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Discover how local guidance from RSM helped the Busselton Robinson Family grow their accommodation business to reach new heights.
A short 12-minute drive from Busselton, Tree Chalets is a luxurious accommodation experience that guests love coming back to. When owner-operators Fran and Andrew Robinson began searching for a business adviser, they wanted an experience similar to what they provide to guests.
Someone local, who would be accessible and responsive, who could take care of all of their needs and get them from where they were to where they wanted to be. RSM Partner Simon Brown ticked all of the boxes.
READ TRANSCRIPT
Simon Brown (00:03)
Hi, my name is Simon Brown, I'm a Partner with RSM Australia in the Business Advisory Division and I lead the Tourism and Hospitality Industry sector group.
Fran Robinson (00:12)
Hi, I'm Fran.
Andrew Robinson (00:13)
And I'm Andrew.
Fran Robinson (00:14)
And we are the owners and operators of Tree Chalets in Busselton.
Simon Brown (00:17)
Being able to work with clients, being able to work through their issues and being able to add some real value. We deal with everything from tax and compliance, business restructuring, self-managed super funds and succession planning.
Fran Robinson (00:32)
That's what we've tried to create here. Comfortable beds, comfortable sofas, beautiful view, beautiful outdoor bath under the stars.
Andrew Robinson (00:40)
We include a breakfast hamper. Everything -- as much as we can -- is locally sourced.
Fran Robinson (00:44)
They come back for a second and third stay, they say we're coming back to our home. That's something that we love.
Simon Brown (00:50)
We do offer free Xero workshops to clients and non-clients alike. And that's where I first met Fran.
Fran Robinson (00:57)
When we started the business, I was doing the accounts via Excel spreadsheet. So that was good to start off with, but when things got busier, it got really difficult.
Simon Brown (01:08)
One thing that was important to Andrew and Fran is that they wanted someone local. They wanted someone who was accessible and responsive. Rarely have I seen two business owners that were so on point with what they wanted to achieve.
Andrew Robinson (01:20)
[He] gave us guidance on how to get us from where we were to where we wanted to be. Not knowing what we were doing and just doing the best we could made us more professional.
Simon Brown (01:28)
The lessons we learn locally with businesses like Andrew and Fran, we feed the knowledge up to the industry groups that we're involved with. We share it with our staff and our other business advisers around the country.
Fran Robinson (01:41)
He connected us with all the professionals that are needed when you transition from a partnership to a company. We wouldn't have been able to do that ourselves. I wouldn't have the knowledge.
Simon Brown (01:54)
Growth for a business like Andrew & Fran's really needs to be sustainable. This is a high-end product they're selling.
Fran Robinson (02:01)
We decided we'd give a crack at the Tourism Awards. It was a huge process. You have to prove that your business is the best. But we did it. We got through. And then we were totally shocked to win gold in Western Australia for the first year. So, when we went to the Nationals in Queensland, we won gold there. And we were just blown away.
Simon Brown (02:24)
They're able to expand their business now, which means that they will go into a period of consolidation and wealth generation. We've got to guide them through the succession planning and estate planning and eventually onto retirement.
Fran Robinson (02:35)
And welcoming more guests and being, you know, showing everyone what an amazing place this is to stay at. We're really excited for the future.
Outgrowing Excel
"When we started the business, I was doing the accounts via Excel spreadsheet," Fran recalls. The initial simplicity soon became a challenge as the business grew. Fran first met Simon at a free Xero workshop RSM was running to support the local business community.
Changing business structure from a partnership to a company
One of the advantages of working with RSM over other local accountants is gaining access to a national network of professionals. Simon understood the nature of the Robinson’s business, what they wanted to achieve with it and knew exactly what they needed to do to get there. He worked closely with Fran and Andrew and connected them with the professionals they needed to achieve their goals.
An award-winning tourism business
The collaboration with RSM bore fruit when Tree Chalets won gold at the Western Australia Tourism Awards and again at the Nationals in Queensland. "We were just blown away," Fran shares.
Looking ahead
As Tree Chalets continues to expand, the focus shifts to sustainable growth and wealth generation. Simon will continue to support them as their needs evolve, from growth and wealth generation to succession planning and retirement. He will also share the lessons he’s learned through helping Tree Chalets to other RSM advisers and offices, so that any tourism and accommodation business throughout Australia can work with RSM and benefit from that expertise.
Learn more about how RSM supports the Tourism & Accommodation sector or reach out to your local RSM office.
