Values
Not your average accountant.
Why we do what we do
Manifesto
Making a difference is one of the core values at The Real Thiel. I started The Real Thiel with the ethos that even if we have just a little, we have something to give - and I don’t just mean giving money to charities either. I look to make a difference to three specific groups:
- Creatives
- Community
- Our People (staff and their families)
As accountants we are in business primarily to have a positive impact on the books. What we want to do is have an impact on our clients well-being and like-minded communities, be that in the arts industry, the venues we perform in, the schools where we learn, or the broader community and people/places in need.
We aim to run an ethical, community-focused, positive, encouraging, stimulating, open, and inclusive workplace that offers our own people an opportunity, improved lives, education and strong working relationships.
We are all built as individuals with unique experiences, strengths, vulnerabilities, preferences, interests, and values – and we at The Real Thiel place high importance on individuality.
I never felt like I fit in; I was too square for the creative scene, but too flamboyant for audit; I loved spreadsheets, but was also a burlesque dancer! I never pretended to fit in and I’m proud of myself for that because it wasn’t easy. It wasn’t until I decided to own my differences and design my own life around that decision, that I felt alive. I thought ‘stuff it, I’ll start my own accounting business where I can work for the people and businesses that I love and that need me most, and I’ll do it all with pink hair if I choose!’
To me, ‘individuality’ means knowing yourself first and foremost, and then learning to love your differences and creating opportunity from them. It also means respecting others' individuality. We don't all have to agree all of the time, but we should listen and be open-minded and consider other people's differing ideas. We start by understanding our client - their needs, wants, strengths and weaknesses. Then we face inward and see how we can use our unique skills and passions to align with this. We’re not going to do things the way they’ve always been done – we have to move forward. I want our policies, processes, systems, language, everything to be ever evolving. I want my staff to have roles and responsibilities not because that is a spot that needs to be filled, but because we have recognised their individual strengths and ambitions and they align.
For our clients, here are some of the things we do differently:
- we ask about you and your business before being engaged for services, because we care about you and want to know how we can help
- we have mostly fixed pricing so that you know what to expect to pay and when, because no one likes surprise bills!
- we share everything through Google Drive so I can work with people all around the world, at any time and save on paper
- we manage your deadlines, and ATO mail etc. on your behalf, and send it through to you with little explanations and translations so you know what you are paying and when it is due
- we have checklists and sophisticated workflow management software to manage your deadlines with you
- everything is written in layman's terms or, at least, explanations are provided so that you understand what we’re talking about
- your accountant is available for questions (email/phone/video/face to face) whenever you need
- we draw pictures and colour code things and try to make them as visually pleasing as we can!
- we take a proactive approach to you and your business and want to work with you to see it grow
I want my people to feel comfortable to be themselves at work, and my clients to come to me with no shame, no matter how many years of tax you might be behind on. You never need to pretend to be anything else but yourself around me.
The Real Thiel
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As your accountant I think encouragement is super important and something a lot of accountants forget about or have as a low priority. It goes a long way though. How much more confident do you feel when you know you’re supported or when someone believes in you? At The Real Thiel we want to offer encouragement to those that struggle with math and numbers, or who need some support in facing daunting opportunities, or who feel overwhelmed with the workload of small business management. We get it and we are right here beside you, every step of the way.
My role is to encourage and build up my team so that they can be supported and empowered to encourage our clients. No one can be expected to do and be everything to everyone at all times. What we can promise though is to be your financially savvy friend that will be there to pick you up when you fall, to cheer you on in the good times and to persuade you to keep going (and to keep your books tidy of course).
If you have the right energy and drive, are eager to learn, listen well, surround yourself with the right people, outsource the things you are not good at, and be honest about when you need a helping hand - then YOU CAN DO IT! We believe in you. We are here to help.
Education is important to us and you. I have never understood how it’s not compulsory for every school kid to learn the basics of the Australian tax system, basic savings and budgeting techniques, and also what various financial terms mean. Knowledge is power, as they say, and to run a smart business and hopefully live off your work, I believe you need some understanding of the financial elements of your business. I think you should know about how to calculate profit, how to estimate your tax payable/refundable, what is likely to be taxed or deductible (your tax agent might still need to confirm this for you), and what your margins look like.
How are you meant to get this understanding? It’s not like you magically become an expert in excel or accounting overnight when you register your ABN. It's not like you have a spare few years, or any interest, to complete a Bachelor of Commerce. So what’s your option besides blindly trusting your accountant and signing documents you haven’t even read, let alone understand?
We believe there needs to be a middle-ground where you can learn what you need to, and have someone 'on call' for questions along the way, but don’t have to be an accountant – you can leave that bit to me! I have prioritised education as a key value so that the accountants on our team will always value your need for a solid explanation.
As a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants I have a code of ethics which I must abide by. Instead of making you read the massive ethics guide, which you were never going to do, here’s the short and sweet version:
- Integrity: to be straightforward and honest in all professional and business relationships.
ME: I am going to be straight up with you. - Objectivity: to not allow bias, conflict of interest or undue influence of others override professional or business judgement.
ME: You cannot sway me. - Professional Competence and Due Care: to maintain professional knowledge and skill at the level required to ensure that a client or employer receives competent professional services based on current developments in practice, legislation and techniques, and act diligently and in accordance with applicable technical and professional standards.
ME: Yep, I got mad skills. - Confidentiality: to respect the confidentiality of information acquired as a result of professional and business relationships, and therefore not disclose any such information to third parties without proper and specific authority, unless there is a legal or professional right or duty to disclose, nor use the information for personal advantage or for third parties.
ME: Secret keeper extraordinaire. - Professional Behaviour: to comply with relevant laws and regulations to avoid any action that discredits the profession.
ME: Totally profesh over here.
These are the main points and are common sense in my opinion, but it’s also good for clients to be able to read.
We have included ethics specifically though because I want to create a culture of honesty within the team, and our clients, to always act with respect, kindness and curiosity. So, if something isn’t quite right, we're going to tell you asap. If the numbers reveal some bad news, we won't beat around the bush. If something confuses or worries us, we're going to ask why and get to the bottom of it. We don't judge those we work with. We will be friendly and approachable, but always professional. We are kind and respectful to our communities and environments. We work together to bring out the best in each other.
We pride ourselves on upholding these values at The Real Thiel and we hope you feel the same.
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The Real Thiel
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OUR WORLD IS NEURODIVERSE
The creative industry is a neurodiverse community and we do our best to cater to ‘our people’ by providing choices of how you prefer to absorb information. So whether you like to read the fine print, watch a video or listen to audio - we've got an option for you.
We appreciate that no two brains are the same and we understand that we don’t have every accessibility option available, but we do have more than most in our line of work. We want our neuro-spicy friends to feel welcomed, considered and catered for, which is why we’re always looking at ways of improving our services and processes as we learn more ourselves.
Tax is a process that you are involved in and we need certain things from you to get it done. We love a process and system, but you deserve choices.
Here are just some of the ways we’re currently doing this now:
- Lauren and the team are approachable, friendly and willing to help
- We’re responsive - we know you want to take action right away!
- Most of our community are creative and/or neurodivergent, so you are not alone!
- We ask about your accessibility needs (if you feel like sharing) and anything else relevant - we understand we can’t cater to everyone perfectly, but the more we know the better we can do
- We use plain English as much as possible
- Reminder emails to clients, with the ability to switch them off if they become overwhelming
- Checklists and tasks that you can tick off as you go (dopamine!)
- Weekly (opt-in) emails to remind you what to be working on each week (because we know object permanence is a thing)
- Videos and fun graphics throughout the big tax forms, to keep the dopamine flowing with a mix of written, auditory and visual mediums that give you options on how you prefer or need to learn
- Info packs and intro videos throughout the process so you know exactly what to expect and where you are up to
- The option of seeing the ‘big picture’ before drilling into the details OR being drip-fed the info and questions so you can take it step-by-step without the overwhelm of knowing the whole process
- A new ‘tax prep’ mini course to help you get your data organised before you tackle the official forms - this also means you can watch videos, read info, and work through it top to bottom or in any order that suits you
- Videos that explain the next steps and what to prepare before tackling them, which helps manage expectations and reduce anxiety
- Explanations of why we’re asking for something - to give you context
- Client portal so you can see a summary of all of the client tasks we’ve sent to you
- Links to guided meditations and playlists to set the mood as you work on tax and money tasks
- We give you short lists of things you might need to get ready before starting our tax forms
- Visual examples - pics, screenshots and videos
- Plenty of comment boxes, including ‘not sure’ boxes that allow you to leave questions or flag concerns with us
- ATO mail management - we can help translate any letters they send!
- ATO phone calls - in most cases we can call the ATO on your behalf (we will wait on the line so you don’t have to)
- Gifts and rewards to clients when we hit community targets
- Bookkeeping and data entry services, where we enter your info into our template spreadsheets for you or manage your accounting software, for when numbers just aren’t your thing
- Post meeting notes because we know sometimes things fall out of our brains
- Everything is online so you don’t have to carry around big boxes of paper that clutter your space - and your mind!
- Email us anytime with questions or schedule a 15-min check in call, all included in the fee, so you don’t ever need to be afraid of asking questions
- Free blogs (and access to our exclusive Real Thiel Community on Facebook) to make tax and accounting information accessible, no matter what your budget is
Get on top of your business and personal finances.
