For Abbey Vu, the move to her own business came after a good deal of planning. She knew it was something she wanted to do, but with a successful career and a young son, the timing had to be just right. We talk to her a few months into her new business.
When Hetal Lakdawala started her business six years ago, she was faced with a number of challenges. Through perseverance and the support of both the First Class network and her local community, she won through. Today her business is running well and she’s enjoying helping others on their path.
This year is a 'Happy 21st!' for Renae Pitargue and her First Class Accounts franchise. Having successfully created her ideal business, Renae is now able to step back from day-to-day client management and is enjoying her primary role of support person to her small, dedicated team. When asked why she chose a franchise business, her response is quick and compelling.
It's the classic small business trap, the 'too many eggs in one basket' scenario. Being aware of the problem is one thing, but it can be hard to avoid. In this podcast, Andrew Walker explains how in the midst of storms and flooding, his business appeared to be sinking too. Happily, today he's well and truly on higher ground in every respect.
Just into her 12th year, Jackie Becker intends to stay with her business for many years to come. Today we discuss her experiences trialling new software and indeed we attempt to handover some of the dialogue to ChatGPT. Jackie tells us how she makes good use of the service within her business and this ‘live test’ is pretty impressive.
We last caught up with Gary Jones a little over 5 years ago and today he explains how he’s maintained much of the remote working capabilities that evolved during the COVID 19 period. Gary has grown his business, grown his team and increased the ways in which his working life can shift in the future.
From early in his career, Shaun Rafferty has worked with movers and shakers in the worlds of consulting and digital advertising and has contributed to the success of a number of market leaders. However, as industries and opportunities evolved and shifted during COVID, so too did Shaun’s thinking. We catch up with him less than a year into his own business and his new path is becoming clear.
We last caught up with Ana Hindocha in 2023 when her business was less than a year old. She spoke of numerous goals, plans and dreams and shared her hesitancy in this her first independent venture. Two years on, a great deal has happened and while the picture may not be what she foresaw, it’s been an exciting and transformative journey.
Surprisingly, one particularly effective way to maximise your success in the year ahead, is to close the current year in a powerful and strategic way. In this episode, business coach Tracey Leak shares some practical tips and tricks that are in fact very useful all year round!
For Yvonne and Andrew Syme, the key appeal when starting their bookkeeping business a dozen or so years ago, was simply to be of help to their customers. This clear objective has informed how they balance life and work and has yielded an extremely satisfying small business. And you’ll be surprised at how they spend their spare time.
Lysa White likes nothing more than a new client whose accounts are in a shambolic state. Getting things organised is what makes her tick and builds her value. Having been employed by a franchisee for a number of years, Lysa was happy (if a little surprised) to take the business over. Seven years on, she has built a tight, little team and is starting to think about her own exit.
When Trudy Mendis started her business a little over a year ago, she initially struggled with the discipline of working solo and didn’t take naturally to networking. Happily, by embracing the First Class community and learning from others, the tables have turned. Today, she’s enjoying the transition from employment and is keen to demonstrate a work/life balance to her children.
Katrina Spratley has run her bookkeeping business for 20 years on the Gold Coast and has developed a way of working that really suits her lifestyle. She has some great tips to ensure you charge what you’re worth and how to avoid getting too 'drawn in' if client demands are overwhelming.
This is the model that Carl Zwartkruis adopts in his business. Effectively working as a Chief Financial Officer, Carl spends most days working at his clients' offices and has done so for coming up to a decade. It's how he prefers to work and illustrates the flexibility of the First Class Accounts franchise and how it aligns with your expertise and workstyle.
In her twentieth year with First Class Accounts, Renae Pitargue has some important lessons to share. As a self-confessed perfectionist, she had a problem ‘letting go’ as she grew and expanded. How she overcame this and successfully maintains a growing business to this day reveals a host of good tips and strategies.
Serge Crismale never thought he’d be in his business this long, but strange things happen when you start enjoying yourself. Now in the early stages of designing his exit strategy, Serge is considering his options and reviewing the ways he works. One key consideration is the role of real life get-togethers, both with staff and clients.
From attending her first overseas conference while still undergoing training, to attracting a client before she was truly ready, Jana Aldhaibi has committed to making her business work. We catch her less than a year into her practice and her proactive style continues.
When Jeffrey Phillips left University he walked straight into an accounting career and quickly realised that sitting at a desk all day crunching numbers wasn't for him. With an idea of how he wanted to balance life and work, he bravely started his own franchise business. Twelve years on, he's successfully designed his ideal venture, one where small, agile and mobile are essential ingredients. And it's working rather nicely.
After many years as a First Class franchisee, Elisa Mayenco's needs changed and it was time to consider exiting her business. As we'll hear, this she did successfully, but happily her knowledge and skills have been retained in her new role supporting new bookkeepers.
When Bhayva Mittal started his bookkeeping business late last year, he was understandably a little nervous. Gone was the constant flow of work and a regular paycheck. However, holding the goal of an improved work/life balance and financial independence helped carry him through the early months. Thanks to this positive outlook and a commitment to effective, regular networking, business is growing and the vision is steadily becoming a reality.