Starting the Dream! - How to Avoid a Nightmare When You Start a Business is the sequel or antithesis to my first book, Chasing the Dream - How to Grow a Business in these Amazing Times which came out during the COVID pandemic to help struggling businesses get back on their feet.
Starting the Dream! is an indispensable guide for anyone who is looking to start a business. With the rapidly changing business landscape and the growing number of entrepreneurs entering the market, it's more important than ever to be well-informed and equipped with the right tools and strategies to succeed.
This book is designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs understand the more common reasons why businesses fail, and provide them with the knowledge and resources they need to avoid these pitfalls.
Through a combination of expert insights, practical advice, and real-world case studies gathered over my 40+ years' of experience as an Accountant and Business Advisor, Starting the Dream! provides a comprehensive roadmap for success.
The examples in this book come from real-life businesses, whose names and locations across the country have been changed for privacy reasons.
Whether you're just starting out or have been in business for a while, this book is the essential guide you need to build a solid foundation and achieve long-term success. So don't wait another day to avoid the nightmare of starting the business of your dreams.
Just like most business owners, Chris has a life outside of work. A spouse, three adult daughters (yes, he agrees he is in trouble!), a veggie garden, chooks, cats, dogs and a tropical garden that he is trying to create in a temperate gardening climate zone! He is a passionate Blues (AFL) supporter and Washington Wizards (NBA) supporter. He has represented Victoria at the Australian U20 Basketball Championships, run in the 10km New York Midnight Run held on New Year's Eve through Central Park, trekked in the Himalayas and scuba dived Julian Rocks Marine Reserve at Byron Bay and Ewen Ponds Conservation Park in South Australia. He loves singing and performing arts and has "tread the boards" for over two decades with the Warrnambool Theatre Company and the Cindy Lee Ensemble. And in his spare time he has also been a qualified fitness and aerobic instructor! He is a self-described 'lifestyle' accountant, passionate about making an impact on one person's lifestyle at a time! He holds a Bachelor of Business from Latrobe University and a Graduate Diploma in Management Accounting from Deakin University. He has over 40 years experience as a practising CPA, holds an authorised representative accreditation with Interprac Financial Pty Ltd, a credit representative accreditation with Outsource Financial Pty Ltd, a certified Xero advisor, an accredited certified Inbound user of Hubspotand is a graduate of the Results Accounting Systems boot camp! He was a charter member and president of the Rotary Club of Warrnambool Daybreak, served Rotary International for over 10 years and is a Paul Harris Fellow. He is the team leader at Ceebeks Business Solutions for GOOD, an accounting and business development specialist business based in Southwest Victoria Australia that he started in 1990. He is also a foundation member of the National Tax & Accountants Association (NTAA) also a foundation member of the global movement Accountants 4 Good. Ceebeks Business Solutions for GOOD is a multi-award winning business and was featured in Steve Pipe's 2015 UK publication 'The World's Most Inspiring Accountants' and in his new upcoming UK publication 'The World's Best Accountancy Practices' and also in Adam Houlahan's 2016 publication 'The LinkedIn Play Book. They are corporate volunteers at Warrnambool and District Food Share where a team member spent 2 hours on Wednesday mornings assisting with repurposing donated food into hampers for those less fortunate in the Southwest Victorian community, regular blood donors, 34-year supporters of World Vision and lifetime members of global giving initiative B1G1 - Business for Good.
