New accounting challenge evolves for Trish

Director and accountant Trish Madison. PHOTO/SARAH LEE PHOTOGRAPHY

Trish Madison relishes a challenge.
The former community service manager has decided to reshuffle her priorities from working full time for a non-government organisation (NGO) to fully focus on her own accounting business.
Ms Madison had been running Accounta Future Accounting for the past 12 months part-time while she carried out her managerial duties for Emerge Aotearoa, overseeing an adult day activity centre (creative space) and a child & youth service for people with a mental illness.
She had been doing this for the past eight and a half years but decided the time was right for a change.
She described the move as a step out of her comfort zone.
"It's a leap of faith, not only in myself but in the business community as a whole," she said.
"With the advent of cloud-based accounting packages the number-crunching aspect has changed considerably for businesses.
"Business owners have access to up-to-date information and forecasting, they no longer have to wait for end of month or year accounts.
"Future accounting is about supporting businesses into this new environment, automating many of the accounting or bookkeeping tasks and generally enabling business owners to spend less time on the paperwork and more on earning income and quality time with family.
"Farmers, rental and property investors and small businesses have all benefited from this change. I think what my clients particularly like is the personal approach I take, visiting clients at their business or home at a time convenient to them and working with them on their goals and growth."
Ms Madison works from home in Kara, but her clients come from Kaeo, Kawakawa, Whangarei, Dargaville, Auckland and Australia.
"With cloud-based accounting you can work with clients anywhere," she said.
Ms Madison said her education included a diploma in art and creativity followed by an accounting degree.
"When the NGO job was advertised it was for the CEO's position [management, budgeting, fund raising as well as co-ordinating the art side - such as art exhibitions]. My diploma and degree was a perfect fit," she said. "The job then evolved as they do..."