INTHEBLACK December 2021 - Magazine - Page 51
OPEN VIDEO IN A NEW WINDOW
L
iz Moore FCPA, CEO of Melbourne-based
Bluebird Accounting, believes “financial
happiness” means different things to
each of her clients. It could be the ability
to afford a holiday, not worrying about any
surprises from the taxation office, retiring
early or taking a career break to spend more
time with the kids.
As to how Moore herself defines professional
happiness, “it’s bringing in that ability to be
financially happy and secure that can relate
back to your lifestyle and knowledge”, she says.
“Clients know that we’ve got their back,
and that we’re honest and transparent in
the dealings that we have with them, so that
anything isn’t a small question or a silly question.
They can still come to us and ask us and feel
secure in where they are sitting financially.”
A MEANINGFUL DIFFERENCE
Moore started on this path when she was
studying for her bachelor of commerce
degree at La Trobe University, and then
started working in public practice at a
small Melbourne firm.
Having initially assumed that she would join
one of the Big Four firms, she quickly discovered
that she preferred working with individuals and
small and medium-sized businesses.
“I really enjoy helping people, because
you hear their stories and you also have
the opportunity to make that meaningful
difference to their life, through empowerment
of knowledge,” she says. “Rather than seeing
that one section of the ship, you get to see the
whole ship, so I really enjoyed that.”
At the age of 25, and after obtaining her CPA
qualification, Moore started her own practice,
named Count My Beans. She expanded her
client base from individuals to trusts and
companies. Eventually, Moore’s husband Julian
Shimmin – also a CPA – joined the family firm.
The two merged their client lists and shifted
responsibilities, as Moore worked flexibly while
looking after the couple’s two young children.
Shimmin was now a director and Moore the
CEO, with their skills complementing each other
well: “He’s very strong in the technical side, and
I’m very strong in the client management side.”
ONE PIECE OF ADVICE
“Be kind to others, and be kind
to yourself. When you display the
kindness to others, or yourself, you
create opportunities to learn and
grow in so many different ways.”
ADDED VALUE
In January 2014, the firm became known as
Bluebird Accounting, a moniker Moore says
denotes happiness. Bluebird focuses on small
to medium-sized businesses – particularly
consultancies – because Moore says she
understands their challenges, and consultancies
appreciate the value she can bring beyond tax
and compliance services.
“We have that sort of relationship where
they know that we have their back
unconditionally, and they know that we have
that higher value to them.
“It just makes that working relationship really
good, because we are on the same page, and
they know that we are there just to help them,”
she says.
Moore hopes that, in the future, the firm
will significantly increase the proportion of
consultancy work, with services such as business
planning, strategy and proactive management.
In the meantime, Bluebird Accounting is
growing rapidly, and Moore expects to be
adding two or three new staff members each
year to the current staff roster of six.
Learning how to cope with the challenges of
rapid growth, particularly in finding people to
fit the culture, is serving as a good test case
for Bluebird’s clients into the future.
intheblack.com December 2021 51