Accounting for Hospitality
Operating a wedding reception centre, conference centre or theatre restaurant is demanding and requires planning and precision timing. Apart from the usual compliance issues of GST, BAS, PAYG and superannuation you have to contend with strict Government regulations including liquor licensing laws, food handling regulations and council permits.
The hospitality industry is also characterised by irregular trading hours, erratic and seasonal trade, casual employees and a combination of dry and wet goods. Here at McHenry Partners we are recognised as hospitality accounting specialists and over the years we have assisted numerous clients starting, running and selling their:
- Wedding Reception Centre
- Conference and Function Centre
- Theatre Restaurant
- Commercial Catering Business
- Restaurant
- Hotels with Bistro, TAB, Bottle Shop and Gaming Room
Ideally, you need an accountant who understands the peculiarities of the hospitality industry and our experience and intimate understanding of wedding reception centres, conference centres, pubs and theatre restaurants can give you a serious competitive edge.
Services We Offer
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Business start-up
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Business Planning
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Management reporting
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Budget & Cashflow forecasting
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Establishing Key Permorance Indicators KPI's
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Business Improvement Strategies
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Accounting system advice & support
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Business Coaching & mentoring
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Business Structure Advice
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Social Media & Marketing workshops
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Buying & Selling business advice
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Business Succession Planning

As a business owner we believe you want much more than just tax returns and financial statements which is why our focus is to provide strategies and business tools to help you grow your business, your profits and your personal wealth. For that reason we strive to help you ‘know your numbers’ and that includes identifying the profit drivers in your business. We use industry benchmarks to compare your business performance against your competitors and peers so you know what is working and what needs working on.
We do so much more than just tax. We view the tax return as the start of the client process, not the end and as ‘business and profit builders’ we provide strategies and solutions to help you grow the value of the business.
Client Testimonials
I have medical practices in Geelong and Ballarat.Before moving to McHenry Partners my prior accountant was charging me large compliance fees and lodgments were being made late.
My bookkeeper, accounting software and the accounting firm just wasn’t working well enough and I felt like I was being left in the dark.
Making the move to McHenry Partners resulted in positive changes:
- A cloud-based accounting system was adopted.
- A better bookkeeping solution was offered at a more cost-effective rate.
- Communication of financial results and tax position is excellent.
I am now well informed and compliance lodgments are on time.
This has made my life less stressful knowing things are well under control.
McHenry Partners are always available to quickly respond to my queries and it has been a pleasure to work with them.
www.medicaid.com.au/medicaid-Geelong
Dr. Carl Grace
MedicAid
“Making the decision to start my own business meant I needed to seek professional business advice. McHenry Partners were able to advise me on the right entity to use, guide me on compliance matters I needed to navigate, set us up on Xero and provide training on the software (which we have found to be a breeze to use) and answer all our questions.
It certainly helps getting our business off on the right foot with no unwanted surprises to occur.”
Ben Mitchell
Stinton Advisory
We have been conducting business with McHenry Partners for 14 years, firstly just for taxation purposes but also financial planning and retirement strategies.
Sam Adigrati from Vostro Private Wealth has been very supportive of our financial investment matters. When there is any information we require about our financial affairs, having both Vostro Private Wealth and McHenry Partners, we know we have the best of both worlds and complete peace of mind that they have our affairs in order.
Both businesses are very helpful, friendly, informative and cooperative.
Graham & Lynny Ingles
“We had only been in business for 18 months and growing at a quick rate but felt we needed a mentor or coach to provide more guidance to address the ‘growing pains’ we were experiencing. Our existing accountant had prioritized a compliance focus. By moving across to McHenry Partners they were able to point out improvements to our credit policies, train us on a better financial management system and guide us on the working capital we required to support our growing business. Also introducing us to their associates to help us in areas of expertise, such as asset finance.
I am feeling more in control now and confident we can sustain our growth to achieve even better financial returns.”
Andrew Palmer
Surfcoast Cabinets
“While we felt we had great educational products and services, we were struggling to effectively market these to increase sales and our business seemed to be ‘treading water’. McHenry Partners really helped us to focus on the key profitable services and clarified the target market to promote these services. We contracted the right sales people with incentives for them to perform well. As a result our sales have doubled in each of the last two years without increasing administration staff. Our quarterly consulting meetings with McHenry Partners involving discussing our recent financial performance but more importantly guides us on what actions we need to do to improve the business over the following three months. Our business has come a long way in a short period of time.”
Donna Bowman
Enhance Your Future
“Computers and accounting I have never been fond of. In the past I used Excel spreadsheets to keep track of income and expenses, word to prepare my invoices and MYOB to manage my payroll. McHenry Partners demonstrated the benefits of Xero and convinced me to transfer to Xero and the only regret is that I didn’t do this sooner. Now my accountant can log into the file and assist with any of my queries. My payroll and superannuation are also simplified with Xero. McHenry Partners have helped guide me with my personal investments and to get better finance arrangements.”
www.allwrightplastering.com.au
J. Wright
All Wright Plastering
Thinking of Starting a Wedding or Conference Centre?
We are a business start-up specialist and if you are looking to open a theatre restaurant, conference centre, reception centre or hotel there are numerous issues to consider. Over the years we have helped clients with every aspect of starting their business including site selection, business structure, tax registrations, insurances, their retail lease and accounting software selection. In addition, we can assist you with preparing a business plan, payroll and HR issues plus finance applications.
On an operational level, we understand what is required for a successful opening and we can even assist you in executing the successful launch of your theatre restaurant, reception centre or pub. We have developed a range of spreadsheets and tools including a comprehensive start up expense checklist to help you identify every possible start up cost.
This checklist is broken down into categories including leasehold improvements, IT, marketing, capital equipment, furniture & fittings, professional services, licenses and permits, initial stock and working capital. These figures then automatically feed into an integrated cash flow budget to help you identify your finance requirements and they can also tuck into your business plan.
Menu pricing is absolutely vital to the success of your theatre restaurant, bistro, conference centre or wedding reception centre. We can help you do some price modelling so you know your break even point and how to maintain your profit margins when suppliers increase their prices.
Marketing Your Business
For a wedding reception centre, theatre restaurant, conference centre or restaurant marketing can be the difference between success and failure. Your website and social media strategy are key elements of your marketing and we can help you with your branding and provide advice regarding your website’s features, functionality and content. We have worked with dozens of clients and liaised with graphic artists, SEO experts and website development teams to create affordable, quality websites for clients. If you need help with your corporate brochure, newsletter or want to harness the power of social media to win more business we can provide advice and direction. We believe our marketing skills set us apart from other accounting firms.
We do so much more than just tax and view the tax return as the start of the client process, not the end. We are ‘business and profit builders’ who provide strategies and solutions for business owners. We offer our reception centre and hospitality clients a range of tailored financial, tax, accounting and financial planning solutions including:
- Start-Up Business Advice for Theatre Restaurants, Wedding Reception Centres, Conference and Function Centres including Hotels
- Advice regarding the Purchase or Sale of your Reception or Conference Centre
- Spreadsheets like the Start Up Expense Checklist & Price Calculator
- Advice and Establishment of Your Business Structure
- Business Registrations including ABN, TFN, GST, WorkCover etc.
- Business Plans, Cash Flow Forecasts & Profit Projections
- Accounting/Point Of Sale Software Selection and Training
- Site Location and Advice Regarding your Retail Tenancy Lease
- Preparation of Finance Applications & Bank Submissions
- Preparation and Analysis of Financial Statements
- Bookkeeping and Payroll Services
- Costing of Menu and Bar Items
- Tax Planning Strategies
- Industry Benchmarking and KPI Management
- Marketing Audit including an evaluation of your branding, website,brochure and menu layout plus diner trends and customer satisfaction questionnaires
- Advice regarding Website Development, Content and SEO
- Personal Financial Planning & Wealth Creation Strategies
- Business & Risk Insurances
- Vehicle, Equipment and Shop Fit Out Finance
- Monitoring and Controlling Labour costs
- Recession and Survival Strategies
- Business Succession Planning
Supporting Businesses & Individuals Across Greater Geelong
We work with clients throughout Geelong and surrounding suburbs, including:
Contact Us
Contact us today to discuss how we can help you with your wedding reception centre, conference centre, theatre restaurant or hotel. You can expect practical, down to earth business advice and tax effective solutions. We are ‘business and profit builders’ who enjoy working with ambitious business owners looking to accelerate their business success.
To take the next step we invite you to book a FREE, no obligation, one hour introductory consultation to discuss your business needs. You’ll get practical business, tax, marketing and financial advice that could have a significant impact on your bottom line. To book a time, call us today on 1300 789 844 or complete your details in the box at the top of this page.

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