What do I get from being a member of the Virtual CFO Association?
Aside from the core reason for belonging; being part of the ONLY elite group with the sole focus of advancing the emerging Virtual CFO sector, there are many other benefits and features:
Advocacy
We aim to mark out and protect out turf.
- How do we mark it out? As pioneers in the sector we know better than anyone what it takes to be good at VCFO. Using our credibility, we are at the forefront of educating the broader business community that not all accountants are equal. Our client’s testimonials are the ultimate validation. Our brand will become the mark of quality and clients will demand their Outsourced CFO
- Who are we protecting it from? Anyone who is offering VCFO services that doesn’t have the requisite expertise. We need the whole community to understand that done wrong, by incompetent or incapable people, VCFO can have harmful, devastating impacts on businesses and the lives of the owners and their families.
Promotion
- The Website is our centrepiece. The committee is proposing to invest some funds into upgrading the website in the near future. The ‘find a member’ function provides clients a way look up member details and connect with them directly.
- Blogs – our members get access to our high value content guide and we both give the opportunity to and actively encourage them to write original, relevant, authentic and engaging, thought leader articles. The purpose of this content is to attract customers. We call these our digital hooks
- LinkedIn, – we have a dedicated VCFO page. https://www.linkedin.com/company/association-of-virtual-cfos/
We can link our Blogs to the LinkedIn page to amplify the reach. Members are expected to and encouraged to like or share other members articles. It is quite possible to have 10,000 people see the post. They say people need to see something up to 7 times before they act, so our content plan includes some repetition, but around half is original and unique, virgin content.
Articles are signed off with the following tag line, attributing the author.
XXXXXXX YYYYYY is a member of the Virtual CFO Association.The Virtual CFO Association is an elite peer network, advocating and promoting the emerging VCFO sector within the accounting profession. Collectively the association currently has almost 500 years of industry experience, with highly qualified and experienced specialists spread across more than 20 industry verticals. If you would like any more information regarding the Association of VCFO’s, please visit our website www.vcfoassociation.com.au
- YouTube channel – this gives us video capability. Again, we can link this back to other social media channels and run videos on the website.
- Events – we have held several successful events in the past. In 2017 we had panel discussions in both Sydney and Melbourne. Guests included Nick Bouris (Mentored.com), Carolyn Miller (The Honeycomb effect) and QuickBooks.
As well as our own events, we are trying to use our profile to raise our profile, by securing speaking opportunities at larger accounting conferences.
- Media – we have been quoted in the media on several occasions. Acuity Magazine has featured members and VCFO generally. It is an area that we intend to double down on in the coming months. We have made connections with Accountants Daily, AFR and Fairfax which we intend to issue press releases for significant milestones, such as member numbers, years of experience etc.
Best Practice Forum
- Private WhatsApp group – for quick “Does anyone know…, does anyone have…has anyone used” type guidance.
- Monthly Zoom meetings – ½ hour to 1 hour (depending on agenda – who attends etc) these give our interstate colleagues an opportunity to ‘meet’ and stay in touch. Our sub-committees
- 1/4ly Mastermind (face to face) are held in each location. Typically, these are reasonably informal, where members meet 7.00am -8.30am at a central, convenient and comfortable location, (like a city hotel) grab a buffet breakfast and chew the fat. We pride ourselves on being inclusive and giving members the opportunity to contribute.
Typical topics that are covered are like: risk / practice management / new software / extended network (lawyers, etc)
Collaboration
We believe that being able to tell your clients and prospective clients that you are part of a much bigger collective, who has almost 500 years of experience, across over 20 industry verticals is super powerful. Being able to draw upon capabilities and capacity that you don’t have, can remove barriers to winning a client. What’s more we don’t think there is another VCFO organisation in the country that can boast that.
- Industry specific Expertise
- Software expertise
- Capacity overload sharing resources
- White label or subcontract
- The 5 Principals
- No Poaching
Collaborating is beneficial to each other and the client. If you are introduced to someone else’s client, you are acting as their agent. Aside from breaking every ethical and moral code known to man, it is very uncool
- Respect
Nobody likes having their time wasted chasing people for responses etc. Show the respect you’d expect someone to show you and your time. Be upfront and honest, don’t tyre kick and dick people around.
- Professional
If you are asking for help, be as clear and complete as you can so others don’t have to keep going back and asking for information. Package things so they can be priced and to work out the expertise fit is right.
- Honour your commitments
Do what you say you’ll do, when you say you’ll do it, for the price you agreed. If you agree to a deadline, assume the client is expecting it.
- What goes around
When this is working at its best, members will reciprocate when they can. There is no firm obligation as such, clients need come first and foremost, but put back in what you take out overall and everyone will share the benefit.
Honestly this is the best $40 per month you could possibly spend on your business. There aren’t any $40 per month alternatives that come close.
The Association of Virtual CFO’s gives all members a separate, credible platform to showcase their expertise and extend your own sales funnel. We offer members encouragement and coaching on how to write great content. We amplify the reach beyond individual networks by engaging with each other’s content.
Be part of a collective of elite peers to bounce things off and ask for help. Don’t waste time and resources re-inventing the wheel.
Enjoy the synergies of being part of the only elite group with extensive expertise at its’ disposal – whose sole focus is to advance the emerging Virtual CFO sector within the accounting profession. Never again walk into a client meeting as ‘only you is it?’
If you would like any more information jump on the “What is a Virtual CFO?” Page and watch the videos or if you would like to obtain a free copy of our e-book “So, you want to be a Virtual CFO”
If you feel like this is for you – then jump on the “Membership” page above and fill out the ‘Apply for membership’ details. One of our guys will promptly be in touch.