In this interview, we find out more about Tamryn Dicks (Owner of Pharsyde Accounting) , her business journey and why she believes South Africa should support small business.
Pharsyde Accounting improves lives for small business owners. We do the bookkeeping work you don’t want to do, and then we teach you how to use the results. We will help you use your financial reports to manage your cash, grow your profits (more important than sales!) and build a sustainable, successful business that doesn’t suck the life out of you.
Why did you start your business?
Pharsyde Accounting was started because an opportunity fell into my lap – I’m afraid there was no grand plan and I was not burdened with glorius purpose. But as time went on, I battled so much as a small business owner myself that it began to be very personal for me to make sure that my clients didn’t have the same burdens and battles that I did!
What do you love the most about running your business?
I love the feeling that what I do makes a difference. Someone had a better day today, than they did yesterday, because we did something they didn’t want to do or because we helped them cut costs, improve efficiency and make more money. I believe very strongly in the importance of small business to an economy, so it makes me very happy to know that I am keeping them sustainable and helping them grow.
What is one of the biggest lessons you have learnt on your business journey?
That just working harder will get you nowhere if you are working the wrong way. I always believed that hard work made you successful – so whenever things got difficult, I just worked harder. Work longer hours, type faster, hustle more, add more clients. But all that working harder did for me, was result in burnout. Re-evaluating my priorities and purpose and changing the way I did business, changed my life.
What is your why? Why do you do what you do and what do you focus on to help you persevere and get through tough times?
I don’t want other business owners to go through the burnout that I did. Everything we do is about making sure that business owners can achieve success without sacrificing themselves and their lives. I am very passionate about helping people build businesses that do not suck the life out of them (or their employees!).
Why should South Africa support small businesses now and beyond?
Small businesses are the backbone of any economy. They represent families, they serve communities, they offer opportunities to people who might otherwise never get them. When you support a small business you are putting a child through school, you are paying for a family’s electricity bill, you are making a very real and tangible difference to the lives of your fellow South Africans.
We should always be supporting small business, but now more than ever before. We are facing an extremely tough time, with COVID, high unemployment rates and a shaky economy. So many people lost their jobs over the last year. Many of them will have no choice but to start up a business of their own – so let’s support them. Let’s turn our country around by building up the economy one tiny business at a time. These business owners need to support and feed their families, and if we support them and help them grow, they will also begin fixing our unemployment crisis. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Pharsyde Accounting was one of the 2021 Top 20 Award Winners at the South African Small Business Awards.
Pharsyde Accounting is a proud Member of the NSBC.
This Small Business Friday feature is proudly sponsored by Absa.