Why it’s important to have regular meetings with your accountant.
We know we seem a little bit biased, but there are so many benefits to having regular meetings with your accountant.
At Aintree Group we always put emphasis on the genuine relationships we build with our clients – we truly want to understand your aspirations, challenges and successes. Checking in on how you’re going throughout the year means we can help you achieve your goals in the short and long-term.
Our no-commission payment structure means that we don’t charge hourly. You can come in and touch base with us as many times as you need throughout the year. We’ve done this on purpose; we want to encourage you to have regular meetings with us, because it is so important!
So, what are the benefits?
1. You gain a fresh perspective
We’re an impartial third party that has seen many, many business owners (from many different industries) tackle various projects and challenges over the years.
Sometimes we can see signs of trouble before they reach a crisis point. We might notice something that could cause issues with compliance, cash flow or business structure further down the track and either prevent those problems or provide early solutions.
Similarly, we can spot opportunities that you may not have noticed either. It never hurts to get a fresh perspective of how your business is tracking in relation to your goals.
A service that can support this is our Monthly and/or Quarterly Reporting. Regularly reviewing your financial data makes it easy to track your progress and identify potential issues.
2. We can offer a wide range of support and advice
Some clients don’t necessarily think to come to us for advice when it’s not tax-related. But we’re here to be your go-to advisor for all your big life decisions. Moving house? Making a big purchase? Selling your business? Creating a Will? Talk to us!
We are equipped to help you with a huge range of different questions and help you solve a range of problems. And if something is out of our area of expertise, we have a network of excellent advisors and experts who we can put you in touch with.
Some of the challenges we have helped our clients through (that you might not have thought of) include….marriage breakdown, succession and retirement planning, purchasing property, applying for loans, issues with business structure, starting up a new business, setting up a trust fund, negotiating business agreements, estate planning, marketing advice, HR compliance.
3. It will prompt you to ask us questions
If a whole year goes by between meetings, you might forget key details or events that you faced since the last time you saw us. The simple act of having a regular meeting in your calendar with us will prompt you to talk to us about issues and ideas as they come up. You are also more likely to note down any issues or questions to discuss with us next time if it’s only a month away – rather than 10 months away.
Prevention is also better than cure. If we don’t discuss how you’re tracking until it’s time to submit your tax return information at year-end, by the stage it may be too late for us to make changes that could assist you.
We genuinely care about getting the best outcome for you at year-end, and the best way to achieve that is by touching base regularly throughout the year.
4. We can be your accountability partner
We all lead busy lives, and without accountability, sometimes our best-laid plans and intentions fall by the wayside. Business owners especially can get buried in ever-growing day-to-day tasks and responsibilities and lose sight of longer-term goals or put them off.
Everyone needs a bit of a push sometimes. We can be a touch-point for you to stay on track with your goals, keep those promises you’ve made and provide extra encouragement when the going gets tough.
Share you goals with us, and we’ll help you achieve them!
5. It reminds you that you’re not alone in this
Making big financial and strategic decisions can be stressful, regardless of whether it’s for your family, your business or for you personally. And it’s not necessarily a topic you may be comfortable talking about with friends or family. Not to mention that running a business in general can be very isolating at times.
We can be a sounding board for advice, or simply someone to discuss what’s been stressing you out recently, or how you’re overwhelmed making decisions or tackling challenges.
It can feel like you’re the only having these troubles, or feel like you’re not doing a “good enough job” of managing your business or finances. But in truth, you are not the only one going through this. We’ve been there, and we’ve seen it before. And we can remind you of that when you need it most.
Has it been a while since you met with your Aintree Group advisor? Get in touch with us today and book a meeting!
We recommend regular financial reporting services alongside having regular meetings with your accountant to give you both an indication of how things are tracking. Find out more about the benefits of financial reporting here.
