Becoming Entrepreneuri-ALL Business Advisors

Most professional advisors prefer to work with ambitious entrepreneurial businesses yet it is important that as accountants and business advisors we also reflect this mindset and behaviour in our own dealings and actions.

We need to become more entrepreneurial.  But this shouldn’t be restricted to an ambitious handful of rainmakers.  Entrepreneurship should be reflected across the firm and become part of its culture. We could and should all do our bit.

In a nutshell, we need to become more entrepreneuri-all.

How can we achieve this?  Here are some suggestions:

• Be quick to identify gaps in services.  Opportunities to fulfill.  New emerging sectors  to service.
• Instill a culture of asking WHY?  Ask why we do everything we do?  Every internal and external process should be questioned with the underlying theme of “is this action or process bringing value to our client?”  If not, consider culling it to save on cost and redirect resource elsewhere.
• Share the vision of where the business is going to all members of the team.  This helps everyone understand where they fit in and how they can make a contribution.
• Provide regular updates on financial results of the office – good and bad.  This reminds everyone that it is a business after all.
• Make team members accountable for their own results.  As long as everyone is clear on the vision, their individual role and objectives and regularly appraised of the wider results then this helps instil a sense of empowerment and responsibility – which in turn leads to entrepreneurialism.
• Encourage ideas and risk-taking on internal initiatives within the firm e.g. experiment with new marketing ideas, embrace change and be quick to spot new solutions.
• Listen and respond quickly to changing client and market needs.  Develop new services.  Try new stuff.
• Keep asking why?  Have fun.

How else could we as professionals become more entrepreneuri-ALL?

Tagged as: accountancy, accountant, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship