Take Charge – Career Snippets
Vuyolwethu Ndlovu — MD of Amino Consulting, a 100% black-owned accounting firm — on why she’s passionate about servicing small and medium-sized enterprises
How did you make the switch from employee to entrepreneur? I am an accountant with a background in the financial services industry. After completing my studies and articles, I worked for investment banks, both locally and abroad, for more than 10 years. When I became a mother, I struggled balancing the demands of motherhood with those of my corporate job. It was at that time that Amino Consulting was born – it was founded to give me the freedom I needed to prioritise my family when I needed to, but also use my skills to make a living. Why did you choose to work specifically with small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs)?
Working with SMEs happened organically. It started rather small – just one client referring a family member, or a friend needing help to register a company. However, because I loved working with SMEs, I started pursuing opportunities to work with them. What fulfils me is the opportunity to educate and serve, as well as resolving tax matters that cause our clients sleepless nights. In your line of work, what mistake do you find that SMEs usually make?
The first, is that the owner tries to do everything themselves. They end up paying unnecessary penalties and interest because they just didn’t know what they were doing. Another, is simply not keeping up with paper work. They then have such enormous backlogs and fall behind on all compliance matters. And finally, they’re not clear about what key performance indicators (KPIs) to use to measure and track progress. As a result, they find themselves in financial trouble because they were not measuring the correct indicators. What benefits are you reaping from running your business at home?
Financially, my business costs are low because I don’t have to pay for office space or commuting costs. Timewise, I don’t have to deal with Joburg traffic, so I start work early. Finally, I can respond to any urgent matters quite quickly. What sage advice would you give to other moms looking to, or who are already working from home? Create a solid schedule that works for you personally, as well as for the business and your family. Having a schedule and a daily plan helps with my productivity and getting things done timeously. It’s also very important to have a strong and reliable support system. What sets Amino Consulting apart from the rest?
Firstly, we are also business owners. So, when we’re dealing with other entrepreneurs or prospective business owners, we are helping them with issues that we’ve experienced ourselves. This makes us relatable and allows us to bring a personal touch to the cold world of finance, accounting and tax. We are a small practice, so all our clients are VIPs and we pride ourselves on the service we provide.
What is your vision for your company? To be a one-stop shop for business owners looking for accounting and tax services in Gauteng.