Introducing our Superstar Client, Casey

Casey joined the AFY family way back in September 2020. Casey was doing an incredible job managing her numbers. She had employees and her business was swimming along BUT, she knew it was time to outsource this element of her business.

“My business was growing and in order to not burn the candle at both ends, I had to let go of something. When I looked at where I was spending my time versus where I needed to be, bookkeeping and payroll were taking up too much of my time. It was also time to move across to Xero and I just didn’t have the time or interest in setting up another system. Lisa and her team handled this for me with ease and I knew it was being done right from the beginning.”

I had a chat with Casey recently to check-in on her business and how the AFY team has helped her grow. While monthly meetings are all part and parcel of the AFY service, deep dives into the past vs now isn’t something I do often. Thanks Casey for sharing your wins with us!

How did taking the leap and finally outsourcing your numbers help you?

Well for one, I can sleep better! I’m no longer tossing and turning all night worried that I’ll get in trouble from the ATO for doing something wrong! Another big win has been more time to spend on things that bring me joy in business like marketing buying and planning.

How has your business grown since we started working together?

My business has grown by 65% since I started working with Lisa! And that’s in 12 short months, wow! No doubt this is in part due to having extra time to spend being more strategic and working on my business, rather than in the day to day doing things like bookkeeping, BAS and payroll.

So tell us, was the move from Excel spreadsheets to Xero worth it?

Yes! Spreadsheets leave a lot of room for human error. Xero is such a functional tool – it enables all of us to see the same correct data at any time. It’s so helpful that I can give my accountant access so they can get their hands on the info when they need it rather than chasing me.

And the reporting ability is great. I can get reports (with Lisa’s help) on anything I need to know to help inform my planning. Oh and the fact it’s in the cloud is incredible! No fear of accidentally deleting the file over here!

You’ve probably noticed we’re really streamlined with our processes and communication here at AFY. How has this helped you in your business?

This in itself is immeasurable! I feel totally confident giving AFY the keys to my books because I know you’re all on the ball! I don’t need to micromanage or follow-up on to-do’s because Lisa and her team is always one step ahead. They’re in the inbox actioning items before they are even due.

Now I don’t even need to think about my numbers, payments or expenses because it’s all done for me.

Outsourcing is a huge deal if you’ve never done it before. How have you approached it so you feel confident in your virtual team?

I never outsource any part of my business before I can do it myself. The years that I spent using spreadsheets to track my finances were really important because it taught me the practice of bookkeeping and what to look out for/questions to ask when outsourcing.

But… once you know how to do it yourself (and you can afford it) then it’s time to outsource it to an expert and invest that time in something else to grow your business even more.

Was there any fear around outsourcing?

Yes! I’ve unfortunately outsourced to ‘experts’ before for different things and they did a worse job than I had done myself! So, I’m always cautious when working with someone new. I was referred to Lisa by another business owner who I know would only suggest the best and she was right!

Why did you choose me?

I chose Lisa because we had instant rapport the first time we spoke. And from the very first time we spoke (and in every interaction since), Lisa makes me feel like nothing is ever a problem. I’ll stay with Lisa for as long as she’ll have me because she makes me feel like her one and only client (and I know that’s not true).

I inherently trust that she does the right thing. And she’s so super encouraging when my business is hitting money milestones. And that kind of encouragement is just one example of the above and beyond stuff that Lisa and her team do.

Thank you, Casey! I’m not going to lie, your responses totally made me tear up. I love what I do and working with incredible ladies like you who have trust and passion in spades makes my role as your trusty bookkeeper so fulfilling!