We live in a world where everything has become connected and integrated

As such, business owners now expect their accountant to be involved in various aspects of their business rather than just provide them with a number for how much tax is due at the end of each year.

Increasingly they want to work with their accountant to fine tune their business where possible. After all, their business needs to succeed if they want to retire successfully.

“Carrick Aland believe it’s important to work with our clients in a proactive way to be able to provide better business advice along the way rather than looking retrospectively at what an opportunity might have been, or evaluating the impact of decisions before problems arise,” says farming business specialist Daniel Bartkowski.

“Around 2013 we sensed a need for change with the services that were being offered. We sourced a number of technological solutions that our firm could take advantage of even before some launched in Australia as we could see the power of the product and we wanted to be early adopters.”

Using online software Xero together with Figured enables Carrick Aland’s accountants to offer clients real-time reporting, single set data and technology that allows seamless conversations.

“One of the biggest benefits is being able to invite bankers to see and comment collaboratively on budgets and budgets vs actuals,” says Daniel. “Our clients have always been able to budget, be it on paper or in their heads, but putting those numbers into software that enables input from all a client’s advisors just works better.”

Working smarter with technology has already proven that Carrick Aland is on the right path.

“We have always positioned ourselves as a firm ahead of the curve with technology, using it to assist our clients and help them to improve profit and performance.”

“It helps a lot that many of our team come from farming families and continue to possess that love and passion for farming running through their blood,” Daniel added.

Carrick Aland is at the forefront of farming technology being a pilot firm for Figured in Queensland. Daniel anticipates further exciting developments in the new financial year and looks forward to keeping farming businesses and ag operators posted.

Carrick Aland has been working in the Darling Downs region for over 60 years as a full-service firmoffering tax and business advisory, wealth planning and audit. Based in a farming community, a large number of clients are farmers or the services they provide are linked to how farmers are performing.