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Along with death and taxes, the only other inevitable part of life is change. Once upon time, we marked time over many centuries such as the bronze age, the dark ages and the industrial revolution. Nowadays, change, driven by technology, impacts on every aspect of our experience of life at an ever increasing pace. It is really quite weird to reflect on the fact that the internet only became mainstream in the very late 1990's/early 2000's, Facebook was launched in 2004, the first smartphone was only released in 2007, and Instagram is not even six years old. If you need a visual of the rapid change in websites this century, have a look here at the internet archives 'Way Back Machine'. Yet everything from how we wake (does anyone really still own an alarm clock?), what we eat (and the photo that goes with it), how we connect to family and friends (anyone still make land-line calls?), how and what we purchase (see what Princess Mary wore on Friday, buy a copy-cat version on line from anywhere in the world by Wednesday) to how we travel and where we stay is all driven by technological advancements that have fundamentally and irrevocably transformed the world as we know it.  Historically, impacts of technological advancements have been seen in objects and 'things' such as the humble wooden spoon, the mechanical clock, or the dishwasher, or alternatively in automating repetitive tasks previously performed by humans such as in manufacturing and mining, predominately the domain of the blue collar worker. More recently, technologically is seeping into the white collar workers arena using AI and machine-learning and access to large data to automate and replicate what has always been considered 'human knowledge'. The accounting/bookkeeping space is not immune. We may not welcome it, but we need to embrace it, and here's 4 tips to get you started: 1. Become a vertical client-base expert. Don't try to be everything to everyone, pick an industry like retail or hospitality and learn EVERYTHING you can to become the go-to person. What pain-points can you solve? What software solutions can you provide? What specific industry add-ons exist? What new technologies are on the horizon that you could educate your clients on? 2. Develop peripheral and adjunct business skills. As someone sitting in the hot-seat of many businesses, you get a global view of what they're lacking. Use these insights. Could you provide a one-stop shop for people setting up a new business? For training staff in a particular industry? For setting up business processes for your current clients? For holding productivity workshops in your local area? 3. Be the conduit of success for businesses. Use your networks and connections to facilitate partnerships . Connect businesses with app developers or industry specialists. 4. Offer consultancy services that provides insights and interpretation of the data the clients hold. Just because the processes are automating doesn't mean that businesses understand what it all means. Just because there are more automations and solutions doesn't mean businesses know how to set them up correctly, or manage them, or interpret them.  Gabrielle Osborne (BAcc) is a small business specialist who loves to help business owners focus on what they do best. An innovation enthusiast and determined problem-solver, Gabrielle is also fun to work with.
e: [email protected] m: 0410 546 000
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