In November 2022, we celebrated International Accounting Day and Global Bookkeeping Week, so we thought there’s no better time ask some of the most inspiring accountants and business support experts we work with to share their top reads.
Each one has a unique journey, but all agree reading has helped shape their success and make them the person they are today.
In these four must-reads, you’ll find tips on everything from leadership to the power of embracing new opportunities.
So, add these to your Christmas list and get ready to smash your new year’s goals.
The digital firm by Will Farnell
Selling to serve by James Ashford
Feel the fear and do it anyway by Susan Jeffers
The digital firm by Will Farnell
Chosen by Stefan Barrett, a financial accountant and the founder of Bee Motion Accounting Ltd. He specialises in helping people streamline their businesses without losing the core.
The Digital Firm is a guide to help any accountant navigate the trends affecting them. Will summarises how he kept his business competitive with the essential elements of a digital firm.
This book revolutionised Bee Motion and assisted with our core vision of where we wanted the business to be.
From an owner’s perspective, it helped me take that step back and let the systems, processes, and the team run the business, while I had a helicopter view to manage it all.
A must-read for anyone wanting to start their own firm.
Learn more about The digital firm
Selling to serve by James Ashford
Chosen by Stefan Barrett.
Thanks to this book, we’re one of few accountancy firms that charge based on time. For example, if a client has a busy period or their business is seasonal, we increase our resources and charge properly for it.
Selling to Serve alongside GoProposal revolutionised our business model and really pushed us into the future.
Also picked by Joyce O’Leary, who works at River Bookkeeping Ltd providing bookkeeping, payroll, and training services to clients. She’s also an Institute of Accountants and Bookkeepers (IAB) ambassador.
I heard James talk at an event and a bookkeeping colleague recommended this book. It’s fab and the one with the most pages marked on my bookshelf in the office.
He taps into the realities of being an accountant and teaches you how to sell your accounting and bookkeeping services.
It will challenge some of your most limiting beliefs, give you a newfound confidence, and help you unlock your potential.
Learn more about Selling to serve
Feel the fear and do it anyway by Susan Jeffers
Chosen by Fiona Bradley, who has worked as a business adviser to small and medium-sized enterprises, is a bookkeeper, and also a director of Sage Qualifications.
This is a book about taking control and embracing uncertainty.
I had originally trained to be a cookery teacher, but a change in circumstances meant I needed a profession where I could work from home with flexibility.
This is when I made the scary step to become a bookkeeper in the accounting industry.
The book helped me to understand my fear and turn it into success, which as we now run the Sage Accredited Qualification programme, I think we did.
Learn more about Feel the fear and do it anyway
Legacy by James Kerr
Chosen by Bobby Lane, a chartered accountant with more than 25 years’ experience in professional practice. He’s the CEO of Factotum, a company that provides advice, services and solutions for businesses.
James goes deep into what made the All Blacks the most successful sporting outfit. This demonstrates determination, focus, and also how the team reinvented themselves.
It’s a fantastic example of how effective leadership and building an outstanding team can bring success on the field but how it can also be applied to business.
Recommended Next Read
Start a thriving business from your kitchen table
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