The founder of Contatrans: finding balance in accounting
Accounting is often work that remains behind the scenes for entrepreneurs, yet it plays a very important role in how a company operates. To an outside observer, it may seem like nothing more than a world of numbers and documents, but for an experienced accountant it is the ability to create order and structure where others see only confusion. It is like putting together a puzzle, and the most satisfying moment is when all the pieces finally fit together.
We spoke with Helena from Contatrans OÜ about her journey into accounting, the daily challenges of the profession, and why SimplBooks has become an indispensable tool in her work.
1) How did you get into accounting?
My journey into accounting was actually quite accidental. After finishing high school, I had to decide what to do next and, like many young people, I didn’t have a very clear vision yet. I wanted to study business and was even accepted to EBS, which was considered a very prestigious school at the time. However, my intuition told me it wasn’t quite right for me.
Somehow I found my way to Tallinn School of Economics, where I chose accounting as my field of study. At that time, the program lasted three years. I started school on September 1st, and about a month later I felt like I didn’t understand anything at all. So I decided to take a year to think things through and studied in the so-called “university of life” instead. I worked in customer service and learned many basic skills that are useful in life. When I returned to school the following September, everything suddenly made much more sense. That’s when I realized that this was actually my field.
In high school I studied in a math-focused class, so numbers always felt natural to me. Numbers say a lot, and through them it’s easy for me to find logic – although my logic teacher once said that logic doesn’t really exist.
What I like about accounting is that everything has to balance. There is something calming about it. The most satisfying moment is when all the reports finally match and everything adds up.
2) What does your typical workday look like?
In reality, every day is a little different. There are routine periods, but sometimes unexpected situations arise, for example when a company’s responsible person doesn’t manage to submit or send invoices on time. In those situations, you have to react quickly.
In a way, accounting can sometimes even be creative work. The law sets the boundaries, but within those limits you occasionally have to find smart solutions.
3) What is the biggest challenge in an accountant’s work today?
Today, the biggest challenge in accounting is the constant changes in legislation. Sometimes you barely get used to one change before the next one arrives and requires adjustments.
Fortunately, my clients are already well informed, so major issues rarely arise. Trust is also the key to success here.
When it comes to managing data, the quality of the software makes a huge difference. A good program makes working with large amounts of data much smoother and allows different ways to make the work even simpler and faster.
4) What are the most important criteria for you when choosing accounting software?
Several factors are important to me when choosing accounting software. First, the size of the company and the volume of data play a role, as they determine which programs can realistically be used. Price is also a sensitive topic, especially for small businesses.
In larger companies, I have worked with systems such as Axapta and Navision. Although today they have more modern cloud versions, they essentially operate on the same principles as smaller programs.
For me, SimplBooks is a good example of simple and user-friendly software. I was even able to teach my mother how to use it, even though she has nothing to do with accounting. Customer support is also important, because flexible and accessible help makes work much smoother.
Time is becoming increasingly valuable, and technological development offers new ways to simplify work. That’s why automation in accounting software is also an important tool – it saves time and reduces errors.
5) Why did you choose SimplBooks as your main tool?
Over the years I have used quite a few different programs. I discovered SimplBooks thanks to a friend who simply said: “It’s so easy.”
At that time, SimplBooks was still in its early stages, but the development over the years has been impressive and it has made my life much easier.
In reality, most accounting programs are built on the same principles. The difference lies in how those principles are presented to the user. Some do it better than others, and SimplBooks has managed to do it very well.
There is beauty in simplicity!
6) What is your favorite feature in SimplBooks?
The SimplBooks fixed assets module was the first place where I felt that this process had finally been made truly simple. If you enter the initial data correctly, the system does the rest and you don’t constantly have to think everything through yourself.
Another pleasant surprise was the payroll module. To be honest, it actually brought a smile to my face. It’s incredibly fast and easy to use.
7) Would you recommend SimplBooks to other accountants, and why?
Absolutely, and I already have. As far as I know, at least two or three people started using SimplBooks based on my recommendation and are still using it today.
For me, it’s simply the easiest program I’ve ever used. If even my mother who has a background in sewing was able to learn it, that already says quite a lot.
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