“I started my business because I wanted freedom – the freedom to decide how I spend my time and how much I earn.”
Liz Cronje of Chartfords Chartered Accountants is a highly qualified and experienced chartered accountant. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and has almost 30 years of experience as an accountant in South Africa and Australia.
During her time as an accountant, Liz has gained the knowledge and expertise to carefully assess businesses’ current performance to pinpoint what’s going well, identify areas that need improvement, and offer solutions to ensure businesses operate smoothly and effectively.
Chartfords Chartered Accountants operates as a comprehensive accountancy practice, engaging proactively with small businesses in tax, accounting, and advisory services. As a registered tax practitioner, Liz possesses the expertise to offer professional tax advice, ensuring efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and full compliance for businesses.
Liz started her business seeking freedom – the freedom to determine how she spends her time and the income she earns. With a background mainly in Chartered Accountants firms, she loved the diverse ways accountants assisted clients, both in the variety of services to help them and opportunities to interact with many different types of industries, businesses, and people. For Liz, it was inevitable that her venture would be an accounting practice.
Who’s your favourite entrepreneur and why?
Richard Branson – I just love his approach to business, it’s serious but you should also have fun! More than that it’s that he built an empire but remains a humble human being
What do you enjoy most about running your own business?
The people I meet, the stories I hear, the difference I help make.
What three pieces of advice do you wish you’d been given when you started?
- It’s so hard to be a business owner, but it’s also the most rewarding thing in your life so be prepared to work long hours, make sacrifices, and never lose faith in yourself.
- Start your business with the end in mind, and do the important things early on before it gets big and busy, otherwise, you’ll be putting out flames instead of building your business.
- Learn as much as you can about owning, managing, and growing a business from day 1. Read books by people who’ve done it well, and take the lessons from them. Choose one area per quarter and learn the ropes. You must know business from all angles to have meaningful conversations with your future team or partners. One example that comes up is marketing – you cannot have meaningful conversations with your marketer if you don’t understand the topic.
What advice would YOU give someone thinking about starting a business?
- Don’t be in a rush. Start with solid planning.
- Do your budget, and cash flow forecasts, research the best accounting software for your business, and find your A-team (lawyer, accountant, etc).
- Know the risks and have a plan A, B, and C for worst-case scenarios.
- Make sure you’re setting yourself up for success before you jump in.
- Things do not always go according to plan, but if you are prepared, it’s much easier to overcome and carry on.
What skills and knowledge areas would you recommend those starting out in business get acquainted with quickly?
- Small business financial management! What do your financials tell you, how do you use that to make better business decisions, manage cash flow, etc.
- Get great at planning – it’ll make a major difference in your life. Don’t just take things as they come, live each day intentionally. Know what success will look like because you have your map!
- Personal development is a must – building “success habits”, how to stay motivated and focussed, culture a positive, abundance mindset, and thinking differently about money and the world.
What Liz enjoys most about the HerBusiness Network is the opportunity to build more connections. She says that meeting other members during events and having the member directory to reach out to people and build relationships is fantastic.
Learn more about Liz Conje and Chartfords Chartered Accountants.
