Bookkeepers, Accountants, VAs, Coaches: Who Does What And When

In this episode, Aly G and Leethal Lee lovingly dismantle the DIY delusion and spill the tea on who should actually be running what behind the scenes of your business.

Because:

✨Your VA isn’t your bookkeeper.
 ✨Your accountant might be a good candidate to be your biz coach.
✨ And you? You’re not meant to be all of them at once.

We’re talking real financial foundations, what proper bookkeeping actually looks like, why clean numbers change everything, and how the right support team turns chaos into clarity. From payroll and reconciliations to advisory and accountability, this episode draws a very clear line between “helpful” and “high-risk.”

If your current system is held together with vibes, crossed fingers and late-night spreadsheet spirals… this is your intervention.

Press play if you’re ready to stop guessing, start leading with data, and build a business that can grow without you carrying every role on your back.

And don’t stop at this episode, She Means Biz is your ongoing masterclass in building powerful, profitable businesses. Follow the show, leave a review, and share it with someone who’s trying to do it all.

Because she means business. And so do you. 💥Bold moves. Big wins. Leading the way.

And yes we also have a blog on this one ... here tis  

SHE MEANS BIZ IS PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY OUR SPONSOR

Ignition | Spending days engaging clients? Chasing late payments? Dealing with scope creep? We get it. Ignition helps accounting and professional services businesses reclaim time, profitability and cash flow. Automate proposals, billing, payments and workflows in a single platform

Transcript

Roles On The Table: Who Does What

SPEAKER_02 0:13

Bookkeeper, accountant, VA, business coach. Running a business often starts with a dangerous thought. I'll just do it all myself. It's cute. It's optimistic. It's completely unhinged. It's the reality. Wildly. A bookkeeper, an accountant, a business coach, a VA. They all do very different things. They're very different humans and they all have very different superpowers. And that's what we're going to really break down today. Might get them a little high. We have many balls and they are very tall today. So let's just break this down. People come in and they say, I can do it. Yes, I can do my own hair. I want a couple of it. What happens? You go to the hairdresser and they have to fix it and it costs you more.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

If anyone out there has read my bio, I did want to be a hairdresser back in the day and I didn't think I'd double. If anyone wants a low light, just come see me.

SPEAKER_02 1:14

Do not go see Lee for your hair. But you can see her for your bookkeeping. They are such different skills. And I think we have to recognise, and sometimes I think this is where people get a bit lost. They think that they can do it, but they don't actually realise what they don't know and how hard it can be and what the consequences are if you get it wrong. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:33

The hair is more visible. It's much more obvious when you get that wrong. Yeah. And like the same I say to people, I'm not out there trying to build a house. Yeah. I'm not out there trying to perform surgery on someone.

SPEAKER_02 1:46

No.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

So why do they think that they can?

SPEAKER_02 1:48

Yeah, I don't know. It's one of those. We get a lot. Can you teach me how to do it?

SPEAKER_00 1:52

Sure.

SPEAKER_02 1:53

Can I tell you something? And I'm gonna get on my high horse. It's actually offensive when you say that to somebody that has a lot of people.

SPEAKER_00 2:02

I just want you to tell me in five minutes.

SPEAKER_02 2:03

So you show me how to do your job even though I've got 30 years of experience. Yeah. Just tell me how to do it in five minutes if you can.

SPEAKER_00 2:09

Like, you know, I don't want to flex, but I have um quite a number of letters after my name. Yes, you can flex.

SPEAKER_02 2:16

Yeah. You masters of tax.

SPEAKER_00 2:18

Yeah, so you know, I do have a full degree, and then I had to do my CA, which was another two years of study. Then I did a master's of tax, and I've also done um recently a company director course. So, you know, that starts adding up. I've been studying for 10 odd years. Yep. And that's cost me a lot of money. It makes a difference though.

SPEAKER_02 2:41

And I've learned a lot. But you you know all of the ins and outs, you know the risk, right? And I think that sometimes people go in not knowing the risk of what can actually happen if you get it wrong. Yeah, like it you know, it no one will die.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

But they're there's tax and cash or have a bad haircut. But there's stress.

Qualifications, Risk And Legal Boundaries

SPEAKER_00 3:03

Yeah, and that's the thing I've really um noticed of late. We've had a few little incidents where people have had some issues, got themselves behind, got themselves in a little bit of a pickle with the ATO, and they are living with so much stress, they're not sleeping, they're so anxious, and they've buried their head in the sand, and they've finally worked up the courage to come in, and they are so stressed. They're beside themselves, they are beside themselves, they're giving themselves anxiety, they are, and they're and I say, Oh, I can fix that, and they go, Oh, I love you. And I think, well, why don't you come before? And they're now in the right place because I'm the right person to help them. But before they weren't getting the right help that they needed, um, and they are stressed. So I guess we'll start at the the start. I, you know, we're all in the Facebook groups where someone's like, I need a VA who does some bookkeeping and maybe some accounting and some marketing and and you know these people don't exist, they don't exist. And I don't I I don't have any money actually to pay them. So if you could make that as cheap as possible, that'll be great. You pay for what you get. Yeah, you do. Nothing in this free.

SPEAKER_02 4:25

We've had a few that we've come across where a VA or an overseas bookkeeper has absolutely crucified it.

SPEAKER_00 4:33

I'm not insulting overseas bookkeepers. We actually hire them and we train them and we supervise them and we love them. Yes. Because they are taught key points there as training and supervision and review. Operating under our uh policies and processes and under our review. And we know exactly what they're taught and we trust them. It is when you're on um, I don't know what the web the like the app is, it's like the air tasker of whatever it is. Yeah. And you've got you know it's ten dollars a minute or no, ten dollars an hour, and they're gonna do all your bookkeeping and they live in whatever country they live in. And they don't know Australian tax law. They're actually legally not allowed to be lodging. Oh, because of the BAS agent rulings. Yeah. Um the the tax agent, like to lodge a bass, and even here in Australia to lodge a bass, you have to be registered. You have to be a bass agent, that's right. With the tax and that means you've got to have a certain level of education and training. You do, and experience. It's not easy to get your BASS agent or the tax agent. I recently got my tax agent. 20 years later, I've recently got my tax agent registration, and I had to go through a lot to prove that I was knew what I was doing. With the experience behind you, yeah. Um, so it's not easy, and you do have to have that to be able to lodge a bass. Otherwise, they're lodging with your name on it.

SPEAKER_02 5:56

Um which means you've done it, which means you're responsible.

SPEAKER_00 5:58

Correct. So you have to be really careful. So I guess that's the legal side of it, is just because you suddenly say I'm a bookkeeper and you've got yourself a ABN and you've decided that you know you're looking for a side hustle because you've got kids now and bookkeeping's a really flexible job. Let's be honest. Bookkeeping is really a flexible job. And your husband was running a business and you've helped out with the books all the time, and you're like, Yeah, I'm a bookkeeper now. Yeah. Doesn't mean that you are and that you should be able to charge risk attached. There is risk. Um get sued by doing the wrong thing. And more and more the tax practitioners practitioner's board is really cracking down on us. Um, and it's getting the compliance side of things is getting more and more um hectic for us. And so it should.

SPEAKER_02 6:46

So what does a good bookkeeper do?

SPEAKER_00 6:48

Um a bookkeeper, I guess, is your your day-to-day person, is what I see, your bookkeeper. They're your um so they'll reconcile your bank account, process your pays, process your pay. They'll know your pay run, yeah, payroll, they'll do your invoicing, they'll you know, if you've got lots of paperwork of bills and invoices, they take care of that day-to-day sort of thing.

SPEAKER_02 7:11

And so the benefit is that you will know where your business is at any point in time.

SPEAKER_00 7:14

Yeah, they they kind of know the ins and outs. They they you you your insider information kind of thing. They know the day-to-day running of your business and they know when the money's coming in and out and who's paid and who hasn't, and which suppliers we can get away with not paying on tweet because they never chase you anyway, and who emails you before it's even due because they're a pain in the ass. Like they know that side of things. That's what they're doing. They're doing they they're your your financial bestie kind of thing. They're they're right there by your side.

SPEAKER_02 7:44

I think it's a really big investment into your business.

SPEAKER_00 7:46

I think a a good bookkeeper, a really good qualified bookkeeper, and we we work with a few and we know a few, is worth it wet and go. It is, it's so valuable, and we do bookkeeping here at all in. Um, I do a lot of bookkeeping. I actually love it. It's my life. I I really love it. I love the day-to-day running, I love like like snooping.

SPEAKER_02 8:10

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The stalking element. So everything. What size business? Because a lot of people say, well, I'm too little.

SPEAKER_00 8:17

Um, well, if you're lodging a bath, I I would think you're employees. Or if you've got payroll, you're almost need a bookkeeper. Yeah. Unless you're unless that's your skill set. Unless you're kind of good at it. Um, or your accountant really is involved hand holding hand holding with you, then it it you probably, you know, and there are some people that do do it and love it, and they've got very simple businesses and they've kind of like but they've got someone reviewing it. Yes, that's where I would say you want your accountant involved more than once a year.

unknown 8:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

So it depends on the relationship you've got with your accountant as well. If you've got a hands-on accountant that will, you know, help you with your best and look over your file every quarter and and tell you when you've done things wrong and help educate you and and show you what to do, I think that's fine. And you're paying your accountant a little bit more then to offset some of that risk. Yeah, I think that's fine. Um as you get bigger and more complexity in your business and the day-to-day, then an internal resource, obviously. Yeah or a bookkeeper that's there more often. We've had that. Yeah. More often, you know, week to week kind of rather than month to month is probably a better option. Um and some bookkeepers do more, like some bookkeepers just do the day-to-day. Some go into sort of helping you understand your financials then and helping you run management reports and helping you make decisions. So that's more an internal CFO or fractional CFO. And like I said, which is a larger bitch. Yeah, every bookkeeper's different, it depends what their skill set is. Um, I can think of some really brilliant bookkeepers who are actually qualified accountants. So choose to do the bookkeeping and they love it. Um, so it depends. We'll go on to the VA one because this seems to be a new one. It is a new thing that's popping up. Yeah, yeah. A VA who does a bit of bookkeeping. And I think what is that?

When You’re “Too Small” For A Bookkeeper

SPEAKER_02 10:13

Just pure risk.

SPEAKER_00 10:15

Um, what are their qualifications? Um, and dabbling in bookkeeping is an interesting, you know. Oh, do a bit of marketing, do a bit of bookkeeping, do a bit of admin.

SPEAKER_02 10:26

I think it's the danger of n being the mas, you know, the jack the master of all things, but none. Yeah, Jack of all. What isn't Jack of all trades? But master of none.

SPEAKER_00 10:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:37

I it's dangerous because You don't know what they're getting wrong and you're relying on it. And that's that if you're making decisions based on your financial position and they're getting it wrong, you're making wrong decisions.

SPEAKER_00 10:51

Yeah, and not just that, if they're saying, Yep, I'm doing that, yeah, I'm doing that, yep, I'm doing that, and you don't have the correct oversight. You could be paying the wrong GST, you could be paying the wrong T. It's so risky across of late is where they were paying AVA overseas to do the payroll. And it because they legally can't, they couldn't lodge the STP. Hadn't been done for three years. So the payroll was being processed, employees were being paid, the super was not being paid, but they thought they were doing the right thing because there was payslips and there was all that sort of stuff, but nothing was actually being lodged.

SPEAKER_02 11:35

If you get the fair work commission on that, you're in deep, deep doo-doo, my friend. There are fines and penalties, the ATO, like I can't even tell you what strife you would be in.

SPEAKER_00 11:44

Yeah, so you have to be really employment lawers.

SPEAKER_02 11:47

You don't want to mess up, mess up. No, no, no, you don't want to be George Conbaras.

The VA Trap And Payroll Risks

SPEAKER_00 11:52

You don't want to um you know, you don't want to underpay employees either, because they do not like that. They're the ones that'll dob you in. They'll dob you in. Um, so it's really important payroll, it's obviously really important to get right, but so that means you need the right person. It's also very high risk. It is, and so that's where if you're using someone that doesn't know what they're doing, you're putting yourself in all sorts of positions of on a risk profile, you are taking the biggest risk. And again, if your accountant isn't all over it and they don't tell you you you you're in trouble.

SPEAKER_02 12:29

And there are differences in accountants and what they like and what they don't like.

SPEAKER_00 12:32

And so I guess that comes back to what's an accountant, yeah. Um and that is very different for different accountants. Uh and and it depends what you pay for too. So um you can just go get your tax return done once a year and they'll process your tax return, they'll lodge it, and they'll say, See you next year, bye. And that's that if that's all you want to do.

SPEAKER_02 12:53

And you might you might think they're a great accountant because they give you a great refund. I can assure you that it's usually the traverse of that.

SPEAKER_00 13:00

Um, and that's that like that. And if you've got other people within the business giving you advice, well, maybe that that's work for you. If you've got a really um numbers savvy person around, or you are that person and you don't need that assistance, well, that's fine. That's good for you. More and more these days we find people that come to us uh looking for a holistic service and they're much more wanting um what we call advisory, but they want us to help them understand their numbers and and that's how to be more profitable, more efficient, grow and just financing their um their business bestie. Yeah, and and keep them accountable. That's the one I think I find the most is they want to be kept accountable.

SPEAKER_02 13:44

I agree. That's what my advisory focuses on. Keeping them on the straight and narrow and accountable.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

And just going, remember you said that? Have you done that?

SPEAKER_02 13:50

Yeah. Remember you said you're gonna do that? And the most responsive clients I have are the ones that take that at that accountability and and they listen to the advice.

SPEAKER_00 13:59

They don't just they don't just you're not talking to a person. Um they actually take in what we say and they they do it.

SPEAKER_02 14:08

And so a good accountant, you know, as you were saying, they might do a tax return, they might do a set of financial accounts. They keep you out of jail. We call it the kick. Yeah, keep you out of jail stuff, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:15

Um so they're gonna the compliance side, you know they're gonna make sure and they'll they'll be on to you too. If it's not lodged, they will tell you. Yeah. So um and they keep you up to date with uh what's due and when. Yeah. And just keep you on the straight and narrow. And they can help you with cash flow and tax planning and yeah, and then in from there we can really sort of do the what we call the fun stuff of helping you run your business and understand your business and make really sound decisions based on take the stress away, yeah, and and keeping it up to date. Because when I started, we only looked at it because of technology and because of what we had. The financials were probably always 12 months in arrear, and by then it's too late. Yeah, and the information is old and it's not cut like it's not useful. It's useful to a certain extent, but things change and you can't make really sound decisions based on 12 month-old data. No, um, so you've got to gut feel a lot of it, and that's just fraught with error. Now, with products like Xero, where we're using the same sort of file constantly, and we can be in there at the same time, and it's all live. That's the real benefit of that, in that we're now making decisions based on real live data, and that information, you know, it's could be the fifth of the next month, and we've already got the file up to date from five days ago, and we're looking at financials and month to month. Did we meet budget? Um, you know, how did we compare this month to last year the same month? What what trajectory, you know, what's the trends, where are we heading? And that that information that's up to date a couple of days ago.

SPEAKER_03 15:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:54

And we know already where we stand and we're making decisions based on that. And so it's so much more valuable if you're working with your accountant more often. Yeah. And that doesn't have to be monthly, that can be quarterly, that can be a couple of times a year. Yeah, it could be tax planning and accounts. Yeah, tax planning is really valuable, and we're getting a lot more of that come through now as well.

What Accountants Really Do

SPEAKER_02 16:18

And really, that's cash flow tax planning. I mean, there's not much we can do these days in relation to reduction of tax unless you've got the right, you know, you don't have the wrong right structure. Yeah. Or you've got cash to spend pre-year end. But once again, don't do things just for a tax deduction. Um, and look, we need to go to our sponsor, so we'll be right back. This episode is sponsored by Ignition, the software built for accountants by an accountant. Simplify proposals, automate billing and collections, and streamline your workflows. Save time, make money, get Ignition. Um, anything else an accountant does?

SPEAKER_00 16:52

Oh, look, we do a bit of psychological We do. Marriage counselling. We f I do feel like that a lot. Family counselling. Yeah. You know, I don't want to talk to them because they they might yell at me, can you ring my husband and something?

SPEAKER_02 17:09

No. Yeah. And do you know what? As an advisor, so I sit in that advisory space a lot. We tend to be the jack of all trades, right? So a little bit of marketing and a little bit of HR and a little bit of legal, and we can push you into the right direction and kind of give you those things.

SPEAKER_00 17:23

I think we at all in especially we're so big on referring out to the right person. Yeah, we don't internalize risk. No, we don't try to do everything for you, but we can tell you who can do it for you. Yeah, that's right. Um, so we have really good referral networks, and we're not getting paid to do that. We just we just know who's good or not.

SPEAKER_02 17:40

We want to help, we want to be that one-stop shop so that we can help you.

SPEAKER_00 17:44

And we then work with them so that we're a team getting you the best advice. Um, I think that is something accountants are pretty good at as well. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:53

Connectors.

SPEAKER_00 17:54

Yeah, pushing you out to the right people, the right banking, the right um financing, the right insurance, all of that we can help. Um what lawyers, anything, we're really that connector piece because sometimes um accountants are the only people that know the truth.

SPEAKER_02 18:14

The closet, the skeletons in the closet.

SPEAKER_00 18:18

On on a lot of occasions we get the whole picture and no one else does. And people are honest with us.

SPEAKER_02 18:27

They have to be.

SPEAKER_00 18:28

Yeah, too, because they can't hide it. Um so just because someone's driving a fancy car or just because someone's looks really wealthy doesn't mean they are, and we know that. Um so yeah, we're that person that sometimes really knows the truth and and we're which is where the counselling comes in.

SPEAKER_02 18:47

Yeah, and you know, which is where you need to feel comfortable with your account. Do we allow to talk about all those things openly and honestly?

Real‑Time Data, Xero And Better Decisions

SPEAKER_00 18:53

Like we've had this conversation, it's really something that we've seen and been worried about more recently, is sometimes we are the only person that knows the truth, and people's mental health is really sits with us sometimes and someone burdened us at times, yeah. And so that's that's also something an accountant now is dealing with helping people through really difficult conversations and really difficult p decisions and really difficult parts of their lives, and it's very heavy.

SPEAKER_02 19:25

With particular clients who aren't going through a great time where I'm worried for them, yeah, trigger warning there. So, you know, we can get very deep with our clients.

SPEAKER_00 19:36

We can, and more than once, you know, we have people crying. Oh, we make people cry a lot.

SPEAKER_02 19:46

We don't mean to, there's always tissues and we always help people.

SPEAKER_00 19:50

The other day I walked into the boardroom and there was a tissue box on the table, and I walk I walked in with a client. I was like, no, not all the meetings go like that.

SPEAKER_02 19:59

Um but there are some that what happened in here before. But this is the other thing, you know, every accountant has a different, but we have a very honest style. We will support you, but we will tell you the elephant in the room, and sometimes that's hard to hear.

SPEAKER_00 20:13

It is, and yeah, that's where I and I I think you know, we're accountants, but we're humans. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:20

And we care about you, which is why we're having these really hard conversations.

SPEAKER_00 20:23

Yeah, so yeah, your accountant, I think, and this might lead into the business coaching conversation.

SPEAKER_02 20:31

Yeah, and we see that a lot. We see a lot of people come on board that spend enormous amounts of money for business coaching.

SPEAKER_00 20:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:37

And it's kind of like they're looking, it's like it's like they're trying to find and win the lotto.

SPEAKER_00 20:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 20:43

Please solve all my problems. I don't want to solve them. You can do that for me.

SPEAKER_00 20:47

Um, and I don't want to bag business coaches because I also know a lot of good business coaches who are doing a really fabulous job. But they're look at their experience out there that are just selling you um a playbook. Yeah. They can't even instigate themselves.

SPEAKER_02 21:05

They don't have the experience, they don't have the skill set, and so I think it's super important who you choose.

SPEAKER_00 21:09

Um go to your accountant first. Yeah, that's I think that's my advice is because we also see the results of a lot of business coaches.

SPEAKER_02 21:17

So we don't usually would give the same advice for half the price.

SPEAKER_00 21:20

Yeah, well there's that too. But you know, we also know the ones that work and and the ones that don't, and whose business is actually going well from the advice and whose isn't.

SPEAKER_02 21:32

And I can tell you, on an average, we don't tend to see great results coming from business coaches.

SPEAKER_00 21:37

No. And like I said, it might depend what they're doing, because if it's an accountability thing, then maybe But you know, accountants can do that too. An account can do it too.

SPEAKER_02 21:47

So you know, I I understand there's like this cheerleading, you know. And it m some people's accountants account, I suppose. Maybe, maybe it is the accountant that you choose.

SPEAKER_00 21:56

Um that but sometimes if you're looking For an accountant, maybe you should look at all the services that they provide. That's right. Because you might be wasting time doubling up on the market.

SPEAKER_02 22:09

I do think there's a real crossover between advisory and business coaching.

SPEAKER_00 22:13

Yeah, there is. And and obviously some business coaches lean more towards a marketing side as well. True.

SPEAKER_02 22:18

So industry specific.

Advisory, Accountability And Planning

SPEAKER_00 22:20

Yeah, and and I think that's a that's a fine. That's if that's their niche. Yeah. If they're doing financial business coaching, I'm concerned about their qualifications. So that's where you'd want to check. Um, and we're not allowed to give financial advice as it comes to. Nor are they. But they aren't either, so you need to be really careful what they're telling you and whether they're actually again, it comes back to what are you allowed to do.

SPEAKER_02 22:48

And I also think look at the return on investment, look at what you're spending on them versus what happens. That's yeah, versus are you putting them in your business? Are you getting the outcomes? Hold them to a return on investment.

SPEAKER_00 23:00

Um but yeah, I back to the sort of you know, what can your accountant do? And I liken it to having a Microsoft Office subscription. Yeah. Are you paying for Microsoft Forms as part of your package, but then also paying for type form?

unknown 23:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:22

Or using um Calendly and paying for it rather than Microsoft Bookings.

SPEAKER_00 23:26

Yeah, and maybe what you're paying extra for is slightly different and maybe a like a tiny bit glossier, but also you already have it there available for the same like you're already paying for it, you're just not really realizing and not utilizing it. So ask your accountant first. So yeah, do check in because we're better than you might think.

SPEAKER_02 23:53

We actually have a lot more knowledge and we traverse a lot of different businesses over a long period of time.

SPEAKER_00 23:57

I think that's the thing. We see so much, yeah, and we see so many different businesses, and we see And if yeah, if you're not getting that from your accountant, you're allowed to break up with them.

SPEAKER_02 24:07

If they if they if it's a relationship. Yeah, it is. And it's a relationship, and you need to feel like you're getting what you need from it. And it might be that you know, initially it was and now you're not, and that's okay.

SPEAKER_00 24:22

And we've let clients go, to be honest. Absolutely, because they're either grown out of our yeah, out of our wheelhouse, out of our wheelhouse, and it's like I think you need someone bigger with more like resources behind them, yeah. Or we're not the right fit for you, yeah. We're not a personality fit, um, and that's fine as well. No, because we both feel it, let's be honest. We all feel it. If it's not working, it's not working. Yeah, just call it out. Um so no one, no account nine or really gets offended. Yeah, sometimes you'll get upset if a client leaves because you really liked them and you didn't see it coming or something like that.

SPEAKER_02 24:55

Yeah, I think it's more you didn't see it coming.

SPEAKER_00 24:57

But also, just just a thing. If you are gonna change accountants, please let them know. Yeah, it's nice. Because it's a you're breaking up with them. So it's a relationship. Yeah. Oh I'll accept a text in this case. Text, email, because of ghosting message.

SPEAKER_02 25:12

Yeah, if the ghosting does hurt, and you're like, what did I do? Um, so that's just a little tidbit for you all.

SPEAKER_00 25:18

You're gonna do it, just talk nicely.

SPEAKER_02 25:20

But we also understand that you know it's a relationship, and if you're not getting what you need from it, that's totally okay.

SPEAKER_00 25:25

Yeah, I think that that's it. And like you said, things change. Yeah, we all grow, it's like a relationship, you know. Sometimes we outgrow each other, and that's okay too. Yeah, totally. Um, no one's gonna hold it.

SPEAKER_02 25:37

But have the conversation with them before you break up with them.

The Human Side: Stress And Honesty

SPEAKER_00 25:40

Um just to see whether they might actually have more in the tank to deliver into the relationship. I think that's an interesting one too, when you get some new clients and they are like, Oh, my accountant can't do that. And I'm like, I've got to be able to do that. I'm pretty sure they can. Yeah, you just haven't asked, and you've gone out looking, and because my website said I could, yeah, you assume that yours can't, but I know they can. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:02

But look, sometimes they don't want to. And so that's where that relationship is.

SPEAKER_00 26:05

And maybe they have asked, and and the buttons. Yeah, the funny thing is we get referrals from other accountants, don't we? Where they're like, we can't service this client anymore. We think they're a better fit for you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:16

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 26:16

Here, have them. And that's not a bad thing. That's no, I don't think it's a bad thing at all. I just think it's being honest. Um, so that I guess is your accountant and then yeah, you're a bit on your business coach.

SPEAKER_02 26:33

But I think it's important to understand the differences, and like I said in the intro, they all have different superhero powers, and so it's important that you're getting the right person in the right spot at the right time, and once again, big picture long term.

SPEAKER_00 26:46

Yeah, I think so. And you get what you pay for, nothing is free in this world. If it looks too good to be true, it is too good to be true. Like I think you said, um when we in another episode when we're talking about zero subscriptions, if you can't afford it, then it's probably your business, yeah, like either it's not the right time for your business to be taking it on, or your business needs a bit of a rethink because it's a hobby. Yeah, because if you can't afford the basics, which I think an accountant or a bookkeeper or good advice. 100%. Good financial advice is a basic and a must have. Yeah, it's a solid foundation on which you build your house. I'm I'm gonna prioritize paying for marketing instead. I think you got your priorities wrong.

SPEAKER_02 27:33

Yeah, well, how what's the point in spending a dollar if you only make nothing back? Yeah. Whereas if you go to an accountant, you might be able to make 50 cents back.

SPEAKER_00 27:39

Um you've got one, got your priorities wrong, and two, potentially your finances are, you know, what would we call it? You're running a charity not a character.

SPEAKER_02 27:48

And look, we'll go through this, but don't, you know, we'll go through this in another episode, but don't don't chase the vanity of revenue. Yeah. Chase the sanity of profit. But we'll go through that in another episode.

SPEAKER_00 27:57

Yeah. But yeah, I think just I guess be mindful of first things first, like, I'm gonna cut an accountant because I don't need that. I can do it myself. It's a very dangerous cost-cutting move.

SPEAKER_02 28:12

I would prefer that you just go down to the store, buy some permanent hair dye, and dye your own hair.

SPEAKER_00 28:17

I bought some cutting scissors when they're on sale.

Business Coaches Vs Accountants

SPEAKER_02 28:23

You'd be bringing in a chair and some, you know, a cave and the glass. I'm ready. You are ready to convert your childhood dream.

SPEAKER_00 28:31

Well, I think that's how we should end. I promise I won't go about selling the siren end, though. Um, and my head just for the willing participants or victims. Um bit self um kind of situation. And um, I also am fully aware that I'll end up at the hairdresser trying to fix it exactly rather than paying a pretty penny for it.

SPEAKER_02 28:52

Alright. Thanks everyone. Thanks for tuning in. We'll see you next time. Bye. And that's a wrap on today's episode, everyone. Thanks for hanging out with us. We're very aware you could have been scrolling, snacking, or ignoring emails instead. So we appreciate you choosing us. If this episode gave you a light bulb moment, a laugh, or a quiet, oh wow, same, do us a favour and hit follow, leave a review and rate the podcast. It helps other brilliant people find us and makes the algorithm gods very happy. So share it with a mate, a biz besti, or that friend who's building something big and pretending they're not stressed. Until next time, use bold moves, chase the big wins and lead the way.