We haven’t gone crazy! The snake is one of the animals in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac signs. The new Chinese lunar year is the start of the Year of the Snake in 2025 so we thought it would be fun to apply the stated behaviours of someone born in a snake year and think about why a snake would be a great accountant!
What are the personality traits of a Snake?
Snakes are said to be cautious, even-tempered, effective, creative and adaptable, and have considerable intelligence. They are goal orientated with keen intuition.
That’s probably all we need to say about why snakes make great accountants afterall, everyone in the HB office claims these traits! Let’s consider them in more detail.
Even-tempered
Finances are often a sensitive subject and some people react emotionally to information they may not have been expecting, or if things are not going to plan. It’s an important attribute that an accountant stays calm under pressure as this enables them to analyse the situation and give the very best possible guidance
Effective
Accountants have to know their ‘stuff’, whether this is about tax, payrolls, management accounts or audits. Then they have to apply this knowledge in real-life situations in order to be an effective accountant. From the very first day with HB, we ensure all our trainees, apprentices and experienced accountants have the expertise to effectively apply their knowledge by working on a range of accounts and industries.
Cautious
In accounting, prudence (a similar word to caution) is known as a fundamental principle. It refers to the concept of being cautious and conservative when making judgments and estimates. In short, it means that accountants should not overestimate revenues or underestimate expenses, but instead, they should err on the side of caution and make conservative judgements.
Caution helps to ensure that financial statements are accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Adaptable
Market conditions change, regulations and legislation are updated, personal circumstances change – all these individual factors need to be taken into account when managing and advising about financial matters. All HB accountants are adaptable by nature and thanks to their training.
Goal orientated
This one probably speaks for itself. Our clients all have goals in life and in business and we work hard to help them achieve them.
Keen intuition
Sometimes, accountants just know that something is not right. It may be that the numbers don’t add up or it feels like a piece of information is missing. We use our intuition to ensure that we understand the business as a whole before we give any advice. We also use intuition to to recognise the feelings and motivations that underlie and drive our client’s actions, It’s this understanding that allows us to deliver the information and advice that will best serve our client.
Creative
The stereotype of an accountant is that they only care about cold, hard facts and the day is spent staring at rows of numbers. Facts certainly matter when we’re talking about tax and finances but when we work with a business, we look at it holistically. From sales to costs, we creatively find ways to reduce expenditure and boost income, helping your business to grow.
All in all, we can confidently state that snakes make great accountants!
Let’s leave it to the philosophical Chinese to have the last word about people born during the Year of the Snake.
“In emergencies, Snakes show their true value by remaining calm and collected, not losing an ounce of their ability to analyse the situation and come up with the best solution while remaining a dependable presence.”
How can we help?
The HB team, packed full of snake-like traits, is always available to support your accountancy needs and discuss ways to boost your productivity.
If you would like to learn more about the services that we offer, discover how we can give you real confidence in the future of your business, or if you are a larger business that requires auditing, then contact us today. We’re accountants for business and we are here to help you grow efficiently.
Happy Year of The Snake!!
The information contained above is for general guidance purposes only. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the contents are accurate, please note that each individual has different circumstances and it is essential that you seek appropriate professional advice before you act on any of the information contained herein. HB Accountants can accept no liability for any errors
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