Episode 30: Growing an Accounting Firm During a Pandemic by Being a Real person, with Annette Tasker

In this episode, Sam interviews Annette Tasker, the owner of ALT Tax and Accounting. Sam and Annette have been working together for the past four years and Annette really demonstrates the In Demand Accountant attributes, particularly around the empathy and emotional intelligence piece. Annette also brings a vast range of business experience to the job, and not only does she generously work with her clients, she gives back to the industry as well. She is the Deputy President of the IPA NSW and Treasurer of the Cronulla Chamber of Commerce, as well as a number of other community roles.

In this episode, Sam and Annette discuss how Annette reinvented herself at 40 and why that prior life experience is such a part of her success as an accountant. They cover what’s been working for her and how she’s actually grown her business during the pandemic, plus why your marketing needs to speak to clients where they are at (instead of being slick and highly produced).

Sam and Annette explore the fundamental skills of empathy and emotional intelligence in the future of accounting, and how we can get structured in order to prioritise these skills. Plus, Annette shares a brilliant story about the challenges and opportunities of engaging and retaining younger members in the accounting industry.

Connect with Annette on LinkedIn.  

Listen on an excerpt

What we cover

• Annette’s background in finance, small business and bookkeeping

• How Annette reinvented herself at 40 years old after circumstances changed

• What’s been working for Annette and how she’s grown her business during the pandemic

• Why marketing that is real and speaks to our market where they’re at is better than slick production

• Where Annette thinks the industry is at and what the future might hold

• The power of putting ourselves as accountants in our clients shoes and relating to what running a business is like

• What accountants who had previous careers and life experience can bring to the role

• What Annette thinks the In Demand Accountant or Accounting firm will look like going forward

• The fundamental role of empathy and emotional intelligence in the future of accounting

• How structure can help us as an industry learn and prioritise these vital “soft” skills

• The challenges and opportunities of engaging and retaining younger members in the accounting industry

• Annette’s top tips for being In Demand: embracing technology, conversations and having a go

Quotes

“Our marketing doesn't have to be slick, it just has to talk to our market where it's at. So we’ve got to find out where our market is at” ~ Sam

“Very few [accountants] have actually worked in business, and I don't believe running an accounting practice, or growing an accounting practice, is really running a business. Something like manufacturing where you're juggling cash flow, juggling supplies, you're paying out for materials weeks or months before you sell a product…that's what you have to be able to relate to clients.” ~ Annette

“We've all had an experience where we've called a client or happen to have bumped into a client and that conversation has turned into quite a big project for the accountant. And the client hasn't even known that [their problem is] something that we can help them with.” ~ Annette

“We work so well with structure, we've got a deadline, we've got a due date, we've got an end of quarter interview. So we use a system to mark out times to call people, to contact people…to review their accounts and find a talking point, because it's an actual discussion that we need to have.” ~ Annette

“You don't need to be a nurse to care for people. You need to be an accountant. That's where you can really help people.” ~ Annette

“If you can dedicate that time to a staff member who has got the willingness to be a real person and reach out to other real people, that's when we can change the accounting world.” ~ Annette

“Accountants [must]realise that the conversations they have with clients do not need to be high level and technical. The clients want to understand, and starting out with a very basic conversation, which you might feel is a bit cringe worthy—that's exactly what the client wants to hear! It helps them” ~ Annette

“At the end of the day accounting is actually a relationship business. and we need to work hard on that. Going forward…the new generation of accountants are looking for something different than what we grew up on.”  ~ Sam

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