The theme for International Women’s Day 2023 is embracing equity. To celebrate, this month we are featuring three women-led businesses who do exactly that.
Each of these businesswomen are cornerstones of their community who take time out of their busy schedules to support others and lift other women to be the best that they can be.
One of the women we chatted with was Rebecca Brind, owner of Kaleidoscope Accounting, who is based out of the Stretton Centre and is a trusted business partner for many people all over the northern suburbs.
Tell us a bit about your business
I run Kaleidoscope Accounting. I’ve been a Chartered Accountant for more than 15 years. My main focus is on tax for small businesses. I really enjoy the fact that through working with family businesses, I get to work with a lot of really interesting people with great stories to tell.
What motivated you to start Kaleidoscope Accounting
I started the business when I had my second child. My husband had initially stayed home and looked after them, but he could tell I wasn’t overly happy and needed a change. He encouraged me to go out on my own in 2017. As much as it can be stressful running your own business, I can’t imagine myself doing anything else now. The flexibility to be able to work around my kids is amazing.
What’s next for Kaleidoscope Accounting?
My ultimate goal is to build my own team, just a few people, enabling me to offer my services to more people and start offering business advisory services. By offering business advisory services, I can provide more value to my clients and help them achieve their business goals.
How do you find your customers?
There have actually been a lot who have come from being based in the Stretton Centre. Mike from the City of Playford business support team often encourages businesses to have a chat with me, and at times those connections turn into customers. Additionally, my name is often recommended by fellow co-workers, leading to numerous referrals..
I have also met some wonderful business owners through SA Women and gained some referrals from their online directory.
What’s your best piece of advice for women in business?
Make sure that you plan and seek appropriate guidance. Although it may not be a high priority for some, and it may not seem enticing or attractive, there can be consequences in the future. Unfortunately, I come across many clients who haven’t taken the time to get professional advice and have already established their business, which can sometimes be hard to fix.
The theme for international women's day in 2023 is embracing equity. What does equity mean to you?
I think that this comes through strongly in my home life. My husband was a stay-at-home dad. We consider what works for our family, not traditional gender roles. That was tough for him in the beginning (ten years ago), because there were not many other stay at home dads, and people could be a bit funny with that. There were no dad’s groups, so he would often just stay at home. Now it’s a little bit different though. That’s one of the best things today. If you go to playgroups now, there are a lot more dads.
Who do you go to for support?
This can be a challenge as a solo operator. During my time working at a large firm, I had the luxury of having colleagues with whom I could bounce ideas off of and specialists to whom I could direct any complex inquiries. Unfortunately, I no longer have access to that support network. However, thanks to technology, I have found valuable assistance through online groups that are both supportive and helpful.
What piece of advice would you like to give to your earlier self?
It’s important to set expectations on realistic timeframes for your work. You learn the hard way on this often because you want to promise everyone the world. I’m still perfecting this art though, but I always try and set expectations early so I don’t burn myself out.
You can find out more about Kaleidoscope Accounting by visiting their website, or by following Rebecca’s journey on LinkedIn.