Striking out on her own

Anita met ATB Chartered Accountant

Michael Mekhitarian through a networking function over 10 years ago.

She had been a successful recruitment consultant for many years and ran a small fabric business.

Anita was looking to build upon her success and strike out with her own recruitment consultancy.

To do this effectively she knew she would need professional accountancy services.

Working initially with Michael and ATB on her personal accounting, Anita sought advice on structuring her part time businesses and managing her assets and taxes.

A shoulder to lean on

Anita’s life then went through a tough patch, personally and with her business, and this is where her partnership with ATB began to really pay off.?

“Throughout this difficult time, the accountants at ATB held my hand and got me through.

They put me on the right track. They were there for me to lean on and give me direction.”

Michael and the team pulled out all the stops to ensure Anita’s finances were stabilised, and they worked together to mitigate future issues.

They advised her on managing her finances as a sole parent and, throughout this time, they also focused on getting a structure and strategy in place for Anita to set up her full-time business.

Back to business

Two years into managing her successful business, Tiger & Co. Recruitment, Anita still relies on ATB business accountants to keep her on track. Michael continues to assist Anita in running her two businesses, supporting her with tax returns, structuring her finances and managing her investments.

Michael also advises on statutory requirements and submissions. Anita always feels comfortable to seek strategic guidance or run ideas by him, as he gives her confidence to run her business successfully.

Working smarter with technology

Past the set-up phase, Anita can now focus on working smarter and technology has been a big part of that.

The accountants at ATB know how technology can improve a business and are always looking for innovative ways to apply new systems.

Michael is advising Anita on setting up a virtual office and CRM.

Tiger & Co. services the whole of Australia. But Anita can’t be everywhere at once, so the freedom and accessibility technology gives her to be ‘present’ for meetings and interviews with her staff, clients and candidates, wherever they may be, is immeasurable.?

“I don’t want to sit in an office in a capital city, but I want to work as if I am. Michael’s advice on setting up a virtual office supports my strategy and allows me to run a more flexible, scalable business.”

Many of Anita’s processes are manual at the moment. Michael is helping her to implement Xero, which feeds straight into ATB’s computer systems and automates her accounting requirements and tax returns.

The future is bright

The next steps for Anita and ATB are to fine-tune her technical systems, simplify her statutory requirements and review her assets.

Anita is comforted by the fact that through ATB Wealth, she can also seek assistance and advice on structuring her assets and planning for retirement.

She sees ATB as a ‘one stop shop’ for her financial and accounting needs.

A relationship built on trust

Anita and Michael’s relationship is solid and built on trust. So much so that when ATB Chartered Accountants and ATB Wealth were recruiting recently, it was Anita who found the suitable candidates for them.

Theirs is a true partnership built on the support Michael gave Anita during a critical period of restructure in her life.

The guidance, support and expertise Anita receives from ATB gives?her confidence that?her finances are in good hands, and to grow her business.

Moving ahead with confidence

“Things are really great now. If Michael wasn’t here, I wouldn’t be where I am today. He has always been a shoulder to lean on, and I want to say thank you … and I still owe you a bottle of scotch!”

Learn more about our 5 step process…and take control of your small business.??Contact ATB today.