Jenan Thorne

Jenan Thorne
Saber Group
Accounting

Age: 39
Business Est: 2007
Number of staff: 17
Growth: 20%
Turnover: $1.2m

IN the changing world of accountancy, Saber Group is staying one step ahead.

Co-founder and company director Jenan Thorne says the industry is shifting as clients have access to the technology and education to handle the basics of accounting themselves.

“Technology is really playing a big part in the way we’re communicating with clients. Most clients are a lot more technology savvy and require more sophisticated accounting services,” she says.

“At the time of establishment I believed the Gold Coast market was lacking in diversity in the types of accountancy services available. I had a concept of what services was needed to provide to the region and I decided if I went into business I could deliver these services in the way I wanted to.”

Following the merge with well-established Gold Coast accountancy firm Damans Accounting in 2007, Saber Group is now taking advantage of the shifting industry as it becomes more technology focussed.

“The first year was quite challenging. With the merger we had all these clients we had to meet and work out how best to provide their accounting needs,” says Thorne.

“Now we are through that phase we are focusing on our marketing, looking at all of the systems and processes in place and creating more innovative services for our clients. Our proceedings are unique in that we focus more on technology to communicate and our service is a lot more personalised.”

Saber Group has experienced strong growth in a volatile market by concentrating on efficiency.

Despite Thorne believing the company has been ‘more conservative’ in the last financial year, it has managed to secure major projects including the Little Beach Project at Paradise Point and Southport RSL’s Victoria Towers.

“Future acquisitions are a possibility but not essential to meet our growth and profit targets. Our strategy is to achieve a steady and controlled growth and we’ve achieved the targets we set out for the business by growing organically,” she says.