See full profile: Bedfordview Accountant - Chalissa Padayachee
Were you always planning to be an accountant and why?
Yes, I knew this is what I wanted to do from the first day I was introduced to Accounting. It was like a light bulb just lit up and I found Accounting easy to understand. I have loved working with numbers and still do.
When meeting with clients do they mostly come to your own premises or do you mostly go theirs?
I mostly go to my clients
What is your preferred mode of communication with your clients?
Have you ever done an online video call with a client?
Yes
What do you love most about accounting?
I love how accounting can be put in easy to understand formats that can help businesses to identify revenue streams and cut costs. It can be used as a vital tool in making important business decisions.
Would you recommend accounting as a career for school-leavers, and why?
Accounting is a service every business in the world needs and will always need. Studying Accounting gives you vital Business and Financial knowledge that is vital to wealth creation for every individual.
What qualities should South African business people be looking for in their accountant?
Your Accountant needs to be an asset to your business, they need to be available to give you advise and guide you to make great decisions for your business. Your Accountant needs to be your go to person. They need to protect your business and care about the success of your business.
What is the biggest challenge facing accountants today?
Many Accountants struggle with time management, we tend to be workaholics. We care so deeply about our companies that we cannot leave something too late.
What aspects of accounting do you focus on most?
The people factor!!! Accounting has allowed me to meet such interesting and unique individuals. We have the privilege of knowing the inner workings of businesses which started with just an individual dream and idea.
Describe your average client:
My average client is an amazing salesperson but hates accounting and tax. This is a part of their business that had kept them up at night, until they hired us. We guide them by putting in place systems to make the process easier for them, training them how to use these systems and take over the rest allowing them to concentrate on core business.Their company is still growing and when their business succeeds, we succeed. We celebrate their achievements with them and become part of their team.
How far away from your premises is your furthest client?
Olifantsfontein
From your accounting experience, if you could cite one of the biggest reasons SME's in SA fail, what would it be?
The biggest reasons would be not keeping an eye on expenses. Most business owners look at money in the bank and not cashflow and therefore this leads to them making uninformed decisions. SME's need to keep a close eye on both expenses and cashflow, making swift decisions ensuring the success of your business.
What accounting software do you like best?
Sage Business Cloud Accounting
What other software, online services or apps do you use?
Intuit Quickbooks, Pastel Partner & Sage Business Cloud Payroll
Do you think the coming wave of automation in the next few years will steal some accounting jobs and why/why not?
Automation will just make our job easier, any system will need to be reviewed to ensure that errors are picked up timeously.
What is your opinion on Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is revolutionary but risk associated with cryptocurrency needs to be considered and extra precautions and safety measures need to put in place.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I enjoy painting and spending time in nature with my family
What is the most interesting thing on your bucket list?
I enjoy painting and spending time in nature with my family
See how our other https://www.findanaccountant.co.za/content_interview-all-accountants who have answered the above questions.
