Goodbye Blue Monday says hello to new way of accounting
Johnny Moore owns and manages popular Christchurch watering hole Goodbye Blue Monday. He finds having Sidekick on the team is an integral part of the smooth running of the bar.
Wanted: fresh accountant for fun bar venture
"When we were setting up Goodbye Blue Monday we wanted to find a good accountant," explains Johnny. "DJCA were attractive because they're a bit different to other accountants. They value things that are fresh and interesting, and they use Xero."
Real human beings, at no extra charge
Johnny loves the levels of support provided by DJCA. "If I ever get stuck it's just a phone call away to talk to a real person. It's that human backup you really need in this world."
"Our Sidekick Accountant Aaron is always on hand to answer any little questions that crop up. Nothing's too stupid or silly. And it's nice to have an accountant to bounce ideas off who doesn't charge for every conversation."
When disaster strikes, Sidekick is there
"After the big Canterbury earthquake we had to negotiate a claim with our insurance company. We worked closely with Aaron to go over our figures and show our loss of profits. He spent weeks going back and forth with the insurance agency, but it was never a hassle for us."
"Thanks to Aaron's help and careful analysis, we ended up settling for more than double what the insurance company had initially offered us."
Online, and a step ahead
Having previously used MYOB with other bars, Johnny knew he didn't want to go down that road again.
"MYOB is clunky and horrible. It was a good idea 10 years ago but it never kept up with technology and it's totally out of date now compared to Xero, which is quite intuitive to use."
"The main appeal with Xero is that it's all online. We can access it from anywhere, which is handy when we're up in Auckland on business."
"It's much easier to pay our bills directly with no double-handling of data. Xero does it all for you."
Johnny is also impressed with the new features constantly being added. "Without fail, every time we think of a feature we wish it had, it's already been developed and is rolled out in the latest software update."
Menumate makes life easy
As part of his customised Sidekick package, Johnny also has cloud-computing point-of-sale system Menumate running the tills and keeping tabs on stock.
"I love it. I've been through four different till systems and Menumate is head and shoulders above the rest. It does everything I need it to do with no fancy extras I don't want. The stock control is all about function and common sense, and saves me double-handling my stock numbers."
And the support he's received from Menumate has been exemplary, as Johnny recounts a memorable example:
"It was 8pm on a Saturday when the All Blacks were playing. It promised to be a big night at the bar, when our computer system suddenly went down. I called Andrew from Menumate for help. He was literally on his way to the stadium to watch the game but he turned around and came straight over to help us get the system operational again. It was only 20 minutes out of his life, but it was a big deal for me."
Sidekick: whiz-kid, mentor, all-around nice guy
Johnny's glad that DJCA has turned out to be such a good fit for Goodbye Blue Monday.
"They're just not like other accountants. They offer a range of service and advice we've never had before, like having an accountant and a business mentor all in one."
"They've run some of their business seminars at our bar, are always up for a laugh, and are just nice, fun people."
