The founder of The Kalculators talks about how ACCA membership has brought her innumerable career opportunities.
I’m the founder of The Kalculators and very much the captain of the ship. My most prized experiences come from helping varied entities – from factory workers to multimillion-dollar turnover businesses, such as pharmacies, construction businesses and retail stores.
Knowing that I have the reach of seven offices that help more than 20,000 clients means I really enjoy my role. The profession has become more essential than ever in an environment where clients seek both compliance and advisory from one firm.
The business has had to evolve and change to embrace these expectations. This evolution has made us feel more empowered and capable of offering an experience rather than a mere service.
I want to provide my clients with a powerful experience, one they’ll carry as a standard of service to expect from other businesses. As a business owner, I want my business to be an example of how things are done right. I believe this is the goal that drives my career regardless of what role I am in for the day: business owner, manager or chartered accountant.
As soon as I finished my ACCA exams, I got an opportunity to work with organisations like EY and PwC. The foundation was strong and my career progression continued as I became an ACCA member and now a fellow.
As I moved to Australia from Pakistan, I was able to obtain the CA ANZ qualification on the basis of my ACCA membership. This has further enhanced my CV and brought innumerable career opportunities.
There is no replacement for a global professional network. ACCA provides the groundwork for this network through which professionals can reach out to their counterparts or seniors all over the world for guidance, knowledge and insight.
I believe that my ability to land a role in PwC within 20 days of my arrival in Australia was due to my qualifications. This is an example of what a trusted professional network and related qualifications can do for you.
Technology has added more arms and legs to The Kalculators. We’re bigger and better due to the reach and convenience afforded to us through technology. This is a shift in the overall way of conducting operations, and it appears that technology, use of accounting software and going paperless will bring more convenience, obvious efficiency and extensive reach in my career well into the future.
I recently won four awards at the AusMumpreneur Awards. Presented by the Women’s Business School, they were created to inspire, celebrate and provide a community for Australian entrepreneurs.
But I can never achieve anything as empowering as my children. My bold son and beautiful daughter are the trophies I carry more proudly than any other. I attribute my success to the strength they have given me. My father was also an accountant and he instilled in me the importance of numbers in every field.