Let me tell you a little about myself and my experience’s.
I was not always a bookkeeper I spent the first 10 years of my working life as a dental nurse the last 7 of those was with the best boss I ever had. I simply wanted more than to be an assistant, so I started night school at Tafe and after 5 years got my Advance Diploma in Accounting. I was proud of myself until I got my first job and realised I still knew very little about accounting.
I bounced around at a couple of accounting firms none of them were exceptional until I found myself at a job interview with an accounting firm about 6 months after I had my first baby and not too far from home. I was so impressed with the two partners that interviewed me I literally begged the recruiter to give me the job. I worked for that business for 6 years. I ended up leaving because the two partners that interviewed me started their own accounting firm and I left to work for them knowing full well I was close to Long Service Leave entitlements and I would make more money staying where I was, but it was the experience I was after.
I was now working for the new business with the same employers, I gained a vast amount of knowledge about how the industry was changing at a massive speed, met some industry leaders, and learnt how to structure and run a small business. But over two years later I started feeling the need to do it all myself.
So, wanting to do the right thing by my employers I let them know what I was thinking, and they offered me the position to manage and design their bookkeeping arm of their business. Which I did, I designed procedures and training manuals, pricing structures, streamlined current clients processes and trained staff (team members). I absolutely loved my new roll, working closer with small business’ and creating something that felt meaningful and valued.
But always in the back of my mind there was ‘I’m doing this for someone else…. why’. So, after a while I decided I was going to do it on my own.
Now Knoward has been around for about 10 years or so just in the background helping friends business. It was time to give her a make-over, I had a clear vision of what I wanted to offer and how I could have the biggest impact on small business, I redesigned the logo, built a website, created an image, and informed my employers of my intentions.
It was just a matter of finding the small business I could help, this was a little harder than anticipated.
I had an opportunity to work in a medium size business with its own internal accountant / financial controller. I found that interesting how their protocols and systems they had in place to ensure nothing was missed, but it was far from my love to help the small business owner who just want to have a crack (a lot like myself).
Being in and around small business’ forever I completely understand the struggles of small business, from too much work to not enough, employees wanting more money and not doing the right thing (often at the same time), to cashflow, and understanding costing, to where is all my money going? etc. etc. This is the part that I love to help with, the advice and taking the administrative bookkeeping and management processes and feeding you real valuable information that can help you make decisions for your business.
So, from here its onwards and upwards in the ever-changing world of accounting. My love to empower the small business is my strength, and every day I am inspired by the humble small business owner just having a crack at running a business.
Kim
