Alexilum

Bookkeeping in Brisbane with mental health in mind

Since 2017 the home of Alexilum Bookkeeping has been Brisbane, from where it takes on clients all along Australia's east coast. Its focus is on family-run firms, self-employed traders, partnerships and non-profit bodies, and its site promotes cloud bookkeeping in Xero, BAS management and payroll. The practice offers a free business health check to new enquirers.

What the bookkeeping covers

The firm takes on the full set of bookkeeping and compliance tasks so that owners can concentrate on growth. Some clients prefer to keep the day-to-day accounts themselves and have the firm check their work and manage the business activity statement. Others arrive behind on their records, and the firm helps them catch up, after which they choose between full support and help only with compliance obligations. Advice on a range of business topics is part of the service.

Why the firm talks about stress

The practice describes a holistic philosophy under the line "Bookkeeping to Free Your Mind". It points to rising reported stress and isolation among business owners in Brisbane and Australia, and argues there is a direct link between stress and not having the information needed to decide. Its view is that well structured, consistent figures show an owner exactly where the business stands, even when the picture is unwelcome, and that this is less stressful than being lost. The founder says the aim was always to support owners beyond data entry, and reports having trained as an accredited Mental Health First Aider.

Writing on practical bookkeeping questions

Its articles cover themes such as why not to do your own bookkeeping, whether staff Christmas parties count as business expenses, the benefits of donating to charity, how to check that a bookkeeper is a qualified BAS agent, why cheap bookkeeping is not always good value, and the Australian Taxation Office's attention to unexplained wealth.

Alexilum is a bookkeeping firm that has operated from Brisbane since 2017 and works with clients along Australia's east coast. It looks after day-to-day accounts and compliance so owners can concentrate on running their business. The practice also pays attention to the stress that money worries put on owners.

What Alexilum offers

• Cloud bookkeeping: regular record keeping using Xero.
• BAS management: preparing and lodging business activity statements.
• Payroll: processing pay for staff.
• Catch-up work: bringing behind accounts up to date, after which clients decide how much ongoing help they want.
• Advice: guidance on a range of business topics, with regular reports that show where the business stands.

Who it works with

Family businesses, sole traders, partnerships and not-for-profit organisations. Some clients only want their own bookkeeping checked over, while others hand over everything.

Key facts

• Based in: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
• Operating since: 2017
• Software: Xero