Today’s guest was Matt Wilkinson from Bizink. Matt is originally from Liverpool and emigrated to New Zealand in 2010. Before leaving the UK, Matt gained experience in eCommerce, setting up his own business after university. He continued gaining experience in eCommerce, including website design and has worked with the Internet since the 90s.

Matt explained how he first started working with Xero through Eclipse, his first employer in New Zealand. Eclipse were an accounting software firm that were eventually acquired by CCH which pushed Matt to set up on his own to avoid working for a large corporation.

Bizink was created to bring together all the elements that Matt enjoyed during his career. This is a mixture of technology, online marketing, websites, small business advice and working in the accountancy industry.

The purpose of Bizink is to help accountants become 'incredible online', generating more leads and converting these to valuable clients. In the same way the Matt outsources his accounting, he helps firms outsource their marketing to ensure they get the best service possible, saving them time and having an expert support them in this critical business area.

During his time in New Zealand, Matt described a change in the expectations of business and the way accounting firms have reacted to the changing landscape.  Firms can now see the need to be more flexible, with different payment arrangements and taking an advisory role rather than providing a mostly compliance related service.

In the future, Matt described this accountancy services as being 'a given'. Compliance and tax returns will be an assumed function, overtaken by the need for business advice. Firms will help with KPI setting and beyond this into marketing, websites and SEO services for the clients.

http://bizinkonline.com/