Accounting Apps Podcast

AI is such a hot topic at the moment! It was great to have a conversation with some experts, to identify some practical applications and dispel some myths. Some of the highlights from this conversion were : 🤖 AI is here to stay in finance. 💡 Productivity gains are at the fingertips of everyone. 🌍 AI is accessible to all. 🔑 Why businesses should be open to implementing AI. 💼 Why businesses need to embrace AI. 💰There are huge opportunities and productivity gains for finance teams. ⚙️ How to use AI. 🎨 What is generative AI and how is it different from AI? 🔍 ChatGPT is not a search engine x 3!!! 📱 The app store moment for AI. 🔒 Risk, rewards, and privacy concerns of putting client data in ChatGPT. 🌐 Will ChatGPT and AI improve their understanding of the Australian tax system? 🔎 What are some key considerations for selecting your AI tool, and how can businesses measure success? 📈 From a measurement perspective, it's all about productivity gains. Huge productivity gains. 🧪 Experiment and don't overthink. I’m Heather Smith and you've been listening to the Cloud Stories podcast.. Connect with me here: Newsletter https://heathersmithAU.com LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU Medium: https://heathersmithau.medium.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ANISEConsulting/podcasts

Joining me today is Darren Glanville Country Manager - UK & EMEA @ Fathom. Darren is no stranger to the accounting profession and has more than twenty years experience helping accounting practices develop digital strategies and processes to drive efficiencies and profitability. Having worked for some of the biggest software providers including Sage, CCH, and Xero, Darren now heads up the EMEA region for Fathom and is passionate about leveraging technology to drive better business outcomes. Darren is a keen rugby fan (Newcastle Falcons), a self confessed coffee-holic and tech geek, you can find Darren walking his dogs on the beach near his home in Northumberland in the early morning and most weekends. And I’d also like to share with you that I strategically partner with Fathom, and have been good friends with the team since the very early days. In this episode, we talk about . . . The future of the technology landscape? The rise of a more strategic view of forecasting. One in three businesses is running with less than six months cash. Introduction to Darren Glanville and his journey in the accounting technology space. The profitable and sustainable practice. What an extraordinary journey that you have taken. The extraordinary journey of an extraordinary journey. The sad passing of Jason Forbes. Fond memories of Rod Drury, Xero founder. How has the accounting profession changed with the advent of digital technologies? Pivoting from data-driven intel to data driven intel. The power of connecting with people. How the accounting profession has evolved with the advent of digital technologies. API's. Opportunities for accountants in Africa. Faster cadence of development and API's. What’s the biggest change in the last 12 months? End user experience when the platform completely changes. Australia and New Zealand are ahead. The bank feeds are the secret sauce. Darren keeps a tally of conferences he attended. Top tips for other sales professionals in the accounting technology space. Advice for young vendors. What is Fathom’s purpose? Being able to absorb information and connect with people. Collaboration and thought leadership. Fathom provides clarity and confidence to courageous business owners. The dikw model. What are some indicators that someone needs to move away from the spreadsheets? The ladder from knowledge to actionable insights. Indicators to move from spreadsheets to reporting solutions. The difference between spreadsheets and distributed ledgers. The rise of the digital financial advisor. How do you get bookkeepers to listen to you? The rise of lotus 123 since 1990. The Australian Bas Agent regime. How to get consultants to revisit Fathom. The cyclical nature of the fathom industry. Micro-forecast and forecasting. Fathom's micro-forecast feature and how it works. How the pandemic has changed the industry. Trends in the accounting tech space. The role of AI in the future of accounting. How clients will consume AI services. What excites Darren most right now? How to get more information about Darren. What excites him about the next big thing. Darren is exploring how Chat GPT can help practices. Darren suggests starting a prompt club. The importance of being cynical about things. Physical presence changes everything. I’m Heather Smith and you've been listening to the Cloud Stories podcast.. Connect with me here: Newsletter https://heathersmithAU.com LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU Medium: https://heathersmithau.medium.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ANISEConsulting/podcasts

Joining me today is Andrey Kustarnikov, the CEO, Founder and visionary behind G-Accon. Andrey and G-Accon have been a strategic partner for many years, and they flew into Atlanta to meet me, and we spent several days together. Andret and his wife and co-founder Maria very kindly took me on a tour of Atlanta, in their Tesla - how lucky am I!! Let me tell you about G-Accon. G-Accon is an effective tool that connects Xero, QuickBooks, Freshbooks, Sage and Work Flow Max to Google Sheets. Andrey brings over 20 years of experience in software development, microservices architecture, and cloud integration, focusing on the banking and financial sectors. His educational background includes an MBA and a Masters in Physics, which have been instrumental in building G-Accon. This software has been quite useful to its users and Andrey is interested to see what comes next for G-Accon. Highlights of the conversation included: 🔍 GAcon integrates cloud accounting platforms with Google Spreadsheets. ❓ What are the features and functionalities that people like about G-Accon? 🎮 Memories of playing Tetris in Moscow, Russia. 💼 What is the brand identity of GAccon and how do customers connect with the solution? 💡 Encouraging innovation within the organisation. 🌍 Global expansion plans and lessons learned from expanding into new markets. 💻 Working with G Suite/Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel: Once you've developed something in Google Sheets, you can convert it to Excel. 🏢 The World of Coca-Cola museum and Coca-Cola as a business. 💰 The importance of the bookkeeper in the business. 🔍 John Pembroke invented Coca-Cola, and his partner and bookkeeper, Frank M. Robinson, suggested the name and penned the now-famous trademark "Coca-Cola" in his unique script. Connect with me here: Newsletter https://heathersmithAU.com LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU Medium: https://heathersmithau.medium.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ANISEConsulting/podcasts

Interview with Paul Dunn Chief Story-Teller at CLARITY, and Co-Founder of B1G1. 💻 Technology is an enabler of more human things. 🎓 Edutainment, as education. 😬 Getting nervous when speaking. 👥 The way to connect is to be more focused on them than on you. 📜 The storyteller sets the vision and the agenda for an entire generation. 💪 The importance of having a strong presence. 🌍 The storyteller is the most powerful person in the world. 🔌 Tech is not about the inputs. 📖 The importance of telling stories that are relevant to people. 🏆 Outcomes are the key to a successful pitch. 🌐 TOAGlobal: The humanverse is a human-to-human thing in tech. 🧮 Paul’s first memory of an accountant world. 🚀 Becoming one of the first 10 in Hewlett Packard Australia. 💰 The standard accounting joke, the 9800, and how to use it. 🗣️ Hewlett-Packard seminars. 🖨️ The world’s first thermal printer and the first ‘trial’ balance. 📜 The world's first thermal scroll printer. 📊 The Australian accountants number crunch system. 📚 The story of Zig Ziglar. 🤝 The importance of getting your thoughts out into the world. 🎙️ The human element of the podcast. 🐜 The connection to tech and termites. 🌿 Nature does not solve problems. Nature solves for potential. 📞 What is a discovery call and how can you use it? 🚀 Hiring people based on their potential. 🌟 Tech is an enabler to create a better, more fulfilling human experience. 📝 The top three things accountants should do. 🤝 Engaged with original people impacted by Rod Drury’s vision. 💼 Opportunity for entrepreneurs to do their own thing. 💰 The opportunity for larger companies to grab that space and be able to say “this is not some sort of charity thing”. 🤲 Charity is a meaningful thing, not just a charity thing. 🤜 The importance of being bolder. 🔥 Be bolder in execution and in terms of reach. 📚 Sukhinder Singh Cassidy's book, Choose Possibility. 🚪 You can go through a door, but you can come back through that door. I am thrilled to bring you an interview with Paul Dunn, the fourth and final interview in our series of interviews from the Accountants BootCamp. If you haven't already, I highly recommend you listen to the previous three episodes and subscribe to the Cloud Stories podcast. When I first heard about the re:Boot of the Accountants BootCamp I was intrigued by the opportunity to see Paul Dunn in action. I have heard so many good things about him, from so many people. I was of course concerned that he could not possibly live up to the hype, but he was all that and more. He started in the industry in the early 70’s and at the re:Boot event he was extraordinarily sharp, energetic and charismatic. He made everyone in the room feel like a VIP, and I watched him take time out to speak with everyone. I don't even have that level of energy! I was extraordinarily grateful for the opportunity to speak with Paul Dunn, and I think I have really saved the best interview for last, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Hg2rYG7mxiVFf1OL7tHuG?si=507287dc1e5f42a2 Before I introduce today's interview, I want to remind you of some ways to stay up-to-date with the accounting tech space. You can join the Xero Mastermind Facebook group, subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter at HeatherSmithAU.com, and subscribe to the Cloud Stories podcast. Also, connect with me, Heather Smith on LinkedIn. Now, let's get into today's episode, where I am joined by Paul Dunn Chief Story-Teller at CLARITY, and Co-Founder of B1G1. Connect with me here: Newsletter http://accountingapps.io/ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherSmithAU Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU Medium: https://heathersmithau.medium.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ANISEConsulting/podcasts

Interview with Graeme Tennick, Chief Impact Officer of Tennick Accountants 📋🏆 The process of applying for the Xero UK awards. 🎖️🚀 Accountants Bootcamp is all about pushing boundaries. 👍🏆 Every stage of entering an award is worthy. 👨‍💼 Aussies pushing boundaries in the accounting profession. 🥇💪 Competition in the North of England. 🗺️ What the northeast is like in the UK. 📣📈 Self-promotion and marketing. 🔍🤔 Exploring your greatest passion? 🔄💻 Transitioning from a manual to a cloud-based model. 🏆🥇 Proudest achievement of last year. 🤝💻 Approved software drunk, getting 50 licences in 2018. 😍💻 Falling in love with the software. 📝🔍 The three-step approach to software implementation. ⏰📅 Time range for implementing the solution. 💻🚀 It’s all about the implementation. 🎓📚 Lessons learned about implementations. 🤝🚀 We are hitting a buffer with accountants and technology, and how to overcome it. 💻👨‍💼 Challenges for accountants in the software industry. 🌅🚀 Early Adopters Hub. 🎓👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 What did you get out of BootCamp and what are you hoping to get from it? 🤝👥 Pushing boundaries with other progressive firms. 🌟🤲 Taking the leap of faith. 🤝👥 The importance of collaboration. 🏆📚 We either win or we learn. I am thrilled to bring you the third interview in our series of interviews from the Accountants BootCamp. If you haven't already, I highly recommend you check out our previous two episodes and subscribe to the podcast to hear the upcoming interview with the inspiring Paul Dunn. At the re:Boot event, we were fortunate enough to have attendees and speakers from the original Accountants BootCamp in the 1990s, including industry legend Paul Dunn himself. Led by Dunn and Aynsley Damery, CEO of Clarity, the three-day workshop focused on delivering repeatable, scalable services that benefit both the firm and the client. Many attendees used Clarity's software platform to assist in delivering these services. And in case you missed it, Aynsley Damery joined me on a previous episode of Cloud Stories in May 2021, where we discussed 'How to double your clients profits in 5 easy steps.' https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Hg2rYG7mxiVFf1OL7tHuG?si=507287dc1e5f42a2 Before I introduce today's interview, I want to remind you of some ways to stay up-to-date with the accounting apps space. You can join the Xero Mastermind Facebook group, subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter at HeatherSMithAU.com, and subscribe to the Cloud Stories podcast. Also, connect with me on LinkedIn. Now, let's get into today's episode. I am joined by Graeme Tennick, Chief Impact Officer of Tennick Accountants. Tennick Accountants recently won the Small Firm of the Year at the Xero UK and Ireland Awards, and a week later, travelled 30 hours to attend the BootCamp. This just shows the calibre of people in attendance at the event. So without further ado, let's dive into the interview and hear from Graeme about his work at Tennick Accountants and his experience at the BootCamp. Connect with me here: Newsletter https://heathersmithAU.com LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherSmithAU Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU Medium: https://heathersmithau.medium.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ANISEConsulting/podcasts

In this episode I speak with Paul Miller, Managing Director of Cornish Accounting Solutions. 🏙️👨‍💼 The impact of the 2014 Sydney Xerocon. 🤝📈 It’s your business, you make the decisions. 💪 The importance of staying true to one's beliefs. 📅🔙 The early days of Xero. 🤝🤝 The return to traditional values and relationships. 🤝👥 The importance of meeting clients in person. 💻🛠️ What are some of the things you have in your tech stack? Xero, Dext Prepare, Dext Precision, and Ignition. 🏆 Winner of the first effortless bookkeeping challenge in the UK. 📚 The importance of providing training to clients. 🔟 The 10 factors that determine if a client will work with you. 💡 If you don’t like what you’ve got, change it. 🤝 Refer to other local firms if not the right fit. 👥 Recruiting team members. 📞💬 The best way to communicate with people is to pick up the phone and talk to people. ❓ The importance of asking why. 🌟 True leaders plan succession and transition succession. 🧑‍💼🎓 Paul’s thoughts on the last 24 hours at the Accountants BootCamp and how it has impacted his life. Today I’m bringing you the second interview as part of a series of interviews I conducted at the Accountants BootCamp. If you enjoy this episode, I encourage you to listen to the last episode, and subscribe to the podcast to hear the next two interviews. The re:Boot event, brought together speakers and attendees from the original Accountants BootCamp in the 1990s, including industry legend Paul Dunn. The three-day workshop, led by Dunn and Aynsley Damery, CEO of Clarity, focused on delivering repeatable, scalable services that benefit both the firm and the client. Many attendees use Clarity's software platform to assist in delivering these services. In case you missed it, Aynsley Damery joined me on a previous episode of Cloud Stories in May 2021, where we discussed 'How to double your clients profits in 5 easy steps.' https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Hg2rYG7mxiVFf1OL7tHuG?si=507287dc1e5f42a2 Before I pass over the interview, to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in the accounting apps space can I encourage you to join the Xero Mastermind Facebook group, subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter, and to the Cloud Stories podcast also connect with me on LinkedIn . For today's episode, I’m joined by Paul Miller, Managing Director of Cornish Accounting Solutions, as you shall hear in the episode I first met Paul when he visited Xerocon, in 2014, and I’ve keenly watched his journey since then. Connect with me here: Newsletter https://heathersmithAU.com LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherSmithAU Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU Medium: https://heathersmithau.medium.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ANISEConsulting/podcasts