One of Te Puke’s oldest professional service firms, Bennetts Proactive, has embarked on a new chapter at a time when Bay businesses need a closer relationship with their accountants than ever before.
Experienced senior chartered accountant Maria Livingstone recently re-joined the team as a new Associate, almost two decades after she originally began working there as a university graduate.
“Bennetts Proactive has always been a wonderful firm to work for. I’m excited to return and be given the opportunity to lead the team alongside Lance Ewens and Amanda Hutchings,” she says.
“Over the past decade I’ve gained a huge amount of commercial experience across all sectors including construction, property development, retail and manufacturing. I’ll now be using that knowledge and expertise to benefit our firm’s wonderful clients who range from multi-million horticultural operations through to Bay of Plenty-wide SMEs and mum and dad property investors.”
While based in Te Puke, Bennetts Proactive’s clients can be found throughout the region as many prefer the firm’s personalised and responsive service, easy access and affordable fees while still enjoying all the benefits the latest accountancy software and technology can offer.
“Our firm was one of the early adopters of Xero and we can certainly match the expertise and services offered by big-city accountancy firms,” Maria says. “Our team are exceptionally good at what they do, and can help people with their annual tax returns, financial statements and GST compliance as well as quarterly reporting, cashflow reporting, budgeting, business appraisals, succession planning, trust administration and much more.”
Today’s tight economy means it’s imperative for businesses to work alongside their accountants to trouble-shoot any problems before they arise, Maria says.
“Working regularly with your accountant means you’ll always know where you’re at, instead of muddling through to the end of financial year and then discovering a problem. A lot of sectors are struggling at the moment. So it’s important to manage cash flow and avoid getting into crisis situations. Early intervention is key, which is why you should be leveraging your accountant’s knowledge and consulting with them closely right now.”
Maria says there’s often a perception that technology and software does all your accounting for you, which simply isn’t true. “The data is only as good as the person entering it. There’s still a lot of nuance when it comes to applying tax law and banks certainly want to see financial statements that have been reviewed by accountants to make sure they’re sensible and accurate. There’s also a wealth of advice we can provide on business planning, strategies for growth and succession. Artificial intelligence cannot sympathise or understand the unique issues you’re facing on the ground.
“Tax and property law is continuing to evolve and catch people out, so it’s better to ask questions at the outset when setting up a business and spend $500 to get it right than spend $5000 down the track trying to fix up a mistake,” she explains.
“I’ve helped clients through a lot of tough situations and emotions do run high when your livelihood is on the line. So it’s important to have a trusted accountant who can relate to you and your business. To me, accountancy is more than just numbers. It’s about building relationships with people and being that vital sounding board to help you get through those hard times so your business can still grow and thrive.”
Bennetts Proactive was founded in the mid-1950s and was originally called Earp and Earp. Current owner Lance Ewens joined the business 40 years ago and says Maria’s arrival was “the easiest hire I’ve ever made”.
“We’ve morphed a lot of times over the years but we’ve stood the test of time thanks to the excellent service we provide, primarily to the horticulture, dairy and livestock industry. But today we provide accountancy services to a wide range of SMEs and sole traders across every industry you can imagine. And with Maria now on board, I know we are very well-positioned for the future. She knows her stuff, and brings a lot of new ideas and energy which will ultimately benefit our clients and our local economy.”
