Resources

Get it all in one place. Help yourself to these free resources and get up to speed faster.

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Training & Education

Spotlight Courses

Spotlight Certification

The self-paced training program on how to use the Spotlight suite of apps.

Transform in Action

An action-based course to help you learn how to design and implement successful advisory services and mindset in your practice.

Thought Leadership

Advisory Advantage Podcasts

Using the cloud to enable advisory

In this podcast, Shaye Thyer from BDO Australia shares insights into how business advisory is changing and expanding the role of accountants creating exciting opportunities and new challenges. The conversation also explores how accountants can develop their skills to embrace the shift to advisory.

Strategic planning for small businesses

In this podcast, Matt Sharwood (Director of Advise Accountants) demonstrates how his time out from the accounting industry to get into business helped him understand what businesses really needed from their accountants. If you're looking to make advisory a success then this is the podcast for you!

Overcoming the obstacles to delivering Advisory

In this podcast, we chat with Doug Sleeter, founder and former CEO of The Sleeter Group. He talks about the link between blockchain and accounting, opportunities and threats accountants need to be aware of, and the dangers of not keeping up.

How to deliver advisory

Want to offer business advisory services but don't know where to start or know how to motivate your team? We sit down with Steph Hinds, Founder and Head Ninja of accounting firm Growthwise to discuss this topic. Listen to this podcast to get the answers, plus more!

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Transform! eBook

Add value and seize opportunity in the new accounting industry. The transformation that is taking place offers fantastic opportunities for new entrants to the industry and for those prepared to transform.

This free eBook, written by our CEO, Richard Francis, exists to help you make the most of this new wave and to do transformational work of true value and purpose.

Free download

Such a great book! I use it for training sessions in our BDO NZ business services division.

Mike Torrie, Partner at BDO

We are putting together an action list and strategies to implement based on this book. I have already done a service opportunity matrix to look for opportunities within our client base. Rather than spending lots of time trying to get more customers, we will be serving the ones we have with higher value services.

Kelly Miller, Director at Sass

It’s a very good read and it's exceptionally well written. I really respect Richard's writing style.

Viv Brownrigg, co-founder & CEO at The Gap

Training

Training Videos

Our Spotlight experts have put together these videos, which are loaded with handy tips and best practice advice. A sweet little bonus is that you can earn up to 2.0 CPD hours, just for watching.

Spotlight Reporting Introductory webinar 2 4

Basic

1. Spotlight overview
2. Creating an organisation
3. Importing data
4. Easy customisation options
5. Sharing your report

Advanced

1. Customise your data
2. Set up KPI's / targets
3. Create your custom charts
4. Saving report templates
5. Create a consolidated report

Spotlight Forecasting Introductory webinar 2

Basic

1. Setting up a new organisation
2. Using the Task Manager
3. Importing data
4. Flexing budgets
5. P&L and Dynamic rules

Advanced

1. Update actuals in a forecast
2. Balance sheet forecast rules
3. Loan amortisation rule
4. Create 'what-if' scenarios
5. Comparison pages and outputs

Advisory Insights

White Papers

Help yourself to our free guides and start making a difference in your practice today. They're there for the taking, so download, share with your team and get stuck in.

Cash is King - Cloud Style

Every business client deserves a cashflow forecast! We all know that cash is the lifeblood of any business. Without liquidity, businesses will wither and die.

The Perfect Advisory Relationship

Be different. Embrace the great advisory relationship with your clients. Learn how to build a strong and long-lasting relationship and deliver a great value-add session that is rewarding for both you and the client.

Smart KPI's for Accounting Firms

Every credible business needs to measure what matters. Without the measurement of meaningful KPIs and a monitoring and reaction regime, your measure of success just becomes a stab in the dark.

Consolidation in the Cloud

Consolidation doesn't have to be a costly, slow and manual process. It should be useful, efficient and transparent.

Support

Help Centre

Step-by-step guides to help you become a Spotlight expert.

Create custom charts

Edit your charts with one click.

2 Forecasting budgeting and scenarious Spotlight Forecasting3

Forecasting, budgeting and scenarios

Add 3-way forecasting

Formula Gallery

Choose from 100's of different charts

Dynamic Rules in Forecasting

Set Dynamic Rules to adjust accounts based on a formula

Visit Help Centre

Online resources for Spotlight customers

Partner Success Centre

Our Partner Success Centre is designed to support and supercharge your advisory transformation. This online hub is an exclusive benefit for our SuperVCFO and Basic subscribers.

Cloud Accounting Strategy

You want to only do this once, do it right. Your cloud strategy should encompass four key factors. Take a look at our latest post.

Service Opportunity Matrix

A Service Opportunity Matrix is a great tool to align clients and the most suitable services you can offer them.

Sample eDM Marketing Campaign

Download this template to create and deliver a great email marketing campaign to launch your Advisory services to clients.

Recipe for Success with Brad Turville

Listen to our Super VCFO partner Brad Turville, of BJT Financial share his advisory insight and knowledge.

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