Kay Godfrey is a professional bookkeeper and BAS agent. She lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and loves what she does for a living. Her business is called First Class Accounts Mona-Vale, where she has a team of three people who work with her. She explains: “I take pride in delivering a range of services to small to medium sized businesses in the local area. My services are perfect for small to medium sized businesses owners, who either have very little time, or are not knowledgeable enough to do their own bookkeeping. So, that’s where I come in. And I can maintain their books and give them timely accounts.”
She goes on to say, “I really do love my job. I actually think my favourite part is nothing to do with bookkeeping. It’s all of the marketing, social media, the friendships I’ve made, with my clients as well as other people, other businesses. I just thrive on that. I really enjoy it. I enjoy the work, don’t get me wrong. But I think my favourite part is just the communication with other people.”
Along with that, she appreciates the variety of work she gets to see and get interested in because she gets to work with so many businesses. “I’ve got a lady who makes jewellery, I’ve got someone who manufactures and makes gin, I’ve got someone who imports wines from Europe. So there’s a huge variety which also makes it fun.”
Being a member of TAB
Kay has been a member of TAB for about four years now, which is around the time she started her business. She says, “I think it’s an excellent way of helping small to medium sized business owners.”
When asked about what was it that made her join The Alternative Board, she said, “I don’t think I had any obvious problems. I just realised that although I am part of a franchise, First Class Accounts, I could also use some local advice to get my business on track, or more to help me work out where I wanted to go. I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about that on my own, because I don’t have a lot of time. But because I am part of TAB, then I do set aside time for those important tasks.”
Struggles and getting through them with TAB
Kay’s biggest struggle has been keeping on top of all the compliance work. Especially over the past two years, with the ongoing pandemic, a lot of extra government relief has been offered to people and has therefore, given Kay and her company a lot of extra work.
“My way of getting through that is talking to other business owners, in the majority, TAB members, other networking members, other franchisees. The business owners themselves, talking things through, finding out the challenges that everybody else is going through. Just having the support of other people, I think, has helped me tremendously,” she says.
Kay thinks that throughout her journey with TAB, the Board has helped her work out what she wants from her business. She says: “TAB has certainly helped me sort through what I want, work out what I want, and then work out how I’m going to get there. Most recently it was whether to continue with the franchise in business at all. I finally signed a second contract with First Class Accounts yesterday, so, I think I’ve got a champagne moment coming because I have made the decision and now, I know where I’m going.”
She further talks about how she now has more confidence in things turning out well for her. She explains, “It’s not just work. If I didn’t do it, I may be a little bit lost. And because I enjoy the relationship with all the business owners, I feed off it. So, that’s why I have signed on to continue. But I also now know, through my coaching with Crystal, that I don’t have to do all of the work. My team members can do a lot of the basic bookkeeping work. [And] I can then do what I enjoy, which is the social media and the networking.”
With TAB, Kay is especially grateful for the insight she has received from Crystal Petzer. “I do appreciate all the one-on-one time that I’ve had with [her]. I consider her to be a friend as well as a colleague and fellow business owner,” says Kay.
Advice for people thinking of signing on to TAB
Kay recommends people to check out the sample board meeting provided by TAB. She says that “I think it speaks for itself when you actually get there and sit at the table and talk to the other business owners and see how they can help you. I think that is the selling point – that’s the way to sell TAB.”
See how The Alternative Board can help your business, take our diagnostic.
Oops! We could not locate your form.