Phenomenal results for this start-up after a cool nine months … thanks to some crucial advice and mentoring from ATB right from the start.
Hold on tight … this ride will be fast!
While most mortgage brokers are writing 12 million dollars in mortgages every year, Haydn Marshall is writing those figures in a month.
Which is quite incredible really, given that he’s only been in business for nine months.
And in that nine months, he has scaled far quicker than he ever dreamed possible.
So what’s his secret weapon?
From employee to business owner …
Lend Perspective creates bespoke financial solutions for everyday Australians.
Haydn leads the business strategy and drives the company vision. Having previously held positions with NAB and MLC, Haydn’s unique blend of experience in financial strategy means he can help you find the right financial solution for your needs.
So he’s very good at what he does. But he needed help transitioning from employee to business owner … he needed the right advice, guidance and mentoring … and a great accounting team around him.
“I transitioned from employee to business owner nine months ago, with the full support of Paul Rattray and the team at ATB.”
… with the right mentor by your side
“Paul was a major part of the transition … right from the beginning.
From discussions on how best to structure the company and the legal entities moving forward, trading names, then tax and accounting standards and what the future impact of these standards would be on my work.
“We spent a lot of time planning … running cash flow projections and lots of reports. He’s helped set up cloud accounting so I can run my business from anywhere in the world. Paul has given me direction and opportunity through his network of contacts to allow me to leverage into a business with many employees.”
Getting good advice … fast!
“The pace of my industry is fast … it’s rapid. So being able to access the right advice in a timely fashion is one of the most important factors … and through Paul and ATB I’ve been able to secure that.
And having a mentor who understands planning and accounting is a great thing … because Paul and the team are also financial planners; they understand the industry – which is very beneficial.”
The Aussie small business dream
Haydn values what being a business owner has done for his lifestyle, and he is relishing the autonomy small business owners have.
“As they say … with great power comes great responsibility! I love being able to structure my day, week and year around my work … and as long as I have ultimate accountability for myself and my actions, I will reap the rewards.
ATB allows you to recognise the strengths within yourself and your business model and helps facilitate your achievement of those goals of autonomy and development in both your personal and professional life.”
Like most small business owners, Haydn works hard … very hard. When he was an employee he worked 80 hours a week. Now that he is a business owner he cautiously says it’s closer to 100.
“I only see what the outside looks like when I’m walking to meetings. My workload went up, but I’m managing a much higher volume of clients and building my business. ATB has allowed me to stay on the correct path, working with me to schedule time to work both in the business and on the business.”
Play to your strengths … lessons learned the hard way
“One of the many things I’ve learned from Paul is to really focus on what I’m good at. Initially I was looking to build my own website and do my own accounting and marketing.
The main thing I wanted was control … but working with Paul made it easy to identify what I needed to do and what I needed to outsource. I had to relinquish that control … and focus on doing what I do best and let Paul focus on what he’s good at.
This helped me handle the volume we found ourselves experiencing and helped both Paul and me to scale the operation quickly …
… while making sure I maintain a good work life balance.
It’s been the hardest thing – but also one of the most valuable. I would never have been able to scale and grow in such a short period if I hadn’t focused on the strengths in my business and allowed other people to complete the administrative and non-core related tasks.”
Working together to create magic
Paul and Haydn work together on reporting, cash flow, wages and super.
While Haydn has a high degree of autonomy and a good understanding of costs and cash flow, it’s a constant reassurance that he has Paul on the other end of the phone at any given time, to help with anything that may arise.
“We speak at least once a week, particularly while things are moving quite quickly … and we have quarterly meetings – one solely for strategy and one for accounts.”
Just a regular bloke
“Paul sets himself apart from other accountants because he’s very personable … he takes the time to understand you – he’s not your traditional accountant. He allows his personality to show, and we’ll have a beer while we’re talking about the accounts. He’s a friend first and an accountant second, and he takes the time to invest in your success. He wants to see you succeed.”
I wholeheartedly trust that Paul and his staff are invested in the outcome and success of my business and will do whatever it takes to help me achieve that.”
The sky’s the limit
The limiting factor of success is capacity … and that’s something Paul and Haydn are working closely on.
With only so many hours in each day, scaling needs to be done carefully and efficiently.
Haydn’s business model is successful because of what sets him apart.
“I focus on customer advocacy and service, and that’s why I’m good at my job. Anyone worth their flesh can write you a mortgage, however if you remain focused on the level of service and the quality of service, the clients and deals come as a result and profit comes thereafter. Actions leading to outcomes … “
And with the profit created through the business, Paul and the ATB team are helping with a strategy to utilise these funds for the future.
A partnership to be proud of
“The knowledge ATB have and share as chartered accountants and business mentors allows a business like Lend Perspective to go from a small business to a large business over time, and the skills they have inherent across the business mean they’re able to provide a tailored experience to each of their clients on a case by case basis.
Being able to have a tailored approach to a small to medium business allows business owners the comfort of knowing they’ve partnered with a firm who’ll provide them service well into the future.”
Contact ATB Chartered Accountants today
