Andrew Erkins first launched Digit to help small businesses in WA strengthen their financial management through bookkeeping and payroll support, and implement business apps and cashflow advisory.
Eight years later, Andrew has grown the business into an award-winning enterprise, having won Bookkeeping Firm of the Year award at the 2021 Australian Accounting Awards
Throughout his business journey so far, Andrew has found one of his main areas of focus has been building the right connections. Here are some of the key insights he has shared.
Build a team who share your values
“Like many small businesses, finding great people over the years has been the challenge,” he says.
“We look for people who are aligned with our values and are motivated by a desire to help others succeed.”
Andrew has enjoyed hiring new people who are aligned with his passion, and seeing them grow personally and professionally over the years.
“We’ve refined how we find and hire talent, which in turn has helped us scale and grow. We made a lot of mistakes along the way to learn that lesson – hiring the wrong people, and also working with customers who weren’t a good fit for us. As business owners, we spend so much of our lives immersed in our businesses – it’s worth being deliberate in who joins us on that journey.”
Connect with others
Andrew is a member of the SBDC Facebook group I’m a small business owner in Western Australia and has been able to create some valuable connections through the group.
“We’ve asked for help and recommendations through the page and have been introduced to some great people as a result. We also pitch in with free advice to support the local community which has been personally satisfying.”
“Everyone genuinely looks out for others. It’s a great community of like-minded businesses owners and the support provided by SBDC in shepherding the community is fantastic.
Ask for advice
Andrew urges all business owners to be open to receiving help and advice at any stage.
“I would advise anybody in business to build strong relationships with people and don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Everyone wants you to succeed – and the quicker you can seek advice, support and leverage the strengths of others – the faster you’ll grow.”
Be active within your industry
Winning the prestigious title of Bookkeeping Firm of the Year award at the 2021 Australian Accounting Awards is evidence of Andrew and his team’s commitment to investing in strong connections within their industry alongside providing quality services to their customers.
Andrew and his team proactively look for new opportunities and invest in improving their knowledge and skills. Andrew attended one of our SBDC cashflow workshops in the past to learn about small business financial management from another professional perspective.
More information
If you’re just starting out in business, you might like to explore our range of articles, tools and resources related to starting a business.
For the chance to build new connections, develop new skills and learn more about running your business, explore our range of upcoming workshops.
