Mt Eliza accountant Andrew Van De Beek releases free guide to help Australian businesses thrive
He’s a rebel with a cause, balancing the books and giving Aussie businesses a formula for success.
South East
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Accountant is the last label you’d attach to Andrew Van De Beek.
His bushy beard, Baker Boy hat and “no dickheads” sign on the office door don’t exactly scream number-cruncher.
“People are surprised when I tell them what I do,” Mr Van De Beek said.
“I’m often told I look more like a barista or a barber.
“That’s how I like it. I would much rather be Andrew who just happens to be an accountant, than someone who is seen as an accountant first and a man second.”
Mr Van De Beek’s unorthodox take on a conservative industry is paying dividends.
In 2018 he was named Thought Leader of the Year at the Australian Accounting Awards.
The same year his Mt Eliza business Illumin8 was named Victorian Xero Partner of the Year and scored an honourable mention for “savvy service” in Anthill Magazines’ Cool Companies list.
“It’s nice to be recognised, but more importantly it gives us a platform to do more to help small businesses thrive,” Mr Van De Beek said.
“I want small business owners to get out of bed in the morning and do what they value most — and that usually doesn’t involve book keeping!”
Mr Van De Beel said Illumin8 worked with a lot of tradies, creatives and those involved in the “gig economy”
“A lot of our solutions are tech-based. The idea is to give people back time; time to spend doing what they love most.”
To further that aim Illumin8 has just released a free online Guide to Better Business.
The resource looks at “everything an Aussie business needs to think about in 2019”.
“It’s an holistic approach,” Mr Van De Beek said.
“I asked a whole bunch of people to write about their areas of expertise; it looks at business security, culture, psychology, marketing and mental health, the whole gamut.”
Mr Van Der Beek created the guide with Marcel McCarthy from website creation and communication’s business OneToo.
The pair hope to release a new guide each year.
“Illumin8 has covered the costs this time around but we might seek funding for future guides,” Mr Van De Beek said.
The Guide to Better Business can be downloaded for free atillumin8.com.au