As business owners, we’re always told to go above and beyond the call of duty, to do more of what’s required of us, to get the job done quicker than we said we would. It occured to me recently though, that sometimes just doing what you say you’ll do is as good, if not better.

There have been times over the last few years where suppliers have promised one thing, then gone out of their way to do 20 other things to make me happy. I know it would have meant a lot more to me if they had forgotten about the other 20 and simply done the one thing I was expecting.

It’s always nice to put those extra touches on your service - but not if it means compromising on what you’re meant to deliver.

How do you do things in your business? Do you do only what’s expected or do you go above and beyond? Are you making sure you’re not sacrificing the basics?

Over the last couple of years, being in business has taught me the importance of finding the right match. I’m talking about finding products, services or people that suit your business, suit what it needs, suit your personality and your culture.

Recently we spent some time looking for a new bookkeeper and then a new accountant. When finding the bookkeeper, it became really clear to me that I didn’t just need someone I felt was competant doing my books - I also needed someone who I felt shared the same values as we do at Bergan Blue and one who I would feel happy to just have a chat to.

So with a shortlist of two bookkeepers, I went with my gut. I went with the bookkeeper I felt would be the best fit for us.

Three or four months down the track, I can honestly say I have not doubted my decision once.

Needless to say, a couple of months later when looking for a new accountant, I went into it with the same attitude - I wanted to find an accountant that I felt was a good match for us.

We were rather strapped for time and after meeting the first accountant, decided we would probably just go with them. But then I stopped and realised that things didn’t quite click with them for me. Although we were already running late on finding a new accountant and we felt the first seemed very good at their job, we decided to arrange an appointment with another local accountant just to be sure. Like the bookkeeper, Jon and I walked out of the meeting with this other accountant with smiles on our faces and knowing that we had found the right accountant for us.

To date, both our new bookkeeper and accountant have gone above and beyond, answering any questions we might have, no matter how silly they seem.

I think it’s important to understand though that finding someone who is the right fit for you doesn’t just extend to the person who designs your website or who does your accounts. Finding customers/clients that you also click with is really important.

If you’re fortunate enough to be in a position where you can pick and choose your clients, I’d really suggest listening to that inner voice when meeting new potential clients.

Do you feel they would be a pleasure to work with? Do they value your opinions and professional judgement? Looking past the dollar signs, would you be happy to work with this client if you were doing it for free? Are any red flags going up in your mind? Is there something small about this person that’s niggling away at you?

Those tiny things that get shoved aside in the beginning often turn into something big in the end which leaves both the client and the supplier unhappy. So listen to what that little voice has to say. Go with your gut. It might just turn out to be right.