The NSBC approached some of their premier members to learn more about how they approached entrepreneurship and becoming a successful small business. Today we will feature ZAccountants & Business Advisors.

ZAccountants & Business Advisors is a specialised accounting, payroll, tax and advisory practice. We aim to be the preferred service provider to the SME sector. We are not just accountants in the traditional sense but are business advisers and partners as well. We take care of compliance related matters (SARS, CIPC, financial statements, tax etc.) and provide great value by assisting our clients to improve growth and profitability. We utilise the latest cloud accounting software and have excellent packages at affordable prices tailor-made for SMEs.

Here is what Imraan Razak from ZAccountants & Business Advisors had to say about success and overcoming tough times in business.

When did you consider yourself a success?

After approximately 18 years of working as an accountant in the corporate sector, I finally realised my dreams of opening my own accounting practice and thus being successful in my own right. Corporations are continuously job shedding and the spotlight is on the SME sector to create entrepreneurs who will contribute towards economic growth and reducing unemployment and poverty. We are excellently positioned to contribute valuable services to SMEs.

To what do you attribute your success?

Perseverance is key – you are bound to stumble, hit brick walls, feel like quitting but if you continue you will get the prize. It is just like mining – miners dig deep into the earth through rock, sand and debris but ultimately find the prized gold, silver and other valuable minerals.

What failure taught you the most about your business and what was the lesson? 

As the saying goes “failure is a stepping stone to success”. There are many hurdles one faces in a competitive economy, but you need to believe in yourself to be successful. You will need tremendous amounts of patience and perseverance. Take the cheetah for example – although being the fastest land animal it is only successful in less than 50% of hunts. What does the cheetah do? Start eating grass and shrubs and becomes a herbivore? No, it continues to hunt prey knowing full well and believing in itself to land a good meal. Similar is the case in business – failure is part of the journey to success and teaches us great lessons in life.

What was your best moment in business to date?

Signing up my first clients. After some months of marketing, advertising and networking tirelessly, I finally managed to sign up a few clients. This placed myself and my clients on the road to success.

What drives you to keep going when it gets tough?

I always believe in myself that I can do it. A storm does not last forever. Life is full of ups and downs and nothing is static. Conditions continue to change around us. Tough conditions are just fleeting moments. During the tough times, I get ready for the opportunities that will arise in the good times.

Lastly, what are your success habits?

I always maintain a positive outlook no matter how hard conditions can be. Many people just continue to whine and complain over anything and everything. Success normally does not come instantly, it comes to those who are prepared and patient.

Well done, ZAccountants & Business Advisors. We hope you will grow from strength to strength.