The view from the inside – a bookkeeper’s perspective

The pace of change in the bookkeeping industry is rapid, and it’s not going to slow down.

Technological developments such as automation and AI have the potential to revolutionise the industry, but how this revolution is playing out looks very different to different people.

Somebody at the coalface every day may see it playing out in the distance, but for a software

company trying to help people deal with the day-to-day the changes seem very immediate.

The world of bookkeepers and the world of a service provider such as MYOB are often seen as two separate entities – but what if there somebody with a foot in both worlds?

Somebody who sits within the four walls of MYOB but also uses our solutions to drive their own bookkeeping business?

Jody Sitters is that person.

She’s one of our SME training whizzes, and works with us part-time – which allows her to focus on her bookkeeping business as well.

Jody has over a decade of experience in the admin and bookkeeping game, but only recently celebrated her first anniversary working with MYOB.

So what has she learned?

The Pulse: What was your experience of MYOB before you came to work in-house?

Jody: Because I have worked alongside of MYOB as a partner for over 15 years I had a strong concept of its vision.

My impression was that MYOB was here for the long haul.   

The Pulse: What has surprised you the most about working at a place like MYOB?

Jody: The culture! I love the culture! It’s fast-paced, and ever-changing

The Pulse: Has your experience inside MYOB affected your work outside of it?

Jody: Not particularly, as I keep a few bookkeeping clients.

They’re all online and I employ somebody to help out in this area. She does invoicing, payroll and bank feed entries, while I complete and lodge BAS returns and offer support and training to SMEs in setting up solutions to best run their business.

The Pulse: Working at a company at the forefront of the bookkeeping technology, how do you feel about the future of the bookkeeping profession?

Jody: I think that there’s massive opportunity to for the bookkeeping profession to have a great business model.

Cloud accounting has allowed so much more access to SME accounting back end so bookkeepers can build and retain a quality client base. In return SMEs can receive faster return on support and information in a real-time environment.

I couldn’t work three days for MYOB and two days in my business effectively without this type of cloud enablement.

With the technology of the dashboard the value of my business can easily build and the retention rate is much better.  

The Pulse: Do you think MYOB understands the needs of bookkeepers?

Jody: Yes, I really do.

The biggest challenge is helping bookkeepers embrace the challenge of change within the industry – which is something I see every day while I’m at MYOB.

The Pulse: What do you think is the most important thing you’ve learnt at MYOB?

Jody: I think I’ve learnt the most about change management, because the industry is evolving so quickly and MYOB is part of it.

It’s an area I’ve really enjoyed, and it’s imperative that people embrace change.

MYOB has a strong focus and support base in this area and I have really felt the benefit of learning more about this.