Mentoring: Building Successful Practices

Paula Veysey-Smith

Mentoring is a developmental partnership where an experienced and knowledgeable person (the mentor) helps to guide the mentee. The relationship focuses on the mentee’s growth, development, and career progression. The mentor provides support, advice, and feedback to help the mentee achieve their goals, navigate challenges, and build confidence.

“I remember starting my first bookkeeping practice in 1998. Newly qualified and raring to go I picked up my first clients and started my career in bookkeeping and accountancy. Now over 25 years later I realise how much a helping hand would have benefited me, not just when I started out but throughout the journey of building my two practices and realising my goals.

In my 25 years of practice I have a gathered a wealth of experience, knowledge and many amusing stories to tell! I want to use all of these to give others that helping hand to develop and build their own practices.

I am passionate about mentoring as it is the best way of passing on all I’ve learnt on my journey. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing someone else grow, develop and realise their own goals and potential.”

“I would highly recommend the Mentoring Program ran by Paula. Her experience and expertise that she has shared with me has been invaluable. The whole process was tailored to my needs. She spent time getting to know me, my personality, strengths and weaknesses. We covered personal and work goals initially and the whole program was designed to help me achieve them. My goal was to manage my work life balance while my children are young but to build the foundations of a business that could grow with me when I am ready to ramp it up. Paula helped me keep sight of this and suggested ways to maximise my profit in the process.

When we commenced the mentoring sessions, I had completed my exams and obtained my practice licence. I already had one client and was about to take on my second. Although I was confident in my studies, I had many questions around the business side of things. I am pleased Paulas help was early in my journey as she pointed out some flaws in my initial contract and pricing which I would have taken through to new clients and customers. Paula and I covered so many bigger topics such as advertising, pricing, compliance, systems and many more. The course was designed for me to lead and we identified the areas I needed assistance with. Paula guided me and provided inspiration/research sources and shared her extensive industry knowledge. I did see financial improvements very early through some specific upselling advice. I enjoyed our sessions, Paula is a lovely person, she helped me navigate a very unknown time.

The main thing I have taking from this experience is confidence. Confidence in my pricing, in my interactions with new clients, and in assessing my compatibility with potential new clients.”

Tracy Bland