WEEK ZERO: Joining Accodex
Well, my friends, I have taken the leap of faith and signed the contract to officially be an Accodex Partner.
Accodex is a business intelligence and support network enabling freelance accountants to optimise their businesses. Think of it like this - if you work as a Partner in a firm, there are heaps of people working with you; HR, marketing, tech, etc. If you go off and start your own firm, you have to be all of these business functions and just have a crack at it, hoping you are doing it right. Before you know it, you burn out or forget a client, or become so busy working in your business to bother working on your business.
I am still me, The Real Thiel. I am now also an Accodex Partner.
So I made the decision on August 10th 2018. This is a decision I have been playing with for 504 days (according to Chris Hooper - CEO, who has been tracking me as a "lead").
I'm going to be honest... it took me this long to join for two main reasons:
- Gaining Experience & Education
Chris was my mentor and naturally, we spoke a lot about his business but alas I was in my first few months at KPMG and was not quite ready to run off and start my own accounting firm, no matter how much I knew that's what I wanted to do. So, I did the right thing; I studied and received my Chartered Accountant recognition, worked full time for a few years in the industry, and slowly built my side hustle into a full hustle. - My Ego
I'm a very confident and self-assured woman and as such my ego had me believe I could do this on my own. While I know that is true, we all need to know our limits, our weaknesses, and the opportunities that exist when we ask for help. The thing is, Accodex is a business too and of course charges for the help and support they give to freelance accountants. Fair enough. I just didn't want to pay them for something I could do or outsource to other people, for what I thought would be cheaper.
So why did I join?
Well here are my top 3 reasons:
- Big Dreams
I have huge plans for The Real Thiel. I will change the world for creative small business people. I estimate there are ~30,000 potential clients out there in Australia alone. This means I am going to be extremely busy. I also want a cohesive team with a positive culture and a common goal. Outsourcing is good... to a point. I have built my business thus far by calling on mates and others to help with marketing etc. But, the business I am dreaming of needs an "in-house" team that is focused on The Real Thiel, where their interests are aligned with mine, their tech is sophisticated, they are innovative and hard-working. They say you should hire people who are better than you. That's what I am doing. - People
I have known the Accodex HQ team for a few years now, and I have known myself for 27+ years... the thought of running my own business, from my home, all alone, makes me really sad. I am (literally) 100% extroverted. One reason I joined is because it means I have a team of people to interact with, to communicate with, and to see in the office. I love the community and family feel that Accodex has - everyone sees the Company vision and is doing their part to get us all there.
Surround yourself with positivity. - The Story
If you have ever heard Chris speak you will understand how I have fallen for this but Accodex has it's own big dream for the future of the entire accounting industry. There's no way I am risking being 20 years down the track, running my moderately successful business, looking out my office window at my ever-evolving competition... Accodex.
If you can't beat them, join them.
So here I am... about to give this a shot. I am really hoping this move is the right move because my business is my baby, and this comes at some risk and some cost. But I love the team at Accodex and I see their vision. I want to be a part of that story.
xxx
Lauren
p.s. I will blog about my experience the whole way through in case there are any other accountants out there following the journey and wondering what life is like on the inside :)
