Whether you’re a start up (you know you need an accountant and that they can help with tax stuff) or you’re an established business (you want more – your current accountant just isn’t cutting it), what you’re actually looking for is this:
A Trusted Advisor.
Well, you’ve found him! Yup, that’s me.
The only bad news is that I’m not your Dad. I don’t do spoon feeding.
My career has brought me to a place where I’m all about how we work TOGETHER. I’m a bit more selective than I used to be. If you’re ready to commit to the infinite possibilities I can help you find for you and your business, we can go places. Do great things.
Your business, your rules, your way, your infinite possibilities. And I can be that trusted advisor when we’re in it together.
So get ready for a serious commitment.
Whether you’re a start up (you know you need an accountant and that they can help with tax stuff) or you’re an established business (you want more – your current accountant just isn’t cutting it), what you’re actually looking for is this:
A Trusted Advisor.
Well, you’ve found him! Yup, that’s me.
The only bad news is that I’m not your Dad. I don’t do spoon feeding.
My career has brought me to a place where I’m all about how we work TOGETHER. I’m a bit more selective than I used to be. If you’re ready to commit to the infinite possibilities I can help you find for you and your business, we can go places. Do great things.
Your business, your rules, your way, your infinite possibilities. And I can be that trusted advisor when we’re in it together.
So get ready for a serious commitment.
No – my wife might have something to say about
that. But we are entering into an agreement that puts obligations on both of us. And if we’re going to work together, I REALLY need you to understand how that will work.
This agreement lays out how we commit to work together. BOTH OF US. I can’t do my job without you being involved, engaged, committed.
Your success means everything to me – I KNOW you have infinite possibilities.
If it is, you’ve come to the wrong place, and you shouldn’t sign.
Here’s the thing: Deep down, I love what I do, and I CARE. About you, about your business, about your infinite possibilities. And how that shows? I get pissed off. Disappointed. I take it really personally when you’ve given me the responsibility to do work for you, but you drag your heels, disappear, or go silent.
It’s SUCH a hard thing for me to wrap my head around – if you want good outcomes and you’ve asked for help, why wouldn’t you give me what I need to help you get them? It literally keeps me up at night.
If that’s the level of commitment you want from your accountant, read on!
I won’t compromise on these. They’re my deal breakers – for me and for you.
Value | What that means for me | What that means for you |
Caring | I treat your business the same as I do my own | The Golden rule. Treat me and my work the way you want to be treated. |
Resilient | I am flexible and adaptable to your needs | You gotta let me know what your needs are so I can work around them. |
Genuine | I practice what I teach | Trust me. If you’re unsure whether what I’m advising you is right for you, don’t be afraid to ask me why. |
No assumptions | I seek proper understanding before I act | Be patient with my questions. To get the best outcomes for you, I need to understand your facts. |
Honourable | I keep my word and do what’s right | You do the same. |
This is how I work. Are you in?
No one’s perfect. I’m human, and I sometimes get it wrong (even though I do everything I can to not let that happen). If that happens, I’m the first to admit if I’ve made a mistake (and beat myself up over it for far too long). But I’m also not a mind reader. I’m not you. If you don’t let me know there’s a problem, I can’t fix it!
So, if things aren’t working with us, please let me know so I can learn and do better next time.
Let’s try to work it out like this:
What’s a fair offer? You give me a number and some reasons for that (“it’s too much” is not a valid reason; “it was more than your quote of $x” would be a valid reason).
And let me say again, I can only work with what you give me. I know my stuff, and I’ll get it done to ridiculous levels of commitment and quality. But this is a two-way street – I can’t guarantee anything if you don’t do your part (see 5. And, you commit to:).
I finish what I start. I don’t really sleep well if I can’t.
To honour my commitment to help you build a better world for you and your business, I’m going to chase you so I can finish what I start. I know life can get in the way, and I can work around that if need be! I just want to make sure I finish what you want and/or I’m not doing anything you don’t need any more.
But there’s chasing you, and there’s being a stalker. Stalker is not a good look on me. So I’ll chase you 3 times (in writing – there are always text messages and phone calls in between, because #ITakeYourBusinessPersonally). If I still get no joy, YOUR WORK WILL GET PARKED and clause 15 . Emergencies cost more might kick in.
I’ll still check in on you, but not as often. I’m not your mum.
Appendix A is a checklist where we’ve agreed who’s responsible for which tasks and services. This is our starting point, and it will probably change over time as needed.
I’ll never charge you for any time working through things in these situations
If I work with anyone who’s offering me fees or commissions or kickbacks for me to refer you, I simply won’t take it. I’ll ask for you to get the kickback, not me. That ensures my integrity – you can be sure I’ve referred you for your benefit, not mine.
Because you’ve got me in your camp, I care when shit goes down. When things come up unexpectedly, I’ll always do my best to help.
So if I become aware of a problem while I am doing my work for you, you get to choose your best solution:
Understood?
I plan very carefully to meet IRD deadlines for you … the main one being 31 March to file everyone’s income tax returns. That’s also the end of the tax year, and the beginning of the next tax year. This makes March particularly busy for me – having to satisfy both IRD and our clients. And I have other busy times, too – let’s call all of those crunch times.
To make sure I can meet everyone’s demands properly, here’s what you need to know: IF –
a) I’ve given you plenty of advance warning of what I need from you and by when, and
b) Crunch time rolls around and you haven’t given me what I need, then
c) That falls into the “emergencies you’ve caused” category, and this is how things
work:
Option 1 – I’ll do your work during the Crunch Time but I won’t work evenings and
weekends, so I can’t guarantee meeting the deadline but I’ll do my best. You pay a 50%
premium.
Option 2 – To jump the line and get my guarantee to meet your deadline, I’ll work evenings and weekends and do WHATEVER IT TAKES (because #icare). You pay a 100% premium.
If I can see this situation on the horizon, I’ll warn you. Then it’s up to you to decide.
I won’t:
I will:
Under this Act, I have to be cautious in a range of situations where you might ask me to act on your behalf. If one of these situations arises, I’ll let you know what I can and can’t do.
A dickhead makes everything about them. They think they’re entitled to things, expect the rules to be different for them, keep secrets, and get really demanding and loud. No dickheads allowed.
Physical Address:
Chartwell, Hamilton, NZ
Postal Address:
PO Box 12274 Chartwell 3248
HAMILTON
© 2018 Infinite Possibilities