See full profile: Bryanston Accountant - Tamryn Dicks
Were you always planning to be an accountant and why?
No, I actually started out studying psychology. I fell into bookkeeping by accident and discovered a natural aptitude and a love for putting things in order!
When meeting with clients do they mostly come to your own premises or do you mostly go their theirs?
We meet where its most convenient for both parties
What is your preferred mode of communication with your clients?
Email, the reason for email is that there is always a record for both parties to refer to
Have you ever done an online video call with a client?
Yes
What do you love most about accounting?
I am a little bit OCD, so as an accountant, I love seeing everything balance. As a business owner, I love being able to click on the Balance Sheet to get an immediate overview of where I stand at any point in time. It provides a nice sense of security.
Would you recommend accounting as a career for school-leavers, and why?
Yes, but only those who don't mind working through lots of boring details in order to arrive at a great end-product. If you enjoyed large projects at school, you will probably enjoy accounting. Its a very necessary profession so if you're good at it, you won't battle to find a job or build a career.
What qualities should South African business people be looking for in their accountant?
Honesty and integrity are probably the most important. An accountant that will help you cut corners might save you some money in the short term, but it will always come back to you and its not going to be your accountant sitting in the hot seat with SARS! I would also recommend dependability and someone with good communication - you need to know that you can get the information you need when you need it.
What is the biggest challenge facing accountants today?
AI and the automation of processes. It saves us time, but it also means that a lot of people are trying to do their own accounting. Some get it right, which is great when its a small business owner who needs to save the monthly cost - but then we lose a client. On the other side of things, a lot of people don't know how to set things up correctly which can result in a big mess that is tedious and time-consuming to clean up. More money for us, but costly for the business owner!
What aspects of accounting do you focus on most?
I prefer the advisory role. I have been running a small business for 12 years now, and have done accounting for many, many small businesses. With that knowledge and experience, I find it very rewarding to assist small businesses in improving their processes and thereby their cashflow. I like to see a client grow!
Describe your average client:
We don't focus on any specific industry, but most of our clients are small to medium enterprises. One-man-shows or less than ten employees. Companies that can't afford an in-house bookkeeper but need the care of one.
How far away from your premises is your furthest client?
I don't know the actual distance, but our furthest client is in Ghana
From your accounting experience, if you could cite one of the biggest reasons SME's in SA fail, what would it be?
Cashflow. There are a lot of unexpected expenses in a business and in addition to that, very few companies make the correct provisions for their taxes - PAYE, VAT and Income Tax. So when pay day for these arrives, there is normally a huge amount of panic involved. Cashflow planning and provisioning is definitely something that small businesses don't focus on enough.
What accounting software do you like best?
Quickbooks, both Desktop and Online
What other software, online services or apps do you use?
In addition to Quickbooks and the Quickbooks mobile app, we use Receipt Bank and Dropbox the most. I am proficient in Pastel, Sage One and Xero too, but Quickbooks is my personal favourite.
Do you think the coming wave of automation in the next few years will steal some accounting jobs and why/why not?
Yes, it will. It enables a lot of people to do much of the work themselves. However, I also think it is going to open more opportunities - especially in the realms of advisory and coaching. Having a complete set of accounts is only one aspect of having a good accountant - a business owner also needs to know how to use the information to grow.
What is your opinion on Bitcoin?
I believe it is an interesting development that is worth keeping an eye on. The world is progressively becoming more and more digital, a digital and borderless currency makes sense in a digital world. I definitely would advise people to invest with caution though, digital currencies still represent a lot of volatility and there are many, many fraudsters out there.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I enjoy the outdoors and camp a lot and I very much enjoy reading.
What is the most interesting thing on your bucket list?
I would love to sail a catamaran to South America. And to make sure I see the Incan pyramids in Peru when I do!
What has your experience been on FindanAccountant?
Excellent. It is a great marketing platform and is very professionally run. Support is great and I have never had a bad experience.
See how our other local South African accountants have answered the above questions.
