Meet Brent Szalay, Managing Director at Seiva. Along with his work at SEIVA, Brent has received the prestigious Henry Fox award at CPA Australia for his outstanding contribution to Accounting Public Practice and was awarded Wellness Initiative of the Year for his mindset book TryPositive. In this interview, Brent shares what drives him as a leader and how he has implemented a culture of “care” to grow his practice.

Michael Hanrahan from Hanrahans Accounting Services has over 40 year experience in the accounting industry. Michael shares his view on how the industry has changed over that time and how he has developed his business in what it is today.

Jim Covino, head of Covino & Co, has been advising and assisting businesses and individuals for over 30 years. He shares his perspective on how current events affect accounting firms and their clients and the importance of relationships for businesses.

We are meeting today with Sal Vallelonga from Plexus Global. Director of various private entities, board and committee member of various charitable organisations, Sal is regularly involved in fundraising and charitable events while also working as a chartered accountant. Sal's leadership style helps him empower the people that work with him within all organisations. In this episode, we'll discuss his leadership philosophy and how he succeeds to deliver on all his commitments.

In 2022, Australian SMEs are coming out of two years of the pandemic with an upbeat outlook and an eagerness to invest in their business. More companies have acquisitions in their sights. Yet many are frustrated by the traditional borrowing process and are not fully informed about the alternative options available to them.

Bruce Coombes (QuickFee) meets with Guy Callaghan (Banjo Loans) to discuss the SME Compass Report and what it means for B2B firms and businesses that offer services to SMEs.

Download the report here: https://landing.banjoloans.com/banjos-sme-compass-report-2022/

In the Spotlight this month, we have nominated Corene Baird-Coetzer, General Manager at Murfett Legal. Corene has worked as an administrator/manager in the legal profession since 1991 and has been an Office Manager of various law firms since 1995. Corene has a passion for making a difference, which has brought her to become the General Manager at Murfett Legal, a young and dynamic firm led by a team of energetic and strategic directors. Corene’s supports and helps drive the firm to become a well-recognised and serious player in the market. But Corene’s passion doesn’t stop there. She has also been supporting the animal rescue efforts in Ukraine, specifically the Animal welfare work.

In this episode, Bruce Coombes and Alistair Marshall discuss:

• The importance of internal vs external referrals;

• How to use your website as a lead generation mechanism;

• Brand advertising, sponsorships and corporate hospitality.

introducing Jon May, Director at the Chamberlains law firm. Chamberlains is a full-service law firm with niche expertise in the cryptocurrency sector, drawing on knowledge from its commercial, tax and litigation teams. The firm has been helping clients in the sector for some time but is now accepting payments in most major cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Chamberlains Law Firm was the Australiasian Law Awards Law Firm of the year in 2020 and has kept cumulating industry awards throughout the years.

Bruce Coombes and Alistair Marshall are back and talk about generating leads and growing your practice. In this episode, they provide advise on:

• Accounting and legal firm sales process;

• Gaining visibility and credibility;

• Getting your firm and your people to focus more on business development;

• Generalist VS Specialist;

• Getting referrals;

• Marketing - relevance in business development.

In the Spotlight recognises legal and accounting practitioners who demonstrate innovation, success, and commitment throughout their work.

This month, we are meeting with David Dahm, Chartered Accountant, CEO and Founder of Health and Life. David Dahm deeply cares about healthcare and ethics and has incorporated his beliefs and principles into his accounting practice. With a passion for finance and health, David brings a different perspective on accounting services.