Financial support for women in business
Practical accounting and business advice for women founders, owners and leaders
Book a discovery callBuilding a successful business takes more than working hard. It means making decisions about money, people, growth and the future, often while balancing plenty of other demands outside the business.
Having the right financial information and someone you trust to help you make sense of it can make those decisions easier.
At ilumin, we’ve developed specialist expertise supporting women in business with practical accounting, tax and business advice. We’ll help you understand your numbers, stay on top of your obligations and make informed decisions about where your business goes next.
Whether you’re building something new, growing an established business or thinking about your next chapter, we’re here to help you build a profitable, sustainable business that supports the life you want to live, with the clarity and confidence to make better decisions along the way.
Helping you feel clearer, more confident and more in control
You don’t need to become an accountant to understand the financial side of your business. You just need the right information, explained in a way that makes sense.
Understand your numbers
Knowing your numbers gives you a clearer picture of how your business is really performing.
We’ll help you understand your financial reports, profitability and cashflow so you know what’s working, where attention may be needed and what your numbers are telling you about the business.
The goal isn’t more reports. It’s better information for making decisions.
Make confident business decisions
Can you afford to employ someone? Is your pricing right? Should you invest in growth? Is now the right time to make a change?
We help you work through important business decisions using real numbers rather than guesswork. Together, we can explore the options, understand the financial implications and give you greater clarity about your next step.
Stay on top of tax and compliance
Tax and compliance shouldn’t be something you worry about in the background while trying to run your business.
We’ll help keep your accounts, GST, tax and other financial obligations organised and on track, explain what you need to know in plain English and help you plan ahead so there are fewer unwelcome surprises.
Plan for growth, change or succession
Businesses, and lives, change.
You may be looking to grow, restructure, step back, sell, bring someone new into the business or simply work out what you want the next few years to look like.
Through business planning, reviews and ongoing advice, we can help you understand where you are now, clarify where you want to go and develop a practical financial plan for getting there.
What changes when you have the right financial support?
Working with ilumin is about more than getting the accounts done. It’s about giving you greater understanding of your business and the confidence to use that information.
Clear financial guidance
Understand what your numbers actually mean with straightforward explanations and practical advice in plain English. We’ll focus on what matters and make sure you leave conversations understanding more than when you arrived and knowing what to do next.
Better visibility over your business
Know how your business is performing, what’s happening with your cashflow and where there may be opportunities or issues that need your attention. Greater visibility means fewer assumptions and better-informed decisions.
More confident decisions
Use real financial information to make business decisions about pricing, people, investment, growth and the future rather than relying on instinct alone. When you understand your numbers and your options, you’re better placed to make stronger decisions and create better outcomes.
Practical planning for a better business
Turn ideas and ambitions into realistic plans supported by numbers, clear priorities and practical next steps. Our focus is not simply on growth for growth’s sake. It’s helping you build a profitable, sustainable business that supports your goals and the life you want to live
Someone in your corner
Running a business can sometimes feel like you’re carrying every decision yourself. We’ll provide the advice, accountability and structure to help you work on your business, stay focused on your goals and navigate challenges and opportunities as they arise.
Advice built around your reality
Business decisions don’t happen in isolation. With a female-led leadership team, an all-female client-facing advisory team and more than 30 years supporting women in business, we understand many of the competing priorities, opportunities and challenges women experience as business owners and leaders.
We take the time to understand your goals and circumstances so the advice you receive is practical, relevant and built around you.
Real women. Real businesses. Real stories.
Our Backlighting Success – Stories from Women in Business series shares the experiences of women who have built, grown and adapted businesses of their own, including the challenges they’ve faced, lessons they’ve learned and the role trusted advice has played along the way.
Sharron Holland | Cutting Edge Hair & Haircare
Over more than 25 years in business, Sharron has navigated expansion, changing markets, COVID-19 and relocation while building a successful Queenstown salon and raising a family. Discover how having trusted advisers alongside her has helped Sharron make important business decisions with greater confidence.
Vicky Evans | Coaching Solutions
When Vicky started her coaching business, managing the financial side of running a business was completely new territory. Discover how practical financial guidance, better systems and ongoing accountability helped Vicky move from low confidence around numbers to feeling increasingly informed and in control.
The Financial Playbook for Women in Business
Know your numbers. Ask better questions. Make more confident decisions.
You don’t need to know everything about finance to run a successful business. But understanding a handful of important numbers, and knowing the right questions to ask, can give you much greater clarity about how your business is performing.
The ilumin Financial Playbook for NZ Women in Business is a practical, plain-English guide designed to help you take stock of your finances and identify where you may need to take action.
Inside you’ll find:
- A simple financial health checklist
- The key numbers every business owner should understand
- Practical cashflow planning prompts
- Tax and compliance reminders
- Questions to help you think about pricing and profitability
- Planning prompts for the next 12 months
- Something about combining business with family/conflicting priorities maybe?
No accounting jargon. Just practical information to help you better understand your business and make informed decisions with confidence.
Download here
Insights and resources for Women in Business
We regularly share practical resources to help women better understand their finances, navigate business decisions and plan for what comes next.
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Networking
Connect, learn and share
Our Women in Business events are designed to create opportunities to learn, ask questions, hear from other business owners and connect with women facing many of the same opportunities and challenges.
Do I need an accountant if my business is still small?
Not necessarily for everything, however getting good advice early can save time and problems later.
We can help you establish good financial systems, understand your tax obligations and know which numbers you should be watching as your business develops. Starting with the right foundations can also make growth much easier to manage.
Can you help me understand my numbers if I am not confident with finance?
Absolutely.
You don’t need a financial background to understand your business. We explain things in plain English, answer your questions without judgement and help you focus on the numbers that actually matter.
Our goal is for you to leave conversations with ilumin understanding more than when you arrived and feeling confident about what to do next.
Can you help with both tax and business planning?
Yes. In fact, we think the two work better together.
Your accounts and financial information tell us what has happened in your business. Planning and advisory work helps you use that information to decide what happens next.
We can support you with both, giving you accounting, tax and business advisory expertise under one roof.
What if I want to switch accountants?
Changing accountants is usually much easier than people expect.
We can guide you through the process, liaise with your existing accountant and make the transition as straightforward as possible.
Do you work with women at different stages of business?
Not necessarily for everything, however getting good advice early can save time and problems later.
We can help you establish good financial systems, understand your tax obligations and know which numbers you should be watching as your business develops. Starting with the right foundations can also make growth much easier to manage.
Talk to someone who understands business, numbers and real life
You don’t have to have all the answers, that’s what having a trusted adviser in your corner is for. No pressure. No accounting jargon. Just a useful first conversation about you and your business.