At this year's Accounting Business Expo in Melbourne, I presented on the ever important topic of talent but with a focus on non-monetary benefits as a retention tool (well, because they’re kind of free and accountants keep asking me, Michael - how can I compete with the big firms that have way more resources to throw around):

Below is a short snippet talking about some of the non-monetary benefits you can incorporate into your firm.

As a recruitment professional and an accountant myself I wanted to present everyone with facts that would aid the remarkable accountants in this industry not just in servicing our clients but also in making sure they can attract the right talent and improve their employee retention,, which in the long run would help us build a much better practice.

For the full speech please go to our Youtube channel.

Title: Win the War for Talent: the Monetary & Non-Monetary Ways

1. What are the current issues and trends in the marketplace?

1. Why are some firms doing so much better than others when it comes to recruitment and retention – monetary and non-monetary?

1. What changes can you make to improve your recruitment and retention strategies?

Speech by:

Michael Edelstein of Accountants Exposed Podcast and Recruitment Expert

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥: https://lnkd.in/g7_QZzE

#AccountingBusinessExpo2024 #ABE #AccountingConference #AccountingExpo

#AccountantsExposed

#RecruitmentExpert

In this day and age of technology, what does the future hold for the accounting industry? ⁠John Waterworth⁠ - the managing director of ⁠Valenta Australia⁠ sits down with us to help us understand more about what robotics for Accounting Firms especially during a time of critical staff shortage.

Join us as you won’t want to miss this episode where John tells all about the backbone of robotic process automation (RPA), and how you can implement in your practice to save costs, find efficiencies and improve client service! We discussed topics such as:

• Getting into robotics in the accounting industry and his journey in automation
• Challenges with automation
• How RPA (Robotic Process Automation) is different from AI and what digital transformation is all about
• Using RPA and how it compares to other software processes
• Cost of building a new process and who benefits the most from it
• Backlash against against robots vs the reality
• Where AI and natural language technologies started and the future of RPA

"One of the biggest hurdles I guess is just freeing up people from being chained to the computer, doing those repetitive tasks.”

Show Notes

• ⁠Xerox ⁠
• ⁠MYOB⁠
• ⁠APS⁠
• ⁠Zybra⁠

⁠John Waterworth⁠, with 25 years of experience in leadership, digital transformation and cyber security is an expert when it comes to all things automation. He is focused on helping businesses adopt RPA (Robotic Process Automation) and Artificial Intelligence to achieve sustainable profitability. His goal: to drive growth and profitability using the emerging technology!

Quick facts:

• Serial Entrepreneur
• Speaker at the Accounting Business Expo 2022

Contact Info

To find out more about how RPA can benefit your firm you can contact John directly at ⁠john.waterworth@valenta.io⁠ or on his mobile 0403 035 656.

⁠Michael Edelstein⁠: ⁠michael@recruitmentexpert.com.au⁠

Mobile: 0421 892 145

You don't want to miss this, listen to one of our most clicked and viewed podcast episode right now.

Bookkeeping, just like any other profession, has come a long way. From manual records to all the fancy AI software available nowadays, how will bookkeepers keep up? Is the digital era really a threat to the bookkeeping space or is it an opportunity? Our guest, ⁠Matthew Addison⁠ from the⁠ Institute of Certified Bookkeepers⁠ will give us the answer to all these questions.

Join us as Matthew shares why he chose to be a bookkeeping advocate and its importance to the accounting industry. Some more of the topics we discussed include:

• Being a partner in his own accounting/bookkeeping firm whilst being an advocate for the bookkeeping industry
• The ideal accounting and bookkeeping model
• Classic bookkeeping vs modern bookkeeping
• Bookkeeping practice and regulation and the differences with other countries
• Digital bookkeeping and automation and the impact its had on the industry and clients
• Why bookkeeping survived and thrived amidst the rise of automation software
• Biggest threats and opportunities for bookkeeper
• Thoughts on offshoring in the space

"A practical challenge in the bookkeeping space at the moment is narrowing your scope- Becoming an expert in a few, not trying to be an expert in everything available to you.”

Show Notes

• ⁠Kylie Baxter podcast⁠
• ⁠Paul Dunn podcast⁠
• ⁠Bookkeeping for dummies by Veechi Curtis⁠

⁠Matthew Addison⁠ started his accounting journey in a Big 4 firm which he deems as his ‘breeding ground’ but later on chose to be a passionate advocate for the bookkeeping space back in 1990. He’s an all around expert in the industry with years of experience in accounting, tax, payroll, business advisory and software accounting solutions. He aims to bring modern solutions to modern problems and let people know that bookkeeping is here to stay and that Bookkeeping is not a pathway to becoming an accountant, Bookkeeping is a profession of its own.

Quick facts:

• The chair and co-founder of the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers in Australia, a professional association for Bookkeepers
• Has been recently appointed as a Director of COSBOA (Council of Small Business Organisations Australia)
• Involved in the development of: Business Accounting Software, Software Company Partner Programs and the Tax Agent Services Act 2009 (recognition of Bookkeepers as Registered BAS Agents).
• Co-Chair of the ATO Tax Practitioner Stewardship Group (2018-2021), member of the ATO BAS Agents Advisory Group and the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) Consultative Forum.

A recap of one of our most viewed episode so far:

What a way to start 2023 with our first guest of the year - ⁠Sonia Gibson⁠. She is a visionary accounting professional and the Founder of ⁠Accounting Heart⁠ - which is proudly an all female firm. We get a sneak peek of her accounting journey, her business acumen and her passion for finances and helping smaller businesses achieve their financial goals.

Listen in and to learn more about Sonia and some of the struggles she faced following her path as an accountant and how her commitment to the industry and her clients has helped her build a solid foundation of success.

Some of the topics we talked about are:

• Her inspiration and initial interest in accounting - how does one start?
• Commerce vs Public Practice - going back and forth and her early dream of becoming a Partner
• What would she have done differently and how much experience do you actually need to start your own practice?
• The things you learn as a partner and why she decided to go solo
• Do corporate values actually mean anything?
• Assessing client fees on a macro level and the struggles of charging fees effectively
• Benchmarking salaries and increases - how to make the numbers make sense.
• Reaching firm maturity, how long does it actually take?
• Comparison between solo practice and a multi-partner established firm
• Strategise and Build. The secret to a stable team and how improving staff relationships will help you in the long run
• Networking - Build build build!
• Importance of a good administrator/practice manager and a competent team
• Software talk - the beauty of automation
• Utilising people's values, making better decisions, and highlighting femininity
• Coaching - tips on how to find the right business coach for you and the great thing about reaching out

Contact Info

You can find out more about ⁠Sonia Gibson⁠ and her firm Accounting Heart from their website: ⁠https://www.accountingheart.com.au/⁠

⁠Michael Edelstein⁠: ⁠michael@recruitmentexpert.com.au⁠

Mobile: 0421 892 145

I was at the Accountants Business Expo this year and I happened to encounter this remarkable guy, who talked about ‘How to use Business Development for Staff Retention’, and I immediately knew I had to bring him on as a guest. Alistair Marshall, Director of Professional Services BD is here to teach us proven and effective Business Development strategies in Professional Services to grow a practice - from a client and staff perspective. 

Here are some of the topics we discussed during this episode:

• Staff retention and it’s connection to marketing

• Business development and how smaller firms utilizes it

• The current struggle of firms when it comes to hiring new employees and keeping them.

• The world of the digitally empowered buyers and the strength in client service

• Intersection of Accounting and Law - diving into the similarities and cultural differences between the two professions

• Negative aspects of the ‘one stop shop accounting firm’ model

• Biggest issues the typical SMEs come up against

• Growing your practice with proven & effective business development strategies

• Client Business Reviews sit downs and Fixed Fees

• Why you need a mentor, and the need to start something

• Marketing and how to get young people on board

"You don't learn anything by talking.”

Show Notes

• Salesforce

• Allan Fitzgerald

• Professional Services BD

• 10 Immediate Actions that Generate Revenue and Cash

• Zane Carm? (You both mentioned you follow him)

• Vidyard

• David Meister Books

Profile

Alistair Marshall has a 30 year experience in helping law, engineering, accounting, and other professionals attract clients and is a trusted expert when it comes to Management, Business Development, Marketing and Public Speaking. Being a business consultant for years now, his main goal is to help more professional service firms maximise their growth and has successfully helped more than thousands of professionals and hundreds of firms to build their practice, and achieve their revenue goals. His aim? To transform your business culture.

Some quick facts:

• He has worked in national business development roles for multinational corporations, with responsibility for budgets in excess of A$100m.

• Past National Board member of the Australasian Legal Practice Management Association.

• Keynote speaker for Law & Accounting events

Contact Info

You can find out more about Alistair Marshall  and his firm Professional Services BD from their website: https://www.professionalservicesbd.com.au/

Michael Edelstein: michael@recruitmentexpert.com.au

Mobile: 0421 892 145

A recap of one of our most viewed episode so far:

First of all - you have to check out Blue Rock’s website - it’s out of this world (click on the link below)! This ‘picture’ will paint a thousand words about our guest ⁠Peter Lalor⁠ from ⁠Blue Rock⁠ who shares his incredible vision and the journey towards materialising it.

Join us in this episode as Peter shares his insights into leadership and what it takes to build a distinctive brand from nothing to a billion dollar firm, and many more things:

• How a creative person like him thought of joining the accounting industry
• Why he decided to pursue a multidisciplinary accounting form model
• The first year journey of BlueRock and it's temporary setbacks
• Which tools have had the biggest impact on the firm
• Advice on what makes a firm successful, how to add value for your customers and the pillars of growth
• How to set a clear version for your business, and his BlueRock 3030 Vision
• Getting the right people on board
• Designing a successful grad program
• Balance a fast growing business, family and hobbies and his take on working long hours
• Future of technology in the accounting industry

“I'd rather build a legacy where people feel like they've come in well, and they've left well.”

“If you build it they will come. And it's all about building a great ecosystem to excel and the rest will sort itself out.”

Profile

⁠Peter Lalor⁠ is an experienced Company Director with a demonstrated history of working with entrepreneurial business owners since his 20’s. He is passionate about thinking differently and about technology in the Accounting industry. His keenness for growth and opportunity to help entrepreneurs and develop a strong client community and his value and purpose are admirable. His vision - to work with smart people to break the rules!

Show Notes

• ⁠Blue Rock⁠
• ⁠Asana⁠
• ⁠My prosperity⁠
• ⁠Xero⁠
• ⁠APS⁠
• ⁠XPM - Xero Practice Manager⁠
• ⁠Managing the Professional Service Firm by David Maister⁠
• ⁠One Thing You Need to Know: About Great Managing, Great Leading, and Sustained Individual Success by Marcus Buckingham⁠
• ⁠The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone⁠
• ⁠Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl⁠

A recap of one of our most viewed episode so far:

Our fantastic guest this week - ⁠Kyelie Baxter⁠ - an award winning accounting professional from ⁠IQ Accountants⁠ who became a partner at a younger age than most - is finally here! In this episode, she passes on her knowledge, experience, and the secrets to standing out in this competitive industry. She also provides useful advice on how we can cope with the overwhelming changes in the industry and more importantly, how to embrace technology.

Join us and take this opportunity to learn more about Kyelie and some of the innovating things she is doing through her commitment to the industry, her firm and her clients. We discussed topics such as:

• What her path was like as an award winning accounting professional
• Standing out in the accounting industry and building a unique process
• Programs that helped improve efficiency and getting into bookkeeping
• Achieving exceptional client growth
• What she loves about accounting
• Being a mother and a practitioner and how to achieve work life balance and why it's important
• Finding the right people - challenges and processes
• Their workflow, client services and her take on automation
• Maintaining culture in a hybrid work set up and rules for engagement
• Increasing fees and letting go of clients
• Her thoughts about offshoring
• Modern era accounting - the biggest changes and the downsides of it
• Timesaving and the 'Zero Email' work habit

"We're not married to anything, we embrace change”

“If you're going to back anyone, back yourself”

Show Notes

• ⁠MYOB⁠
• ⁠Slack⁠
• ⁠Kyber⁠
• ⁠Intuit⁠
• ⁠Dext⁠
• ⁠How I work podcast by Amantha Imber⁠
• ⁠ReMarkable⁠
• ⁠Lynda Steffens ⁠

⁠Kyelie Baxter⁠, packing 20 years of experience in public practice (who actually wanted to work in retail!) is a no nonsense accountant. She is driven and passionate about what she does and has successfully built her own amazing team for all types of business. She specialises in taxation, and has been dedicated to the industry. Her goal - to be able to simplify the accounting process for clients!

Quick facts:

• Back to back winner of Australian Accounting Awards in 2020 and 2019 Partner of the Year (Boutique Firm), MYOB 2019 Certified Consultant of the Year and 2018 MYOB Accountant of the Year and a past Telstra Business Women's Awards finalist

A recap of our most viewed episode so far!

On this episode, we talk about all the things accountants could be doing better and where they're going wrong.  Mistakes that are costing them huge potential increases in revenue, profits and lifestyle. 

Now, Rob Nixon is not an accountant. Yet he has forged a niche to be one of the world’s foremost authorities on how accounting firms can achieve peak performance and his clients on average see profit increases of 98.4% from revenue increases of only 20.8% while working fewer hours with simple tweaks in workflow and technology. 

He is an entrepreneur who has been running successful businesses since 1986. Since 1994 he has been running businesses that specialise in helping Accountants run better, more profitable businesses.

Accountants intrigue Rob and over the years he has trained them, consulted to them, coached them, researched them and visited thousands of them. All in the pursuit of what works and what does not work. He believes accountants are the natural trusted advisor to business and can help their client’s build amazing businesses. He also believes accountants don't earn enough for how smart they are, the value they add and the risks they take. 

His speaking work has taken him around the world where he has spoken to in excess of 170,000 accountants. Currently, his products and strategies are used by accountants in over 30 countries. His landmark ideas and strategies are adopted by thousands of large and small firms all over the world.

In 2005 he created the revolutionary coaching model called Coachingclub. The Coachingclub model enabled firms to be accountable, to consistently learn and to share ideas amongst their peers. So far over 800 accounting firms have graduated from his Coachingclub program. The vast majority of firms have doubled or tripled profits because of the program.

He has personally coached over 500 firms and helped them add more nearly $1 Billion of new profit.

He is the author of 4 bestselling books Accounting Practices Don’t Add Up, Remaining Relevant, The Perfect Firm and his most recent book The Wealthy Accountant. All have received rave reviews from Accountants and industry professionals from around the world.

Rob is a keen golfer, adventurer and cyclist. He is ticket holder no. 293 to go into space on Virgin Galactic and he lives in sunny Brisbane, Australia with his lovely wife Natalie and 3 children.

You can find out more about Rob Nixon on his website: ⁠www.robnixon.com⁠

To find out more about RecruitmentExpert please go to ⁠www.recruitmentexpert.com.au⁠ or email 

Michael Edelstein: ⁠michael@recruitmentexpert.com.au