See full profile: Rondebosch Accountant - Grant Edmond
Were you always planning to be an accountant and why?
Not at all. I selected accounting studies at the last minute but in hindsight it was an excellent decision.
When meeting with clients do they mostly come to your own premises or do you mostly go their theirs?
Online meetings
What is your preferred mode of communication with your clients?
Email, Phone, Skype
Have you ever done an online video call with a client?
Yes
What do you love most about accounting?
It is a great way to use problem solving skills! I also love being able to add value to client's business and watch them grow.
Would you recommend accounting as a career for school-leavers, and why?
Definitely. It is a very flexible career path and will set you up well to enter many interesting fields after studies.
What qualities should South African business people be looking for in their accountant?
Technical expertise and good communication skills are the two most important qualities.
What is the biggest challenge facing accountants today?
It is important to stay up-to-date and some accountants forget that they need to dedicate time to understanding all new IFRS and SARS developments.
What aspects of accounting do you focus on most?
Our firm, Colourful Accounting, specialising in providing monthly packages to take care of all payroll, accounting and tax needs of a business.
Describe your average client:
They are all so different! We assist SMEs in education, non-profits, sales, import and export, luxury goods, services etc.
How far away from your premises is your furthest client?
13733km
From your accounting experience, if you could cite one of the biggest reasons SME's in SA fail, what would it be?
Lack of accurate financial information from which to make informed decisions.
What accounting software do you like best?
Xero (although it is priced in Dollars which is not great in this economic environment!)
What other software, online services or apps do you use?
Simplepay, HubDoc, Signflow.
Do you think the coming wave of automation in the next few years will steal some accounting jobs and why/why not?
No. It may take away some data capturing roles but financial reporting requires judgement which machines cannot do (yet!).
What is your opinion on Bitcoin?
I hope that blockchain technology will advance further to assist in the fields of development and medicine - that is where its real power lies!
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Reading, learning, spending time with my family.
See how our other local South African accountants have answered the above questions.
