See Full Profile: Bedfordview Accountant: Olivia Peters
Were you always planning to be an accountant and why?
My plan has always been to be an accountant. I enjoy working with figures. I enjoy being able to work the figures into an organized structure to be able to identify problems areas or to be able to forecast future information based on the data.
When meeting with clients do they mostly come to your own premises or do you mostly go their theirs?
I mostly go to my clients
What is your preferred mode of communication with your clients?
Email, Phone, Face to Face
Have you ever done an online video call with a client?
No
What do you love most about accounting?
The knowledge that the records give, both past knowledge and the ability to predict future information based on past trends.
Would you recommend accounting as a career for school-leavers, and why?
For a school-leaver who is interested in figures and structure yes. Accounting can be used as a base for a number of careers. Either they could focus purely on the accounting side or they can use their accounting knowledge to better understand businesses which they may want to run.
What qualities should South African business people be looking for in their accountant?
Integrity and professionalism. Business people need to look for accountants who have the integrity to always do what is right regardless of the difficulties that may create. Integrity and professionalism are the cornerstones to building a trust relationship which is key in any business environment. Business people need to be able to trust their accountant.
What is the biggest challenge facing accountants today?
The biggest challenge is keeping your integrity while it appears to be so easy to take short cuts.
What aspects of accounting do you focus on most?
I focus mainly on the preparation of financial statements.
I also focus on problem solving, creating accounting records from limited information and reviewing financial information to identify problem areas and creating ways to fix the issues.
Describe your average client:
My average client are small to medium entities. Decisions are made by a few individuals who are involved with the day to day operations of the entity.
How far away from your premises is your furthest client?
100km
From your accounting experience, if you could cite one of the biggest reasons SME's in SA fail, what would it be?
Future planning. Many business owners have good ideas behind the reason for the business, however few have the experience or knowledge on how to maintain their business while competing with bigger organizations. Many owners only have experience in one area of a business, this area becomes the main focus, while other areas are neglected. Few owners have the specialised knowledge of business law and accounting.
What accounting software do you like best?
For small and medium enterprises, I like Pastel as it it easy to use. The software is easy to set up for a variety of business types and encompasses most areas of the business.
Software for larger enterprises needs to be more tailored to the individual business and its needs, the software needs to be selected based on what suits the business best."
What other software, online services or apps do you use?
Caseware - drafting and auditing
VIP for payroll"
Do you think the coming wave of automation in the next few years will steal some accounting jobs and why/why not?
Processes can only be automated to a point. Accounting jobs will not be affected as someone will still need to set up the automation process and continuous checks will need to be done to ensure all data being produced by the automated process is accurate and correct.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Reading, being outdoors and spending time with family.
What is the most interesting thing on your bucket list?
Seeing the northern lights
