Sadly, early in January 2017 my bookkeeping assistant, Tash Hilton, decided bookkeeping was not for her and left e-BAS Accounts. We wish Tash well as she endeavours to undertake a career as a Bowen Therapist. It was definitely a battle getting through the Oct-Dec 2016 BAS pile without her during February and the stress levels were very high around here as a result! I thought I would have to go through the whole process of advertising, interviewing, trialling, training etc. again, but luckily for me, I haven’t had to bother! My daughter suggested I call her friend, Ellie Ryan who is a trained bookkeeper. Long story short, Ellie has been trying out with e-BAS Accounts these last few weeks and has turned out to be a perfect fit. I am very lucky indeed. Ellie is currently studying a dual Certificate IV in Financial Services (Bookkeeping & Accounting) and is aiming to become a BAS Agent. Her completed hours with e-BAS Accounts will assist her with her registration when the time comes. I am very happy to be a part of her bookkeeping journey and hope her skills and knowledge improve during her time with us.
Just as I did with Tash Hilton, I have decided to introduce Ellie here via a short interview so you can get to know her. So here it is, my interview with Ellie, my new staff member:
Where were you born?
I was born in Daylesford, Victoria.
Tell us a little about your childhood? Brothers and sisters, where you grew up etc?
I am the eldest of 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls, to my mum and dad who have been together for 27 years. We were all born in Daylesford but then moved to Ocean Grove when I was 11 years old. We lived on 7 acres of bushland and just 5 minutes down the road from my grandparents who had horses, lots of pets and occasionally livestock. We briefly moved to Albany, WA for my dad’s work. I enjoyed Albany but got caught in a rip and taken out to sea, and on another occasion almost eaten by a shark. Moving to Ocean Grove wasn’t easy but I made new friends and loved the beach and all the shopping. It also provided a lot more opportunities as I got older.
What is your favourite childhood memory?
My whole childhood was really great, it’s hard to single out my favourite memory. When I think of my childhood I am just grateful to have been brought up in a rural area, for the most part, with lots of room and freedom. We used to ride motorbikes and horses, go yabbying and frogging, “help” mum and dad cut/stack firewood, see all types of wildlife in our backyard, have bonfires, visit my grandparents, pick blackberries and cherries, and find all sorts of adventures to go on.
Which high school did you go to?
I went to Bellarine Secondary College in Drysdale.
What were your interests as a teenager? What about now?
I loved drawing, music, playing guitar, shopping, AFL, and hanging out with friends. I still enjoy drawing and music, although I gave up guitar long ago. I still love seeing my friends, even though visits are few and far between due to me living in rural WA. My main interests these days are family and friends, crocheting – which I took up about 2 years ago, “bush” (desert!) walks with my dog, snorkelling and going on adventures with my boyfriend. We like to go 4x4ing and explore new places. I don’t shop as much as I used to as a teenager, I try to be responsible with my money. I also still follow AFL closely and can now proudly say I barrack for the reigning 2016 premiers, the Western Bulldogs.
When you were young what did you want to be?
I wanted to be a nurse, a chef or a veterinarian.
What jobs have you had previously?
My first job ever was at a Chinese restaurant, after that I was a checkout chick at Safeway, and then started my bookkeeping path with a local bookkeeper in Ocean Grove for 4 years, completing my trainee-ship during that time. I then went completely left field for a change and become a delivery driver/store person for a wholesaler. I left that job when I moved to Karratha, and took up an administration role for a year and started my dual Cert IV in Bookkeeping and Accounting.
How did you meet your partner?
We met briefly when he was still living in the South East and I was still in Ocean Grove. He later moved to Karratha, WA, but we kept in contact. Eventually I decided to visit him in Perth and it went from there! Although it did take me 12 months to make the big move to be with him.
Where do you live now?
I now live in Karratha, Western Australia.
Have you travelled and if so where?
Internationally I have been to Thailand, Canada and Alaska. My favourite place I’ve ever been to was Whitehorse, in the Yukon Territory in Canada. Moving over to WA I have been to places I’d never imagine I would, it’s like another country. My favourite place in Western Australia is Coral Bay.
What makes you the happiest?
Family and friends.
What do you dislike most about the world we live in?
Crime and drugs; unjust punishment handed down to offenders.
What are your hopes for your future?
I hope that my boyfriend can land his dream job back home and we can relocate to The Great Ocean Road. I also hope that myself and my friends and family remain happy and healthy.
Tell us something you’ve done that you are most proud about.
I bought a house with my brother when I was 22 and that makes me proud because we were very young and it was the best decision of our lives, setting us up as adults and proving that it can be done to ourselves. We have since subdivided it, built on the second block and sold the new property this year.
Tell us about the funniest thing that has ever happened to you.
I went paragliding in Thailand (probably not the smartest idea), I had to cling on for dear life because I was slipping out of the harness, then when we landed my legs decided to not work in the middle of a packed Patong Beach and I landed with my face smacked into the sand and bum in the air for everyone to see.
Tell us about something no one knows about you.
My only real fear is public speaking. My house is full of unusual knick-knacks. I have 1 dog called Harvey, 4 green tree frogs, 1 Stimson python and a goldfish called Gina.
Tell us about your experience working with e-BAS Accounts so far.
My experience working with e-BAS Accounts has been fantastic. Louise is a great mentor and makes working really enjoyable. e-BAS Accounts is very professional and I love being able to work with Louise from anywhere in the world, and know she is only an email away and very quick to respond each time. e-BAS Accounts embraces and stays current with all the new technology and services available to bookkeepers which is very impressive and also important in this industry. Advances in the bookkeeping industry with cloud accounting systems are what allow me to work with e-BAS Accounts from interstate, and I love it. All processes, procedures and expectations are clear and detailed making work a pleasure and easy to follow.
What are you hoping to achieve from working at e-BAS Accounts?
I hope to learn more and improve my skills further. I hope to provide a high level of work to e-BAS Accounts and their clients and be proud in the work I am providing. I’d also like to broaden my knowledge on different software packages and increase my confidence in my skill set.
So, that’s a little bit about our new staff member Ellie. Thank heavens she didn’t get eaten by a shark when she was younger – where would I be now if that had happened? No, all jokes aside, I am very happy Ellie is on board. She is definitely helping to lessen the load in my direction which means the stress levels are starting to come down – phew! As she explains above, Ellie lives in Karratha, WA whereas I am located in Torquay, Victoria but that doesn’t matter at all. I am quite used to working remotely with clients, so it is a natural step for me to also work with staff remotely. So far, via use of cloud-based software and tools, we have been able to make it work.
Ellie will rack up those 1400 hours needed to register as a BAS Agent in no time at all and I am proud to be able to assist her to do just that. Ellie is diligent and pays close attention to detail at all times – she is certainly proving to be a valuable member of staff here at e-BAS Accounts. I look forward to seeing her develop her knowledge and skills over the coming months. Welcome, Ellie – so glad you’re here!
