Accountants Are…
Certain words come tied with connotations, evoke an instant thought reaction, and trigger our minds to conjure up imagery. For example, you can’t hear the word ‘rainbow’ without visualising the full spectrum of colours, and when you hear ‘snuggly’ you might imagine a cat curled up in a blanket by the fire. So what do people think when they hear the word accounting? Let me guess. You are now visualising suits, ties, spreadsheets, and stuffy offices. Or perhaps the words ‘boring’, ‘bean counters’, or ‘number crunchers’ are springing to mind?
Let’s be honest – this is nothing new. We ourselves are well aware of the stereotypes attached to our roles as accountants! When we go to a party and someone asks us what we do, you can bet your bottom dollar (see what I did there – accountants can be punny) we’ve been tempted to say: “Oh, me? I’m a Sky Dive Instructor/ White Water Rafting Guide/ Director at an Animal Orphanage”. (The best I could manage once was “Number Wizard” – Yeah, it was awkward…) Once people find out what you do, if they haven’t already fallen asleep, they will often ask for financial advice. *SIGH* Still, I imagine being asked about taxes is much easier than being a doctor who gets asked (or shown) all manner of lumps, bumps and ailments by complete strangers!
We like to think we break the mould a bit at Accountants Plus. Yes, we do all the taxey, numbery, things like all good accountants should, but we also pride ourselves on the relationships we build with our clients and the real effort we make to understand the ins and outs of their businesses. Clients like to chat to us about their Xero software AND the latest episode of The Bachelor. Sometimes they invite us to their office Xmas party and sometimes they invite us to a Bikram yoga class! Through our efforts, we are working to help combat the stereotype and change public perception. We have taken it upon ourselves to pave the way for multi-dimensional accountants everywhere; showing that we can be dynamic, are interested in more than your money, and that we have lives outside of work – sports, kids, pets, camping, fundraising and getting involved in our local communities. We have interesting hobbies, and we like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead as much as the next person. Dentists on the other hand – well, they have a way to go. No one really likes to go and see them!
We are now off to calculate some GST… JOKE! We are going paddle boarding in the harbour. Hope to catch up with you soon so we can discuss your accounting needs (as well as who you think the first NZ Bachelorette should be – our pick is Lily!)
