ESS BIZTOOLS Affiliates

Current positions…

• Director, Andrew Geddes Pty Ltd.
• External Chairman, Six Multi- Discipline Professional Service Firms (all private companies).
• Business Development Coach, selected (carefully!!!) firms.

Prior positions…

• Non-Executive Director - Count Financial Limited (now part of CBA) 2000 – 2011
• Non-Executive Director - Greencross Limited (Chairman since listing in 2005 through to 2014)
• External Chairman - dozens of firms over the last three decades.

Andrew Geddes has been involved with business improvement work with professional service firms and smaller private companies for over forty years. He created one of Australia’s most successful business consulting and training companies in the process (FMRC Pty Ltd in Armidale, NSW).

He was the Inaugural Chairman of Greencross Limited, a veterinary group that was listed in 2005. It grew to become a top 200 ASX company in 2014, before being purchased by private equity in 2017.

Andrew spent twelve months in the late 90s working with accounting firms in the UK and North America. His material was enthusiastically received in these markets. He conducted practice development planning retreats, firm reviews, succession management and specialty service development sessions with firms of all sizes. He also spoke at conferences and seminars on a regular basis.

Andrew now specialises in assisting business owners create Senior Management Teams so that they can further develop their businesses and create succession solutions in time. He is an experienced External Chairman and Business Improvement Coach.

He currently works with both consulting and manufacturing engineering firms, surveying and land development firms, accounting firms, management consultants and IT scale ups.

He has run management skill development workshops for over forty years and is an experienced adult educator drawing on his chairmanship experience, business coaching and executive management positions.

eNews.....

What Opportunities Are Staring You In The Face Right Now

Beyond Accounting Technologies was founded in 1999 by Paul Barnaby. Beyond Accounting Technologies provides specialist implementation on the methodologies of:

• Predictive Accounting
• Corporate Financial Analysis
• Budgets and Cashflow Forecasting
• Business Management Consulting

Paul is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years' experience in the profession.

For 15 years, Paul was Managing Partner of a second tier national firm in Wellington NZ.

For the past 10 plus years he has operated a Queensland Australia-based specialist consulting practice. His input to any business is practical, hands-on and designed to give clients confidence in the process of strategic planning and forecasting, as well as knowledge of software tools.

Recordings

An recording of an interesting conversation between Paul Barnaby and Peter Towers discussing current issues for accountants and businesses - (Click here)

Qualifications:

• Master of Commerce Degree
• Several Post Graduate Qualifications in Accounting and Management
• Degree in Adult Education
• Advanced Diploma of Financial Planning

Mark is a Founding Director of Smithink. He has more than 30 years’ experience as an Accountant and Tax Agent in practice. Mark has developed specialised skills in corporate presentations and training with extensive experience in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Canada.

Mark is a lively and entertaining speaker, whether as a keynote addressing large audiences, the facilitator of a Partner Retreat or Conference, or the leader of Professional Development course. His engaging speaking style means that his audiences are always alert and entertained at his events.

He is also a respected consultant in taxation and business management, in particular business advisory services implementation and delivery using key structured advisory systems and software.

Mark sits on the Board and is Honorary Treasurer of Ronald McDonald House Greater Western Sydney, a position he has occupied for 25 years. He is also the founding Chairman of The New South Wales Central Coast Academy of Sport for the past 15 years.

Mark Holton is one of Australia’s most respected trainers and presenters, specialising in the business and financial services sector. Mark has delivered corporate presentations and training to a range of audiences, from one-on-one sessions to large professional associations.

His ability to engage his audience, his passion for knowledge and his capacity to communicate complex systems in simple terms make him a leader in his field. His advice is valued by his clients, his peers and the many community organisations that he assists.

Mark is a much sought after speaker for seminars, conferences and other functions. He is able to successfully deliver a positive message using this extensive business knowledge, anecdote and his unique sense of humour.

Presentation Topics:
Below are some topics Mark has presented which can be tailored to specific audiences. He is also open to suggestions and will work with you and your specific requests.
1. Unlocking your practice's potential
2. Advisory solutions update
3. Mistake free implementations
4. Becoming a Financial Storyteller
5. Running the ideal board of advice meeting
6. Building exceptional customer service
7. Generating profit out of compliance
8. Seeing the financial impact key of key decisions

Mark Holton - Business Advisory Enabled Brochure 2020

Blackstone Business Services Approach

Blackstone is committed to offering tailored solutions to their clients.
They offer their clients a one-stop-shop for all of their workplace growth and compliance needs.

The goal of Blackstone Business Services is to help their clients maximise staff performance and increase their profits.

We know that clients each face their own set of unique challenges, therefore, Blackstone approaches each new engagement with the intent to gather specific information so that they can devise a tailored strategy and solution for the client's business.

The Blackstone Story

Blackstone was founded to revolutionise the workplace relations industry in Australia. The goal of the team at Blackstone is to cut through the obscurity in the marketplace and offer the most premium business development and employee management services at an affordable rate for all clients.

Why?

When it comes to putting in place documentation or dealing with employee issues people tend to be either “PROACTIVE” or “REACTIVE.” Quite often people are the latter. Because of this reactive approach, employers usually seek help only once there is a problem.

Unfortunately, if you have not followed the correct processes in line with Fairwork Legislation large amounts of damage can already have been done. This is why at Blackstone their focus is to make setting up the systems to help protect your business a painless and stress-free experience. At Blackstone, you can now afford to be “PROACTIVE.”

Vision

The vision of Blackstone is to provide an advanced HR and MANAGEMENT resource that you can call YOUR own no matter how large or small your business, company or organization may be.

As experts in the field of workplace culture, employee behaviours, human resources and WHS strategy, Blackstone will prove itself to be a valuable complement to your operation.

Amanda is a chartered accountant, coach and mentor to small and solo accounting practices nationally and internationally. She draws on her 25+ years’ experience in the accounting industry, 18 of those in her own regional NSW practice that she started from scratch.

Amanda's passion has always been accounting, small business and helping business owners have businesses and lifestyles they love. Most practice owners establish their own practices for more money, more satisfaction and to have more freedom and flexibility however this is far from reality for many.

COVID-19 has stretched the already precious time and resources of practice owners even further, has in some cases eaten into practice profitability and cashflow and has magnified stress and anxiety levels at the already busy time of the financial year.

Amanda has a Facebook group for accountants, aptly named “The Balanced Firm” and within this group, across other social media platforms, her blogs, presentations and 1:1 and group coaching, she inspires, empowers and provides strategies and support to help practice owners have better practices and better lives.

5 on the Fly Friday

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AAA+ Financial Solutions is Northern Queensland's premier finance, mortgage broker and home loan specialists.

Operating since 2001, it has helped thousands of regional Queenslanders to achieve their financial goals.

Their award-winning service offers a superior, personalised approach so you can be sure you are dealing with trusted and experienced professional brokers.

Based in Townsville and servicing all areas of regional Queensland, they can take care of your complete finance requirements. From large commercial, rural funding through to home loans and car and equipment loans, they can assist with every aspect of your portfolio of credit needs.

AAA+ offers an open and trustworthy process for you to locate and source the loan suited to your particular situation and circumstances – they pride themselves on their independence and are under no obligation to any one lender.

They will work with you to identify and value all of your specific and changing financial needs.

AAA+ Financial Solutions is fully qualified members of the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia so you can be sure that you're dealing with the specialists you need.

Trent Butler Consulting Pty Ltd help accountants, bookkeepers and financial services professionals attract the right type of clients by leveraging the power of LinkedIn.

Trent is a Chartered Accountant based in Sydney, Australia. He knows a ton about developing a practice using online channels, which makes for a rather unique mix of skills. He works exclusively with accountants and advisers to help them grow their businesses by providing them with a best-practice approach to acquiring clients online.

Trent has a passion for building businesses. Specifically, building accounting and advisory practices through the power of clear messaging and valuable conversations.

Trent and his team help accountants and advisory business gain an immediate increase in clients and gross fees. The short-term objective is always positive ROI within the first 30 days.

What Trent Butler Consulting will do for you:

• Save time: Why spend valuable hours dealing with less than ideal referrals or attending after hours networking events when we can attract high-value clients to you instead?
• Automate: They have created a new cutting-edge client acquisition system which connects you with high-value prospects who are in desperate need (and can afford) your services. Their system works for you in the background with minimal effort allowing you to focus on what you do best.
• Attract: They help you win prospective high-value clients through a professional, non-salesly message and their proprietary method channels your message to your exact, ideal client and turns them into a qualified booked appointment in your calendar.

Priscilla started her accounting career in 1999, achieving a Bachelor of Tax Degree in 2006.

Always with her eye on the latest trends in the profession, she is an expert in the 'cloud' systems operation and implementation.

Tax Agent at present, after a career built working for several Accounting Firms as a Senior Accountant.

Runs her own Accounting Practice and her passion is supporting small business and mentoring young accounting professionals, in order to achieve success.

Business advise and tax planning is her strongest skills, achieved in a 20+ year career.

Developed 'The Modern Accounting Practice' model with a strong vision of the future, based on innovation, proactive customer service and efficiency in operations.

Amongst other talents a love for teaching, she is a great dancer and an amazing cook.

AMK Law

Matthew's presentation will be titled "Legal Issues Relating to COVID-19 and in Particular Business Contracts and Force Majeure".

Matthew was the founder and Principal Solicitor at AMK Law. He consistently engaged with small business owners and entrepreneurs seeking to expand by delivering high-level legal advice and services. Before starting AMK Law, Matthew worked in major firms and organisations including Clayton Utz, HWL Ebsworth and ASIC. As a result, he is very well-equipped to deal with matters of any size and complexity and working with a broad range of clients, from small and medium enterprises through to large Australian corporations, including Indigenous organisations and government bodies.

CPD for Accountants

Dale has been working with accounting and financial advisory firms for the past 20 years.  His eLearning platform ‘CPD for Accountants’ provides personal development courses for accountants, managers and partners in public practice.

Dale has recently launched ‘Firms of Tomorrow,’ an online collaboration and growth network for progressive accounting firms.

Current positions…

• Film & Video Director
• Producer
• Scriptwriter
• Journalist
• Businessman
• Mentor and Broadcaster

Prior positions…

• Former Deputy News Director at ATV-10 in Melbourne
• Former Chief of Staff at GTV-9 News in Melbourne

Brad Smart has been a film & video director, producer, scriptwriter, journalist, businessman, mentor and broadcaster for more than 30 years.

Brad brings experience, credibility and creativity to every production he is involved with in any capacity.

Many of his clients have stayed with him for well over 10 years because his productions work for them, delivering strong results and helping bring their projects to life.