Promoted by CPA Australia.
Advances in technology are fueling a change in the role accountants play, giving them more capacity to provide value beyond just number crunching and compliance. This message – that a good professional accountant is a trusted adviser – is the subject of a new campaign aimed at reinforcing the connection between professional accountants and small business success.
Many small businesses think conversations with their accountant should be reserved just for tax time, or only if there is something big and important that needs to be discussed. But as any accountant knows, it’s often the small chats and regular check-ins that are just as valuable.
To promote practitioners as year-round small business advisers, CPA Australia has launched an advertising campaign aimed at reminding small business owners to engage with their accountants beyond tax season.
“There are over two million small businesses in Australia, and according to the ATO almost 92 per cent use a tax professional to lodge their tax return. However, instead of being reactive, this campaign is about positioning our members as trusted advisers who can take these small businesses forward,” said Keddie Waller, Manager Public Practice at CPA Australia.
Waller said they want to bust the myth that accountants are only there to look back at the past financial year. Instead, the message is that accountants can help small businesses become more proactive by looking at opportunities, planning, budgeting, forecasting, setting goals and more.
“So often, small business owners are so busy working in their businesses that they don’t work on their businesses. They therefore often miss opportunities or don’t address risks in a timely manner. Just because someone is a great architect or builder doesn’t mean they are a great businessperson,” she said.
“A good accountant can help them with strategic thinking and provide them with the knowledge and support to help them make good decisions and succeed.”
The TV and radio campaign will run through mid-September – around the same time many consumers and small businesses start making appointments with their accountants.
This campaign is also an opportunity for public practitioners to take a proactive approach to acquiring new clients, and a timely reminder to strengthen their relationships with existing ones.
One resource available to facilitate this is the ‘Find a CPA’ tool on the CPA Australia website, and members are encouraged to either register or make sure their details are up-to-date to make the most of this campaign.
“It’s a call to action around having those regular engagements with your accountant and not to set and forget after you’ve done your tax return,” Waller said.
The first leg of the campaign is targeted at small businesses and aims to drive them to the ‘Find a CPA’ tool on CPA Australia’s website.
CPA Australia encourages all members to update their details on ‘Find a CPA’ to ensure they reap the benefits. To update your details, click here.
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