Resources
Get it all in one place. Help yourself to these free resources and get up to speed faster.
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!
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
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.
Basics
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
Basics
1. Set 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.
Custom charts
Customise the way your charts and data are displayed in Spotlight Reporting.
Forecasting, budgeting and scenarios
Three videos to help you start building your budgets, forecasts, and scenarios.
Formula gallery
The options are endless. Choose from our standard formulas or use a formula you've created.
Dynamic rules in Forecasting
You can set dynamic rules to adjust accounts based on a formula, e.g. set a Cost of Sales account to automatically be a percentage of a revenue account.
Online resources
Partner Success Centre
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.