Small Firm Groups (SFG)
Both SFG 1 and 2 meet in Sydney, usually at the ICAA's office
- SFG 1 - Meets 4 times pa for 4 hours. Members are Sole Practitioners or Partners from 2 Partner firms
- SFG 2 - Meets 3 times pa for 3 hours. Members are Sole Practitioners or Partners from 2 partner firms
Other Small Firm Groups will be created, including in other cities, if sufficient firms can be found to participate. At present at least 5 firms are needed to create a new Group.
Why?
Sole Practice and working within a 2 Partner firm can be lonely as you focus on care for clients. As for TAP Groups, in the fast changing world of accounting firms it is difficult to be up to date on all practice management and marketing issues. SFG offers participants the opportunity,
- To ask questions
- To check what others are doing
- To discuss issues of common concern
- To tap into Thea's knowledge of developments and experience within the profession
- To access firms with special expertise who may be able to undertake projects for you
The emphasis is on discussion of mutually agreed topics in an atmosphere of trust and support.
Each firm represented provides a brief commentary on recent developments, this is then opened for questions, answers and comments. Special topics are covered in detail, sometimes with guest speakers. The speakers may or may not be from outside the Group. Members share information and experiences.
What?
SFG's are a special environment where key people responsible for the direction and management of accounting practices can discuss issues of common concern. The emphasis is on discussion of mutually agreed topics in an atmosphere of trust and support.
Each firm represented provides a brief commentary on recent developments, this is then opened for questions, answers and comments. Special topics are covered in detail, sometimes with guest speakers. The speakers may or may not be from outside the Group. Members share information and experiences.
How?
Each firm represented provides a brief commentary on recent developments, this is then opened for questions, answers and comments. Special topics are covered in detail, sometimes with guest speakers. The speakers may or may not be from outside the Group. Members share information and experiences.
Added Value prepares the agendas for the meeting, the topics included are based on those suggested by members and ideas which occur to Thea Foster during the course of her consulting work.
Thea Foster chairs the meetings. If an issue is to be surveyed by questionnaire, Added Value prepares the questionnaire, tests it and ensures responses are tabled at the meetings. Sometimes summaries of the surveyed information are prepared and distributed.
Between meetings, Added Value facilitates the exchange of information and helps address any member firm questions which may arise.
The timetable for meetings is arranged to fit around the busy times in accounting practices and to avoid school holidays.
What Next?
Contact Thea on 02 9968 1130 or thea@addedvalue.com.au to discuss which Group might best benefit you and your firm. You will find out about membership gaps and what new Groups are being created. Plus of course, the current price for meeting participation.
The system for potential new members is that they first attend a meeting. Then at the end of the meeting they will be asked if the meeting has been useful. If so, then an invoice will be raised and will be due and payable in 14 days. If the meeting has not been useful, then clearly no invoice will be raised.
Participants are next asked if they would be interested in joining the Group. Sometimes this requires a decision of a firm's co-owners, so cannot be answered straight away. Future invoices will be due and payable on or before the date of the meeting. Note, fees are due, regardless of whether or not a firm is represented at a meeting. In practice firms are almost always represented at a meeting.