We build great businesses

We understand that a ‘great business’ means different things to different people who own and run a business. For nearly 60 years we have helped clients build great businesses, and we can help you too. Watch our video below to hear South Australian business owners talk about what a great business looks like to them, and how Accru Harris Orchard supports their plans.

Accru Harris Orchard has developed a methodology that helps businesses to achieve their idea of greatness. It isn’t ‘one-size fits all’ because that goes against what we know about our clients: that their reasons for starting and being in business are all different. Our approach caters for the different motivations of business owners, and their appetite for risk.

It’s one thing to build a great business, but it’s another thing to keep it. Appetite for risk will often decline when there is more to lose. Once you’ve built a great business (and sometimes before you can even think about building one), you need certain foundations in place. You’ll be more motivated to succeed when you feel secure about the things that matter to you most.

Our approach starts with a crucial first step – we help you work out your vision. What are the things that matter to you most? What does a great business look like to you? What is your businesses purpose? What’s going to keep you motivated? Where do you see your business in 5 or 10 years’ time? We capture all this information in a Vision document – rarely more than one page.

Once we have helped you define ‘greatness’ everything we then do for you at Accru Harris Orchard is about helping you achieve this. We work out how your current business is performing against your vision and identify the areas that need focus.

Building a great business is one thing, but how do you know when you get there? Once we’ve set up measurement systems, so we can track progress, then we really get to work.

After we have created firm foundations with you, we meet with you regularly. Although the meetings have a formal structure, they often move into areas that are unplanned but which are crucial to achieving the vision. During these meetings we could discuss any of the following, depending on what needs addressing to achieve your version of building a great business:

Many of our current clients are family businesses. Some of these can be seen in our videos. We know how important it is to start succession planning early, and how to do it right. We also know how difficult this can be. Family members have been involved in our own business, so we know what needs to happen.

Structuring a business properly from a tax perspective can also make or break a business. With our background in accounting and tax, we will help you to get this right.

We hear a lot about digital disruption and the role that technology can or should play in our businesses. It’s easy for business owners to feel ‘out of the loop’ about what is possible. We can help clients stay in front of the pack and make the best use of technology, particularly by helping you to develop better systems and processes.

At Accru Harris Orchard, we have developed services to help at any point of the business life cycle. So, when we’re working on your Vision document we’ll always have one eye on the future, to work out your exit strategy and planning for retirement. Depending on where your business is in the life cycle we can work on business valuations, buying and selling, and retirement – sooner rather than later if need be.

The key difference to remember, is that we know all our clients are different. We haven’t developed ‘out of the box’ business advisory services and our approach to non-compliance services is highly tailored. We have a proven methodology that draws out what’s important to each and every one of our clients in building a great business. Everything we do after that is about making this happen.

To make your business great, please contact James Orchard.