This episode was recorded on the way to the Sydney Accounting & Business Expo, offering a candid and practical conversation about AI in practice, peer communities, vendor relationships and the evolving accounting profession in Australia.

• Chris Wheatley shares insights into running a 10 FTE suburban accounting practice with 1,900 clients
• Discussion on AI in accounting tools and how most firms are already using it
• The growth and impact of the Small Business Accountants & Advisors Brain Trust Facebook group
• Peer-to-peer recommendations versus traditional vendor marketing
• The rise of alternative and non-bank lending in the SME space

This conversation highlights the importance of community, practical tech adoption and staying grounded while navigating change in the accounting profession.

Episode resources and links:

Chris Wheatley, Director, Scope Accounting : https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-wheatley-fca-29398533/

Scope Accounting : https://www.scopeaccounting.com.au/

Small Business Accountants & Advisers Brain Trust, Australia FaceBook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/977122739056681

Accounting & Business Expo : https://www.terrapinn.com/exhibition/accounting-business-expo/index.stm

If this episode helped you, the best way to support the show is to leave a review somewhere as it helps more people find us. And if you want to continue the conversation, come find me Heather Smith | Accountant and Storyteller on:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/

Accounting Apps newsletter: http://accountingapps.io/

Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting

X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU

Fast-growing businesses eventually reach a point where their finance systems struggle to keep up. In this episode, CFO Anita Chow shares how Acusensus moved from a Xero and spreadsheet-based environment to a full ERP Oracle Netsuite platform to support rapid growth and international expansion.

The discussion explores what triggers the shift to ERP, the challenges of managing multiple entities and growing transaction volumes, and the benefits of having a scalable financial infrastructure. The move dramatically improved automation across key areas such as reporting, lease accounting, and financial consolidation while enabling the finance team to spend more time partnering with the business.

The conversation also highlights important lessons for finance professionals and advisors supporting scaling companies. Clean data, thoughtful change management, and clear success metrics are critical. Ultimately, technology is only the enabler. The real value comes from how finance teams use better systems to deliver insights, manage risk, and support strategic decisions.

Apps & Tools Mentioned: NetSuite, Xero, Excel, ProSpend, Zone & Co, Netgain, Employment Hero, Airwallex, NetSuite Planning and Budgeting

Contact details:

Oracle Netsuite : https://www.netsuite.com/portal/home.shtml

Acusensus : https://www.acusensus.com/

Anita Chow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-chow-b77a0016/

Accounting Apps newsletter: http://accountingapps.io/

Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting

X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU

A practical conversation, with Tyler Caskey, Dan Osborne and Heather Smith, hosted by John Munden, on how accounting firms can grow through better systems, small efficiency improvements and intentional technology adoption including AI, automation and advisory insights. Presented by Cloudoffis.

Cloud Office is an Australian cloud-based platform that helps accountants and auditors streamline SMSF audits, tax workpapers and compliance workflows.

Summary

Accounting firms are entering a new phase of growth where success is no longer measured only by revenue. In this discussion, we explore how modern practices are improving profitability, efficiency and lifestyle outcomes through smarter systems and technology adoption.

The panel shares practical advice on reviewing your tech stack, identifying pain points and adopting automation that removes administrative tasks rather than replacing professional judgement. AI is already transforming workflows through data analysis, receipt capture, executive summaries and financial insights.

Importantly, the conversation also highlights the need for clear AI policies, strong client data protection and thoughtful implementation. As accounting technology continues to evolve, firms that focus on small improvements, better systems and intentional growth will be well positioned for the future.

Apps & Tools Mentioned: Cloudoffis, Excel, Google Meet, Zoom, Xero, Hubdoc, Dext, Wheel, JAX, ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Power BI, Intuit

Contact details:

Cloudoffis : https://cloudoffis.com.au/

Dan Osborne : https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-osborne-985129121/

CATS : https://catax.com.au/

Two Drunk Accountants : https://twodrunkaccountants.com.au/

Tyler Caskey : https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylercaskey/

Bean Counters : https://www.thebeancounters.com.au/

John Munden : https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmunden/

Accounting Apps newsletter: http://accountingapps.io/

Accounting Apps Mastermind: https://www.facebook.com/groups/XeroMasterMind

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ANISEConsulting

X: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU