The driving force behind everything I do in my business is to free purpose-led business owners from financial stress while consciously fulfilling social and environmental responsibilities. This podcast certainly helps achieve this vision and having started as a platform for sharing knowledge, it has evolved into a powerful marketing machine for my business.

After some careful consideration, I’ve come to realise that I need to slow the machine down and press pause on releasing episodes for the time being.

Despite the success and impact of this podcast, I feel a calling to deepen my engagement with my clients and free up time to give 100 per cent to my bookkeeping mentees in the Bookkeeping It Real mentoring program. I also need to be there for my team as they gear up for the next level of growth in my business, Straight Up Bookkeeping on top of the normal family commitments.

As I reflect on my podcasting journey, I feel a deep sense of gratitude for your support and engagement. I am so glad that I started this podcast. It has changed my business, strengthened my credibility and been so rewarding on many levels. While the future remains open-ended, I am committed to keeping the conversation alive, sharing industry insights, and connecting with you in new and meaningful ways.

I hope this episode also serves as an inspiration to you, knowing that you too have permission to look at your current situation and change things up. You don't need to keep doing things in your life or business just because you’ve always done them.

Until we meet again, take care, stay inspired, and please feel free to reach out to me if you would like to work together or simply stay connected. I truly appreciate your support.

Where to Find Bec:

• Website: https://straightupbookkeeping.com.au/
• Instagram: @straightup_bookkeeping
• Facebook: @straightupbookkeeping
• LinkedIn: @straight-up-bookkeeping

Getting your numbers right is crucial for business success, which makes having the right bookkeeper and accountant by your side all the more paramount. Many of my clients came to me following a bad bookkeeping experience elsewhere, where they received a lack of communication, errors in their bookkeeping, and they were left wanting a more solid relationship with their numbers person.

Finding the right bookkeeper or accountant for you and your business requires more than a quick Google. One of the first things to bear in mind is that bookkeepers and accountants do very different things. Bookkeepers focus on organising financial data at a transactional level and maintain a close relationship with you as the business owner. I like to say that bookkeepers are in the trenches with you, up close and personal with your day-to-day numbers. This is why it’s important to find someone you can trust and be vulnerable with.

Accountants, on the other hand, especially tax accountants, offer high-level strategic services like tax planning and compliance. They are less focused on the minutiae, cost a lot more than a bookkeeper due to the extra qualifications and compliance they undertake, and accountants often don't have a close relationship with their clients.

Some of the key considerations when choosing a numbers person for your business are:

1. Qualifications: Ensure your bookkeeper or accountant holds the necessary certifications and registrations, demonstrating professional competence.

2. Experience: Look for professionals with industry-specific experience to better cater to your business's unique needs. It makes a world of difference when your numbers person has prior experience working with businesses similar to yours.

3. Recommendations: Seek referrals from trusted sources to find a numbers person who aligns with your requirements. Don’t take just anyone’s word for it. Make sure you do thorough research and ask questions to any questions you have.

4. Location: While virtual services are prevalent these days, consider whether the physical location of your numbers person is essential to you. While it might seem preferable to be able to pop into an office to chat, from my experience, you can still build a wonderful relationship with your bookkeeper online.

5. Vibe and Values: Evaluate the cultural fit and values of the bookkeeper or accountant to ensure a harmonious working relationship. Look at their website and social media to really get a feel for the person and the way they work.

Choosing the right bookkeeper and accountant is a critical decision for any business owner. By considering qualifications, experience, recommendations, location, and compatibility, you can find a numbers person who fits your needs and contributes to the financial health of your business. Remember, a well-informed decision today can pave the way for long-term success tomorrow.

Where to Find Bec:

• Website: https://straightupbookkeeping.com.au/
• Instagram: @straightup_bookkeeping
• Facebook: @straightupbookkeeping
• LinkedIn: @straight-up-bookkeeping

- I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which I recorded this episode, the Coodjinburra People of the Bundjalung Nation, and the land on which you're listening to it. I pay my respects to the elders, past and present, of those lands. I extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners. Thank you for sharing this space with me. -

In today's fast-paced business world, having a clear understanding of your company's performance is essential. A business dashboard is a powerful data visualisation tool that displays key performance indicators (KPIs), metrics, and other relevant information in a visual format. I think they can be so beneficial to a business, which is why we’re diving into them in today’s episode. I’ll share the benefits of having a business dashboard, the metrics to consider, and how to design one.

The benefits of having a business dashboard:

By providing visual representations of key metrics they make it easier to quickly understand complex information. With real-time data updates, we can stay on track, identify areas for improvement, and respond confidently to changing situations. Having all your data in one place saves the time and effort you would spend collecting it, and ensures your team members are working off the same information.

Choosing metrics for your Dashboard:

When designing a dashboard, it's important to focus on metrics that are relevant to your business.

Unnecessary data will muddy the water and make it difficult to understand the health and performance of your business. It can be hard to figure out what to include, but don’t worry! I’ll take you through all of your options and share a practical example within my business.

How to set up a Dashboard:

Setting up a business dashboard would be hugely beneficial for any business, but that process and the end product are going to differ greatly. There are multiple approaches to designing a dashboard, and the appropriate one for your business will depend on your business needs, your budget, and your team's capacity to update the dashboard. I’ll layout these options so you know where to look, whether you want to invest in some software, use something you already have, or take a DIY approach.

A business dashboard is an invaluable tool for improving performance, efficiency, and decision-making in any business, regardless of size or industry. So, what are you waiting for? Start designing your business dashboard today and unlock the potential for growth and success.

Where to Find Bec:

• Website: https://straightupbookkeeping.com.au/
• Instagram: @straightup_bookkeeping
• Facebook: @straightupbookkeeping
• LinkedIn: @straight-up-bookkeeping