From underpriced and overworked to mortgage-free — three years ahead of schedule.
The Challenge: Not knowing your numbers is expensive
Greg Clues runs GardenGigs, a landscaping and gardening business he has built from the ground up as a sole trader. When he first came to DFK Everalls, the work was there — the financial clarity was not.
His previous accountant filed the returns and not much else. There was no financial plan, no visibility over profitability, and no guidance on how to run a lean, well-managed business. Expenses were lumped together as miscellaneous. Bank reconciliations ran late. Greg had no way of knowing whether a good month was actually good — or whether a quiet month meant trouble.
Pricing was guesswork. He would estimate direct costs, add a margin for overheads, and call it a price. The problem was that the margin was never enough. He was regularly walking away from jobs thinking he had made four thousand dollars in profit, only to discover later it was closer to two thousand, because he had not accounted for everything that needed to go in.
I didn't know how profitable I was, how to improve profitability, or how to monitor and run the business better. I wanted an accountant who would actually give me proactive advice — not just cross the t's.
What Greg wanted was confidence. Confidence that his back office was in order, that he was not building up a tax problem, and that someone was looking at the whole picture — not just the end-of-year return.
A virtual CFO — without the overhead
Greg connected with Jason Griffiths at DFK Everalls and the difference was immediate. The first meeting made it clear this was a different kind of relationship. Within a short time, the back office was under control, the books were current, and Greg had a framework for understanding where his business actually stood.
The foundation Jason put in place was quarterly meetings — structured, consistent, one-on-one sessions where Greg could see exactly where he was sitting against a target, what the profit per job looked like, and what the next move should be. Jason provides P&L snapshots, cash flow analysis, and running cost breakdowns, presented visually so Greg can quickly see the 10 per cent that needs attention rather than wading through figures.
The pricing overhaul was the turning point. Jason worked through the full cost structure with Greg and established a minimum profit margin for each job — one that genuinely accounts for every overhead and delivers a meaningful net profit by the end of the financial year. Greg’s prices went up. His workload did not. He started doing fewer jobs and making more money on each one.
Beyond the numbers, the relationship brought practical operational insight. Jason helped Greg identify which quarters were historically quiet — now Greg schedules marketing activity in advance of those periods rather than reacting to a revenue dip.
He knows when tax falls due and plans his cash accordingly.
Sue from the DFK Everalls team calls when a BAS is due and follows up on queries, keeping Greg on track without adding to his workload.
Hands-on, one-on-one meetings with Jason are great for confirming where I'm sitting and what's next. He gives me the time to digest and discuss — and I walk away with a lot of information and a lot of confidence.
Bob is fantastic — always available to answer questions. Even with everything going on in the markets, I know I'm going in the right direction.
Working with Bob on wealth and retirement
As the business became more profitable, Greg began working with Bob at DFK Everalls on superannuation and retirement planning. Bob helped him set annual contribution targets and a strategy for managing excess cash — split between paying down the mortgage and building retirement savings.
Even through volatile market conditions, Greg has stayed the course. Bob helped him understand when to act — cashing out investments at the top of the market before a correction, moving into term deposits and bonds, and continuing to invest when prices fell. Greg is now on track to retire at 60, with a clear picture of the lifestyle that will be possible when he does.
Mortgage-free. Three years ahead of schedule.
Greg paid off his mortgage in November 2025 — three to four years earlier than he originally thought possible. That milestone came from a combination of higher business profitability, disciplined super contributions, and the integrated financial strategy Jason and Bob built with him.
With the mortgage gone, he’s now upgrading to a new home. The financial discipline that cleared one property is funding the next step.
The day-to-day experience of running GardenGigs has changed just as much. Greg has work booked six to eight weeks in advance. He knows every job is priced correctly before it starts. Cash flow is stable and planned. The stress that used to accompany a quiet month or a large tax bill has largely gone.
Much less stress. Better cash buffer. I know every job is priced properly — which means I can actually enjoy what I do.
Greg describes DFK Everalls as his virtual CFO. He does not need a full-time finance employee and all the complexity that comes with one. He has Jason, Sue, and Bob — a team that knows his business, stays ahead of the problems, and gives him the information he needs to make good decisions.
Five years ahead
When asked what the relationship has meant over time, Greg is direct about it: he is five years ahead of where he would have been without DFK Everalls.
More than the tax return
Greg’s experience reflects what we have built the business around. For a sole trader or small business owner, the relationship with your accountant should be one of the most productive relationships in your business. That means quarterly touchpoints, not annual ones. It means knowing your profit per job, not just your year-end figure. It means your business strategy and your personal financial goals working in the same direction.
Greg came to us wanting clarity and control. He has the mortgage paid off, a new home lined up, and a retirement plan on track — with a business that runs on margin rather than hope. That is what a proper financial partnership looks like.
Jason Griffiths, Director — DFK Everalls
Jason tells me where I should be — and I treat that as a challenge to go and achieve it. It's a great incentive to keep going. It makes me feel like I'm building something, not just grinding through it. We do what we say, and we do it well. I'm comfortable going with the decisions that DFK Everalls helps me make — and that comfort is worth a lot.
