conference brand running in multiple overseas countries, UK, Spain and Canada has brought a conference to Australia. I hope one day to attend Spain’s Accountex conference - we all know accounting is an International language, an accounting conference in a foreign language sounds like it would really push me out of my comfort zone!   I delivered three sessions at Accountex. Ethan Cooney of Ignition said the most popular session at the conference was the panel discussion on Explore Atomic Habits I led at the GoCardless Buzz Labs. Thank you very much Emily Shurey from the Marketing team at GoCardless who made that possible, and everyone who attended the session.   In this podcast I speak with:   Alex Cumberland Agency Partner Manager at Oncord Digital Marketing Software Jeremy Rowe General Manager Innovation of the CACatalyst team at CAANZ Rob Cameron CEO at FYI the Document management and process automation solution, purpose-built for accountants. Guy Pearson CEO at Ignition online proposals, automated billing and payment collection solution for professional services businesses. Melissa Lewis Business Development Manager SwiftFox CRM a CRM for accountants and financial service firms Dyean Moodley Digital Account Executive at a little firm called Microsoft. And from the bookkeeping world Nicole RED Lynch Co-founder Streamline Management Myreeann Tchopourian Managing Director Chisholm Business Services Pty Limited Tamara-Lee Beveridge BAS & ASIC Agent Bizcore 360  Julianna Nagy Founder of Horizon Accounts   Can I encourage you to stay informed by subscribing to the Cloud Stories podcast and the Accounting Apps newsletter.   Hi, I hope you found the interviews from Accountex informative and edutaining!    The two day Sydney Accountex conference was a great opportunity to catch up and spend time with members of the Accounting and Bookkeeping community and with familiar and a few new Accounting App vendors.   Initially I was asked to be a media partner, but I’m an accountant, and I felt a bit uncomfortable with that. The organisers established a content crew, which I instead asked to join and actively participated in. I was listed on the website as being part of the content crew, but am no longer listed there - I am not sure why.  During the early stages, the content crew were extensively involved with encouraging new speakers to pitch their ideas, reviewing speaker submissions, and highlighting which sessions we thought would resonate with the accounting and bookkeeping community. I’m focused on improving and nurturing the Accounting and Bookkeeping profession and community, and it was good to be part of the initial content development.   I was gratefully allocated a podcasting slot for the last session on the last day, in a cute podcast caravan, but my bad, I got confused with the calendar timings, and missed it completely.   I’m normally quite busy at conferences, and I hustled up a few more opportunities, as well as the interviews you just listened to, I delivered three fun and engaging sessions.    With the Fathom team I coordinated a brilliant panel discussion “How being purpose-driven and customer centric can help attract clients and retain top talent” on the main stage.   I delivered a panel discussion on Explore Atomic Habits at the GoCardless Buzz Labs with Michele Grisdale, Amar Latif and Dan Osbourne.    Also at the GoCardless Buzz Labs Nick Sinclair Founder - Humanverse Group (TOA Global & AB² Institute) and I discussed “Current Industry Trends and How Accountants and Bookkeepers can Optimise them.”    I plan to release the sessions recorded at the GoCardless Buzz Labs on the Cloud Stories podcast soon.   I’d also like to mention that Emily Shurey from the GoCardless team has a sparkly side gig. She supplies me with my Biodegradable & Eco Friendly Glitter follow her on insta at glitterazzi.me. If you need extra glitter in your life, and let's face it, who doesn’t? You should source Biodegradable & Eco Friendly Glitter. Generally available glitter is a plastic core and polyester PET film and when it breaks down, releases chemicals that are harmful to humans and animals and it contributes to the growth of microplastic in the marine environment. Unexpected environmental message in an accounting technology podcast!!   I had a full access ticket, which conveniently gave me access to an ample variety of food & beverages, a really fun dance party overlooking the Sydney Harbour on the last evening.   The CACatalyst team from Chartered Accountants ran a pitch night, on the first night. One of the contestants was Empiraa, a gamified yet simplified business planning software, that helps you set business goals and an actionable plan on how to achieve them. I’ve met with the founder Ash Brown and he and the team at Empiraa have joined me as a strategic partner, supporting me to support the community.   I also had the opportunity to meet up and reconnect with a lot of brilliant people in the Accounting Industry, including Caroline Hobden, Portfolio Director at Accountex in the UK and Europe and she invited me to come and speak in the UK. Well maybe not this year, cause I shall be attending Amanda Aguillard’s Accounting Salon in Florida, but I've pencilled it in 2024. How exciting.   More could be said about Sydney Accountex, but for me I used my positive energy to make the most of the event.    I hope you enjoyed this podcast. Can I encourage you to stay informed by subscribing to the Cloud Stories podcast and the Accounting Apps newsletter which you can find at HeatherSmith AU dot com.    

💙Karbon Joins Forces with Xero Practice Manager - FINALLY!!| Sara Goepel

Today I bring to you some huge news from the Xero ecosystem that I and many people have been waiting to hear for over 8 years.   So I shall share with you two short interviews, Sara Goepel, Chief Product Officer at  Karbon, and then Jared Baker, Managing Director APAC at Karbon and afterwards I’ll read extracts of the press release. These interviews were recorded at Sydney Accountex, and for those who attended, there was a signage at their stand about this announcement. Who spotted that???  Karbon, a leader in accounting practice management software, announced its certification as a Xero Certified App, setting the stage for its integration with Xero Practice Manager. This is in  alignment with their open ecosystem philosophy and the benefits for joint customers, highlighting the seamless contact data synchronisation between both systems. This integration is part of Karbon's commitment to enhancing the efficiency and accuracy of accounting practices, underpinned by their ongoing product development. Also In case you missed it, Karbon has recently appointed Mary Delaney based out of Chicago, as their new CEO.   I’ve been trying to coordinate an interview with Sara Goepel, for many years, and as serendipity would have it, when our paths crossed, she hinted at some huge news!   Please stay connected by subscribing to the Cloud Stories podcast.   Read more here: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7046210821177159680/  https://karbonhq.com/resources/karbon-xero-integration/   Google Podcasts : https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9jbG91ZHN0b3JpZXMubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M/episode/ZGVhNTBmMTktNjk4Yi00NDA5LTg1ZTMtOGVjNDQ1YjgzM2Q3?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwi4yYiGuf39AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ    Apple itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/huge-announcement-in-the-xero-ecosystem-sara-goepel/id908333807?i=1000606188697    Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/0hPNxTGvkefB7GOI7LTHxM?si=80d43b7e6c6e4294   

Live 😎 at the Melbourne Accounting & Business Expo 23

Last week was busy in Australia with two overlapping conferences; the Accounting and Business Expo in Melbourne and Accountex in Sydney.   In the beginning, when we realised there would be overlapping conferences, I contacted both conference organisers, letting them know my focus was on providing the best outcomes for the accounting industry. I joined the Content or Advisory Crew of both conferences.   Close to 4000 people attended ABExpo. The first session of the day, a fireside chat with the longest-serving treasurer in Australia's history Peter Costello, attracted a large crowd. Interestingly, I only knew about 5% of the vendors, and there was a jam-packed startup alley with about 20 new vendors, so it was fascinating to come across so many new solutions in the ecosystem.   During the day, I delivered two popular and educational panel sessions, which we all had a lot of fun with. I also scurried around the conference hall, eating free popcorn and pistachio gelato and finding interesting people to interview.    Jon Arrigo Managing Director at Microkeeper.  Microkeeper is an expert HR, Roster, timesheet, payroll and workforce management, all in one spot and I strategically partner with them. Lucas Finch Global Head of Wellbeing at Xero Daniel Rock Global Head of Sales at Suite Files Nick Bhalla Managing Director at Accounts NextGen IQ Daniel Spitty CEO at Everperform Ray Wang CEO at Luca Plus Laura Binns General Manager at the Conference Organisation at Terrapin   And yes I managed to interview more Daniels than I did females, I apologies for that oversight. I hope you enjoy the episode.   The Accounting & Business Expo is organised by Terrapin and I've enjoyed working with them for many years. The organisers have the philosophy "what Heather wants Heather gets", which is a philosophy I fully approve of! I'm given free rein to design the session and the content and select the panellists. I'm also a confirmed speaker at their Singapore conference, Accounting & Finance Show Asia 2023, 10-11 Oct and the Sydney Accounting and Business Expo, 22-23 Nov - if you fancy a trip to Singapore or Sydney, register on their website to find out more information! Also, let me know if you're attending, and maybe you can join one of my panel sessions.   Tropical Innovation Festival 5-9 Jun Cairns Accounting & Finance Show Asia 2023, 10-11 Oct Singapore Accounting and Business Expo, 22-23 Nov Sydney   Several Queenslanders flew in for the conference, and we all stayed at the same location, so we had a fun couple of days. On the last night in Melbourne, Chris Wheatley, the moderator of the Small Business Accountants Brains Trust facebook group, took us to his client's tiny bar, Yarra Falls in Flinders Lane. It was an absolute delight, so if you visit Melbourne, check it out. If this is your first time listening to the Cloud Stories podcast, please subscribe, and let me know where you are listening in from on social media; you can find me at HeatherSMITHAU everywhere.    

🎙️Live from the Brisbane Xero Roadshow 2023

On today's episode I’m bringing you the energy and excitement of interviews from the Xero Brisbane Roadshow. Here’s the order of who I’m talking to. I do try to introduce them at the start of each segment, but sometimes things don't go as planned. Kylie Wing CMO at Approval Max a tool for getting your bills and expenses approved and paid on time; Evan Barker General Manager at Synnch a tool for assisting with your R&D Tax Incentive; Tony Harcourt Co-Founder at WorkGuru.io a comprehensive job costing and optional stock control solution for SMB’s Corey Cacic Founder and CTO of Annature a tool for affordable eSignatures and Identity verification; Colleen Diver who is the Managing Director at Logic HQ Pty Ltd. Colleen Diver was also one of the early Xero Account Managers in QLD & NT. She was also the original founder of Diverse Business Consultants, the business featured in the Xero keynote address. As well as diverse being a play on her name Diver, she told me she named the business Diverse because at that time she was diverse and worked across MYOB, SaaSu and Xero, until, in her words Xero eventually won her heart. And it's an Aussie podcast, so we can never have too many Kylies!  Our second Kylie on the episode!! Is … Kylie Drury Director of Sales and Operations at FishBowl. Fishbowl is manufacturing and warehouse management for repeat products. It’s suitable if you're doing the same thing all the time and managing a production line. If however you’re doing something custom or bespoke then you’d look at WorkGuru. It’s important to understand the difference between inventory solutions in the market. And finally David Boyar Tedx speaker, CEO of Change GPS and Host of From the Trenches podcast and conference joins the show. At his request his segment was heavily trimmed, so hopefully I’m sharing the good bits, and that’s why that interview is a little bit choppy. I’m grateful to strategically partner with a number of apps who support me, to support the community. In this episode, full disclosure I strategically partner with Approval Max, Annature and WorkGuru.io. You can find full details of how I strategically partner with businesses on my website. From here, I suggest you join the Xero Mastermind group on Facebook for advanced conversations around the ecosystem. I suggest you  subscribe to the informative Accounting Apps newsletter which gives you a great overview of the ecosystem space available at https://HeatherSmithAU.COM.  I encourage you to connect with me on LinkedIn and subscribe to the Cloud Stories podcast, and let me know what your highlight was from attending the roadshow.   I’m Heather Smith and you've been listening to the Cloud Stories podcast.