AR Tähelend – 30 years of accounting

The work always comes first. Experience is a value that comes only through work, and only with the years.

We have worked with close to a thousand business owners, and with several dozen employees.

Numbers, laws, documents and getting things right are what our work is made of. The ability to read numbers and laws, to see the connections between them, and to explain those connections to others matters a great deal.

We respect facts. Some facts are important and have to be kept in mind. Others are less important, but still add color and spice to life.

For our anniversary year, we are sharing stories and facts that have played a big part in our life – along with some that may seem to matter not at all, but are worth noticing and remembering.

The right partner, and trust

How do you choose a partner? Nobody has invented an infallible formula, and one probably isn’t even 100% possible.

• Every person is unique in their innate qualities, abilities, goals, wishes and willpower.
• Every company is different. Every manager is different.
• For some, profit growth matters; for others, quick profit; for others still, sustainability and a long life.
• Some put speed first, some precision, some trust.
• A company always reflects its people and its managers. It changes and grows over time.

Choosing accounting software

The first accounting program we used was Merit for MS-DOS.

When choosing accounting software, I looked at nearly every program on the market at the time. The decision came down to what the screen looked like and which one seemed quickest to learn. And, of course, the price.

At first I really liked VERP. The program felt logical and easy to understand, but the visuals bothered me: the screen felt too empty, and numbers had to be typed into little boxes. I wanted to see the bigger picture. That is why I preferred Merit.

Getting to know Merit

Andres Kert, the program’s author and the company’s owner and board member, came to present it to us.

I had a high fever and felt terrible that day, but the meeting had been arranged, so I dutifully watched and listened through the whole presentation, nodding along every now and then. At the end, Andres Kert asked whether there were any questions. I shook my head. I couldn’t think of a single one.

There wasn’t much time to be sick, since there was work to do, so I started using the program right away. A couple of months later, Andres Kert called and asked, carefully, whether we were still using the program and whether we were having any problems. I was genuinely surprised. We were using it every day, and there were no problems at all.

From then on we stayed in close contact, gave feedback, and were among the first users of almost every new version.

The 20th of the month is a birthday for several of our accountants

The birthday girls of the 20th are Anu, Kersti, Liis and Tiina – nearly half of our accountants. As if it were written in the stars that their future would be tied to accounting. And to tax returns.

Colors

In our early years, our accountants were mostly fair-haired and blue-eyed. Now most of them are brunettes: Anu, Ege, Liis, Kerti, Annely, Tiina, Kersti. We still have blondes among us, like Liia. Marika and Merli add a reddish tone to their hair now and then. Maia enjoys a change of color too.

Names

At one point, Tähelend employed Kristi, Kersti, Kerti and Kaili all at the same time. For a while there were even two Kerstis. And two Kadris. Try working out what to call them. “Old” and “young” was a convenient option, and we sometimes used it as a joke, but the nicknames never really stuck. Last year we had Liis, Liisa and Mari-Liis on internship at the same time.

Curious finds

• The most intriguing find was a love letter that had strayed in among some documents. Not written to me, and not by a client, mind you. An unknown young man had put his secret feelings on paper for an unknown young woman. I discreetly returned the letter to the client.
• A client forwarded us a complaint from their secretary, who accused the employer of giving her demeaning tasks – such as opening and sorting the morning mail.
• A client had bought a company whose annual report for the previous period was riddled with typos. The management report left the “field of activity” (misspelled, of course) blank, and the statements were full of zeros.
• We were asked to review the books of a company that were kept on three accounts: CASH, INCOME and EXPENSES. The company was VAT-registered, held accounts at two different banks, made many purchases in cash, and paid two employees a salary. The manager suspected something in the accounting wasn’t right, and that he wasn’t getting the right information from his accountant.

Machine and human

Will machines and artificial intelligence take people’s jobs? That has been one of the recurring questions lately. There are many answers, in many versions. The future will tell.

We believe it is up to people to find the right solutions, to know how to run the machines, and to be able to steer artificial intelligence – whether it goes by AI, ChatGPT, Bing, or some other name.

Present, past and future

Today’s accountant works in the present, looks at the past, and tries to see into the future. The profession has changed a great deal over the years.

Years ago, an accountant’s job was simply to document transactions, calculate taxes and prepare reports. Forecasting a company’s finances, and monitoring and managing its cash flow, was the job of the CFO or the company’s manager.

Today, an accountant is also expected to master the software, set it up, train others in it, and look both backward and ahead.

The joys of accounting

It is a joy to work with pleasant clients and supportive colleagues, in a calm working atmosphere.

It is a joy to gain good experience, to see the results of your work, and to share that joy with others.