not your typical accounting education

We know what you're expecting. One long, dry, boring 'info dump' course you have to slog your way through.

Nope. At That Accounting Stuff, we're turning accounting education on its head.

Because we don't want to die of boredom either.

Read on to find out how we're making learning accounting anything but a bore!

From Accounting Zero to Accounting Hero

Your Hero’s Journey to Accounting Mastery

Many Aussie sole traders avoid learning the accounting stuff because it's overwhelming. 

At That Accounting Stuff, we've 'chunked it down' into manageable pieces, so you can baby-step your way through the journey, gaining more and more confidence with each milestone. 

We've broken the learning journey into:

We've also turned it from a deathly boring 'information dump' into a grand adventure - a Hero's Journey, if you will. Like a great adventure movie, with you as the main character. 

Yes, there'll be challenges, but Heroes on the Journey often discover they are stronger and smarter than they think, and they end up finding the treasure they seek - usually by doing the one thing they don't want to do. Like the old sage once said, 'The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek'.

The Accounting Hero's Journey

First, we need a Hero. That would be you.

I know, I know. You probably feel more like Accounting Zero than Hero right now:

But every Hero feels like a Zero in the beginning.

You need to go on the Hero’s Journey, to find your magical accounting powers.

Every Hero needs a Wizard - a mentor - to help them on the Journey.

The Wizard is someone who’s been where you are, but has done their own Hero’s Journey to get to where you want to be.

They understand what it’s like to be where you are now. And they know what awaits you on the Hero’s Journey, so they can guide you through it.

The Accounting Hero's Journey 

at That Accounting Stuff 

Accounting Pre-School

First principles. Learn with play.

In accounting pre-school, we'll cover the basics, so you can have a good strong foundation on which to build your accounting house. And we'll do it with memes, fridge magnets, singing, and colouring! It's so much fun, you'll think you're back in kindergarten, not in an accounting course!

If you're completely new to business and don't know what you should set up at the start, we'll also get you up to speed on that.

Accounting Primary School

Set up your system. Do your bookkeeping - regularly.

In accounting primary school, we'll build your accounting house on the foundation laid down in pre-school. You'll set up your accounting system, and learn basic bookkeeping. 

Much like in regular primary school, it's all about learning - and practising the core skills - the 'reading, writing', 'rithmetic' of accounting - which are to record, classify, summarise and analyse your business transactions - that lead you to the core financial report for sole traders - the Profit and Loss Report.

And there's no theory exercises in Accounting Primary School - your in-class and homework is to DO your own accounting! A course doesn't get any more practical than that!

Plus, we don't just teach you the core skills and leave you to get into the habit of doing it every month - because let's be real, you're not going to. So we have regular online focus sessions to help you get that stuff done and build the habit, instead of leaving it all until tax time and having to pay the Procrastination Piper with a whole world of pain.

Accounting High School

Manage your money. Organise your paperwork. Report to Centrelink.

In Accounting High School, you're becoming a 'young adult' business owner. You've got the basics down, now it's time to start fleshing out your teenage wizard's suite of Mad Accounting Skillz and really taking charge of your business' finances.

You'll learn how to track your cashflow, create a budget and see how you're tracking against it, organise your paperwork, set your prices to make your business sustainable and enable the lifestyle you want, and, if you need to, report to Centrelink as a self-employed person.

Accounting University

Keep the tax man happy - and fund your retirement.

Tax returns are where most sole traders try to start their accounting journey - but that's like a pre-schooler trying to go to university! 

It's far better to leave this stuff until last - when you have the knowledge and confidence to do your accounting, the tax return almost takes care of itself. 

But tax is a whole other world to accounting, and you definitely need a guide through this one - which is what Accounting University is for.

After the Hero's Journey

Can You Just Do Bits of It?

Technically, yes - the courses in this pathway are separate products, not modules in one big curriculum. We designed it this way so you'd have half a chance of actually doing them, instead of being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff in one big curriculum like a Certificate IV at TAFE and promptly logging out, never to venture into your student portal again.

But it's not a great idea - remember that saying "A little learning is a dangerous thing"? 

If you're new to this stuff, we strongly recommend following the pathway so you get a good solid foundation, then get the Mad Accounting Skillz, and are a pretty strong and savvy Accounting Hero by the time you get to the stuff that does people's heads in - tax and super.

Trying to go straight to the tax courses because you need to get your tax return lodged is a bit like a pre-schooler or primary-schooler trying to go to university - just doesn't work that well. You'll have a much easier time of it if you've gone through all the other schools first.

Our courses also often reference things that were taught in prior courses, so to avoid being left wondering what the hell the teacher's talking about when they refer to something you've missed, it's best to take the stepping stones in the order they're laid down.

Sometimes it can work, e.g. if you're familiar with accounting concepts and doing your bookkeeping, have stuff like cashflow, budgeting, pricing etc sorted, and just need a better accounting system and to register for GST, then most of Accounting High School isn't relevant to you. But if you're like most people and starting from Zero or close to it, it's far better not to skip steps.

Your Call to Adventure

The path is laid out and the guide is ready. All that’s left is for you to answer the call to adventure.

Are you ready to find your inner accounting wizard and turn that "head trash" into treasure?

There's no need to dive into the deep end. Start with a baby step - Accounting Pre-School - deal with your head trash around money and accounting, gain some confidence, and go from there

(Takes you to Accounting Pre-School)