The Holistic Accountant
A holistic accountant goes beyond tax returns, aiming to offer proactive advice to maximise clients' wealth after all taxes. Stuart Wemyss and Mena Abraham explore multifaceted considerations weekly, highlighting the need for a holistic approach. Each episode is succinct and to the point with no fluff or sales pitches. For further details, check out www.prosolution.com.au.
The Holistic Accountant
Ep 171: The gross margin lie: your mark-up math is wrong
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You think you’re making 40%. In reality, you might be making 15%.
In this episode, Stuart and Mena expose the “mark-up illusion”, the common mistake of calculating margin on materials alone while ignoring direct labour, superannuation, payroll tax, leave entitlements, contractor equivalents, and production-related costs.
When gross margin is miscalculated, everything downstream breaks: pricing, hiring, scaling, and cash flow planning.
They walk through a simple example that shows how small changes in margin dramatically outperform chasing revenue growth. Improving gross margin by just 3% can generate the same profit uplift as hundreds of thousands in additional sales, without increasing risk or working capital.
They also discuss margin volatility, broken cash conversion cycles, labour recovery rates, and why unexplained swings in gross profit are a red flag.
If you want to build sustainable wealth inside your business, this episode will challenge how you define cost of goods sold and why precision in your numbers compounds over time.
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Work with Mena & Stuart's team: At ProSolution Private Clients we encourage clients to adopt a holistic and evidence-based approach when making financial decisions. Visit our website.
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IMPORTANT: This podcast provides general information about finance, taxes, and credit. This means that the content does not consider your specific objectives, financial situation, or needs. It is crucial for you to assess whether the information is suitable for your circumstances before taking any actions based on it. If you find yourself uncertain about the relevance or your specific needs, it is advisable to seek advice from a licensed and trustworthy professional.
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