How These Businesses Found An Expert Ecommerce Accountant

When starting an ecommerce business, it’s understandable that accounting may not be at the forefront of your mind. With so many other tasks, it’s easy to push accounting to the bottom of the list. However, as your business expands—hiring staff, manufacturing, fulfillment, entering new markets, and dealing with different compliance obligations—having an ecommerce accounting expert can make all the difference.

Ecommerce accounting experts understand the ins and outs of your sales channels and know the best software solutions to implement. They can help you navigate international tax obligations and identify opportunities for growth within your business. 

For Valentine’s Day 2023, we had the pleasure of chatting with some ecommerce business founders who shared their inspiring stories of transitioning from generalist accountants to ecommerce specialists. And they revealed how finding their perfect match in an accounting expert has transformed their business, enabling them to identify cashflow issues, automate time-consuming processes, and work together to build long-term business growth.

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From costly app nightmares to expert advice for Sweet As Pup

Meet Jules, the founder of Sweet As Pup, an ecommerce business based in New Zealand selling dog treats, accessories, and gifts. 

Despite many saying business owners should wait until they hit a certain level of revenue before engaging an accountant, Jules had big plans for Sweet As Pup and knew she wanted expert advice and guidance from the outset.

Initially, Jules worked with a large traditional accounting firm, but despite being experts in accounting, they didn’t understand Shopify or the specific nuances of ecommerce accounting. Because of this, they gave Jules advice that cost her both time and money. She paid for unnecessary apps that didn’t work and spent hours reconciling Shopify fees and dealing with spreadsheets and other manual processes.

Eventually, Jules realized she needed an accountant who understood ecommerce and could provide tailored advice to help her business grow. She got a referral to Brad at Wise Advice, who specializes in ecommerce accounting, and during their quick intro call, she was blown away by Brad’s insights. He knew precisely how Shopify worked and how to automate her accounting processes.

Jules also appreciated that Brad was more engaged with her business and actively looked for opportunities to help it grow. She felt like he was a partner rather than just a passive accountant she saw once a year. “My accountant understands ecommerce, and I actually kind of can’t put a value on that.”

Working with Wise Advice, Jules now knows she can trust that her numbers are accurate and up-to-date, and she has better visibility over her financials. Better yet, accounting is no longer a painful, time-consuming chore! These days Jules can leave the accounting to Brad while she can focus on growing her business.

The takeaway: If you know you want to work with an accountant from the start of your business, be sure to engage one who understands ecommerce and your specific ecommerce platform. Working with a traditional accountant could cost you both time, money, and growth opportunities.  

A near-disaster with payroll revealed a need for ecommerce accountants for Trademutt

Meet Ed Ross, the co-founder of Trademutt, a remarkable social enterprise workwear company that launched in 2018 with his friend Dan. Together, they wanted to shake up the workwear game for tradies, but that wasn’t their only goal. After experiencing the loss of a close friend, they were motivated to tackle the mental health crisis among young men in Australia. So, they came up with the brilliant idea of combining workwear with a message of mental well-being, all while starting meaningful conversations about mental health. Five years down the track, Trademutt has made a significant impact, and they’re just getting started. 

At first, Ed ran the company through a basic accounting firm that his parents used, and they were “just fumbling along.” But while the business grew bigger than the pair could have ever imagined, Ed admits their financial processes failed to evolve alongside it, resulting in several mistakes. Eventually, it got to the point where Ed worried about how they would make payroll. It was then that he knew he needed to fix their books so they would never be in that situation again, and he reached out to Jason, an ecommerce accounting expert from SBO Financial.  

“As we are here talking about, people wanting to reach out and get support for mental health. We were in a position where we’re like, we need financial help ASAP." 

Jason and the SBO Financial team have made a massive difference for Trademutt. The business now has a three-way budget model, complete transparency, in-depth analysis, and accountability that helps them understand what is working and what’s not. Ed and Dan believe that the investment in the financial side of the business has only been beneficial. Despite not being a numbers person, Ed learned to get across the numbers and now asks questions to ensure that the team meets the set targets and budgets.

These days, Ed’s a total convert to comprehensive accounting, advising anyone still doing their finances on a basic level to invest in the financial side of the business, believing being transparent with your numbers is critical, and ignoring them could end in tears.

The Takeaway: Recommendations from friends and family can be great, but be sure it’s not a situation of convenience over quality. Taking the time to find and vet a suitable ecommerce accountant properly could mean less stress for you and your business further down the track. Not to mention setting up all aspects of the company for growth, so you can focus on scaling without worrying about your systems failing under stress.

Find an expert ecommerce accountant to help your business

Looking for an accountant who understands ecommerce? Check out the A2X Directory, a network of expert ecommerce accountants and bookkeepers who are ready to help businesses just like yours. 

Regardless of your sales channel, an A2X Certified accountant or bookkeeper can support your business with efficiency, accuracy, and expertise.

➡️ Go to the A2X Directory now