“We just went, ‘We're going for this. Either we're doing it or we're not.’ That's sort of how we do things. And if we are, we're boots and all.”

To Marilyn’s surprise, it wasn’t too difficult to get clients to switch to the new software platform. All they needed was the push of knowing the accountants they trusted were sold.

But the team wasn’t fully on board with the move, leading to some early internal struggles as the firm grew. They were overwhelmed by the details of managing workflow and responding to clients quickly.

That all changed when the team adopted Karbon.

“It’s taken all the stress away,” Marilyn says on the podcast. “You’re not worrying about missing things.”

Recommended resource: The two bumps in the road you must anticipate and prepare for as you grow

The difficulty of attracting qualified help in a small town

Getting comfortable with a tech stack hasn’t been the only challenge for Tandem Group. Its unique location has made it hard to attract up-and-coming talent.

New Plymouth is small, with a strong native community, and it’s hard to entice new people to move there. It didn’t help when, according to Marilyn, a TV program predicted that the New Zealand accounting industry would all but disappear by 2030, discouraging potential future accountants from following that career path.

While Marilyn has taken advantage of outsourcing—specifically to India—to support her team, it’s not quite the same as bringing on accountants who can build deep relationships with the locals.

“We sit and plan what we can do with clients. They will ring us and say, ‘You're the only people we can talk to. This is what we want to do. Can you help us work our way through it?’ And we will sit with them and enjoy that process—but we need people to help.”

This advisory approach is a major contributing factor to Tandem Group’s success.

Optimistic advice for clients recovering from an economic hit

The pandemic has continued to put extra stress on New Zealand’s economy with pressures on shipping, reduced tourism, and high overall inflation.

Tandem Group has stayed busy guiding its clients through the sea change, focusing on what they can provide their customers now—and in the event of another unforeseen obstacle.

“We’re doing a lot of planning on making things better, not worse,” Marilyn says to Stuart.

She believes in making COVID an opportunity, not a disaster. That means dipping into local community spirit (especially if you live in a fiercely connected small town) and thinking creatively on behalf of your clients.

Bouncing back from remote-only

Marilyn is grateful her firm managed to stay relatively insulated from COVID's effects due to the viability of remote accounting. But she estimates about 70% of her team were itching to get back to the office. They were tired of endless Zoom calls and missed the supportive environment they were accustomed to.

“Work plays an important part in people's lives," Marilyn points out. “We run a really healthy team environment, and people like that.”

For Marilyn and her team, creating a healthy work ambiance—where even frequent interruptions can be energizing—is key in good times and bad.

Connections and tech literacy: a recipe for resilience

Rural or not, any accounting firm can benefit from the lessons Tandem Group has learned. Marilyn highlights two components young accountants need to reinforce a growing practice:

1. A strong referral network.

It’s not just small-town accountants who should be embedded in their communities. There’s no better marketing than word-of-mouth.

2. A reliable IT person (or team).

As the role of technology grows in the industry, you can never have too much backup, especially since your team can only function as well as the tools it uses. Plus, clients who see that you can solve frustrating computer-related problems quickly will appreciate your services even more.

These are just a couple of the steps you can take to position your firm squarely as one of the businesses to survive something as potentially devastating as a pandemic—and show others how to do the same. Be ready for the next global challenge and you’ll be the liferaft they reach for.

As Marilyn says, “Those people who have resilience are still going to be there.”

When you see yourself as more than a tax preparer, you’re on your way to becoming a great accountant—even more so when you can put yourself in your client’s shoes.