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The free bootcamp, targeted at both accountants and finance brokers for the first time, has drawn considerable interest from accountants.
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Over 500 accountants register for SME Bootcamp 2024
02 August 2024
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12 minute read
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The SME Bootcamp 2024 will be held over two weeks in September in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne. Register here for free.
Powered by Accountants Daily and its sister brand The Adviser, the bootcamp is designed to arm accountants and brokers with the technical skills and knowledge they require to help their small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) clients with their tax and financing needs and become their trusted advisers.
Over 500 accountants have registered for the bootcamp this year, which for the first time is aimed at them as well as brokers.
They will be treated to sessions from Accendo Financial partners Stuart Donaldson, John Sgambelluri and Trent Carter, who will provide practical strategies so that they can help their SME clients thrive in their businesses.
This is particularly crucial for accountants who remain the dominant advisory channel for SMEs when seeking finance, according to the SME Compass Report 2024 by SME lender Banjo.
While Sgambelluri will explain how to master breakeven analysis for SME clients and improve the value of their business, Carter will unpack what credit risk to look for in a business.
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All speakers will provide practical tips on how accountants and brokers could have value-based conversations with their clients to meet their tax planning requirements, grow their businesses and improve loan approval outcomes.
They will also outline how the two professionals could shift their mindset and implement mandate and advisory fees to unlock new revenue potential and value their time, efforts, and experience.
Speaking to Accountants Daily, Donaldson said this year’s SME Bootcamp provides an opportunity for accountants and brokers to form relationships and understand the benefits of collaboration for them and their clients.
They will receive working case material from speakers at the bootcamp and participate in workshops and practical group activities to facilitate collaboration.
“Accountants and brokers who have formed partnerships will speak to the audience at the bootcamp,” he said.
“They’ll talk about how they collaborated, what their relationship looks like now, and what they’re doing to maintain their relationship into the future.”
Donaldson underscored the importance of collaboration as accountants and brokers are “trusted advisers” with similar goals of wanting their SME clients to prosper in their business.
“Accountants are fantastic at accounting and remain the most valued, trusted adviser of SME clients,” Donaldson said.
“Accountants deliver many valuable services like producing a set of financial statements, doing a lot of tax planning work, and ensuring that the balance sheet and profit and loss statements are produced on time. But they may not ask their SME clients about their forward plans, how to grow the business, and how they could be involved.”
On the other hand, commercial brokers initiate conversations about business growth plans and future objectives so that they can prepare loan applications and meet their clients’ funding needs.
“If you put the accountant and broker together, you’ve covered all bases and the client ends up with a much better outcome. It is also beneficial for the two professionals involved in the partnership,” Donaldson said.
“A good broker and accountant relationship has the clients’ best interests at its core. But if they want a transactional partnership where they earn a bit of commission along the way, it’s likely to be less successful.”
Moreover, accountants typically have a thorough understanding of their client’s financial situation as they produce the financial statements.
“However, as regulation becomes increasingly complex, it’s difficult for the accountant to fulfil the client’s financing needs by submitting deals to lenders because they’ve got to be licensed,” Donaldson pointed out.
“The logical next step in achieving the desired result is to direct that SME client to a licensed commercial broker, who can put the loan proposal together, submit it to a lender, and get it approved. Increasingly, the trend is that proactive accountants are better placed to work with licensed brokers than trying to do it all themselves.”
Accountants can register for the SME Bootcamp 2024 for free by clicking here.
The SME Bootcamp 2024 will be held in the following locations:
Tuesday, 3 September at QT Hotel Gold Coast.
Thursday, 5 September at Le Montage, Sydney.
Wednesday, 11 September at Grand Hyatt, Melbourne.
For more information, including speakers and agenda, click here.
This bootcamp is produced by Captivate Events. If you need help planning your next event, email director Jim Hall at
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