Neil Hodgson’s career path to his First Class Accounts – Ballajura franchise has been anything but straightforward. His resume features some impressive experience.
He was a systems accountant at The Sunday Times newspaper in Perth and once a General Manager of a real estate newspaper.
But then came the challenges of redundancies.
“I was quite happy in a well-paid job with reasonable perks and saw a future in that industry. Being made redundant was a shock,” Neil said.
Life After Redundancies
Following the challenges of redundancies, Neil was fortunate that one of his friends had a job opportunity to try something completely different.
“One of my best friends owns a scrap metal business and he said “Look, if you’re looking for something to do, there’s a truck there with no one driving it” I did that for two years. It was a really different lifestyle,” Neil said.
There were no hard and fast rules. Neil enjoyed flexibility with his work and could work when he wanted. If he needed to be at the school for his kids, he could do that. There was no stress – he could work when he wanted to work and go where he wanted to go.
The freedoms that Neil enjoyed driving trucks and in his earlier role as a General Manager inspired Neil to think more about the opportunities for work/life balance that self-employment could provide. Determined never again to face redundancy, he decided to take control and shape his own work life and lifestyle.
“It definitely made me think, I don’t want to work for anyone else,” he said.
A Journey to Self-Employment
As luck would have it, another of Neil’s mates asked if he’d be interested in helping him in his bookkeeping business. He was a franchisee bookkeeper with First Class Accounts.
“That’s where I got my introduction to First Class Accounts. He said “You’re an accountant. I’m a bookkeeper. I’ve got plenty of clients that need a bit of help. Would it be something you’d be interested in?”, recounted Neil.
They caught up later that week, one thing led to another, and Neil’s mate said, “I’ll give you half a dozen clients straight up. Your clients will be your clients, my clients will be my clients.”
And, so it began, in 2009, after first getting clearance from First Class Accounts’ National Office – a business partnership that would last almost five years, and then Neil took over the franchise.
“It was a bit of a learning curve, going from running an established business to actually having to start my own business from scratch. But, it wasn’t unenjoyable. I’m still doing it now, so I guess I enjoy it,” Neil said.
A Fulfilling Career With Work/Life Balance
Now, nestled in the nice, quiet northern suburbs of Perth in Western Australia, with the stress of redundancies behind him, Neil is content working solo in his business. He has designed the work life he wants. He has a few clients that he goes to see on-site, but most of Neil’s work is remote from his home office.
“I absolutely like working for myself. A lot of people, they tell me, if it wasn’t for employees and customers, they’d have a great business. So, not having the stress of employees is definitely good,” Neil reflects.
But, even as an independent business owner, Neil isn’t entirely on his own. As a First Class Accounts franchisee, he benefits from a very supportive franchisee network that is ready to lend a hand or provide support whenever needed.
“I think it’s good that we are able to ring each other if we do need help. It’s nice to know that they’re there. We’ve got a little messaging app that we all use, and occasionally a question will pop up and you say, well, that’s relevant because I’ve been doing that,” he said.
Neil enjoys the diversity of his work. From tradies and manufacturing businesses to not-for-profits and large corporations, he works with a wide range of clients. Neil finds his bookkeeping franchise and his career as a bookkeeper very fulfilling.
“It’s not the same thing every day. Different challenges in the different industries. So, yeah, I like that.”
The majority of Neil’s work comes from referrals. He’s built relationships with a few accountants who regularly send work his way, and referrals from his existing customer base keep him busy.
“I don’t do any direct marketing. I’m not advertising anywhere. The leads just come to me,” Neil said.
“I do try and make an effort to call clients that are in contact with lots of people. People like the hairdressers, the electricians, the cafe people. They’re the people that are talking to lots of people,” he said.
As for what the future holds, Neil hopes one day to still own the business but to employ someone else to do all the work.
“I really need to retire soon. I’ve got far too many hobbies. I can’t concentrate on any one of them to the exclusion of the others. So yeah, I need more time!”, Neil jokes.
Are you inspired by Neil’s story?
Contact the First Class Accounts team on 1800 118 611 and learn more about owning a bookkeeping franchisee today.
