Last week, Elena Krotiris, one of our Directors here at Holman Hodge, attended Adelaide Fashion Week, taking the opportunity to enjoy the incredible talent we have in Adelaide while also supporting several clients featured in the festival. With significant experience and strong connections in the fashion, retail, and luxury markets, today’s update highlights her relationship driven approach which supports creative clients in aligning business structure, passion, and practicality for success.
The conversations Elena Krotiris has with clients to drive their business success
So many accountants claim to be ‘your partner in business’ that it has become a cliché. But if you’re a family owned or private business, with your head buried deep in the daily grind, a partner in business is exactly what you need. Someone to give you the ‘heads up’ to support you to train your team to look after the ‘daily’, while you focus on the bigger picture. Elena, whose approach balances passion with pragmatism, will help you do just that!
“While client relationships are often punctuated by quarterly meetings about your profit and loss,” says Elena Krotiris, Director at Holman Hodge, “you have to bring more than just technical expertise to the table.” For her, it’s all about understanding the goals, and how the pieces of the business fit together; and this takes a partnering approach.
“Technical expertise is a given,” Elena says. “But to truly add value, I need to understand what you’re trying to achieve in your business—the content, the people, and the relationships.”
Elena’s work with clients is anything but typical. She spends significant time advising on day-to-day operations, often visiting client premises to discuss actions and strategies. Her goal is to financially educate her clients so that numbers and evidence become an integral part of their decision-making processes, helping them navigate the sometimes overwhelming learning curve that comes with business growth.
“There’s a massive learning curve for business owners in growing their business,” Elena notes. “There’s a lot to learn about accounting, reporting, and what the numbers actually mean. Business owners need to understand all of this and more – what cash they need to keep on hand, what projects to invest in, and what people they need to achieve their goals.”
One of the most impactful tools Elena uses in her advisory role is an approach she calls Diagnostic Analysis. It’s changed the way she partners with clients, starting with a deep dive into where the business is now, where they want to be, and how to get there.
“It starts with a conversation about where the business is now, how we do things, who we have in our business, and our current position,” Elena explains. “I like to speak with key people in the business to gain a true understanding of this. What an owner thinks and what individuals in the business think can at times be polar opposites.”
Having gained a deeper understanding, the next task is to align operations, people, and roles to support the business and owner’s strategic goals. “It’s bigger than the business itself because a business owner is part of the business, and the business is part of their life,” she says. This holistic view is central to how Elena works with her clients.
But it’s not just about numbers and strategy. Elena takes on a coaching role, holding her clients personally accountable for the decisions they make and the goals they set. “I like to work in partnership, partnering with people, working together and learning how to be better in business together,” she says. “It’s great when you get that fit with clients, and that can only be done through facilitating a conversation.”
It’s these conversations that drive her coaching approach. They help clients to create action plans, prioritise tasks, and adjust strategies as circumstances change. “We all need to write our plans down, but they don’t need to be a glossy document,” Elena advises. “We need to set goals, track them, check in, and create an action plan.”
One of the biggest challenges for business owners is balancing passion with pragmatism, especially when emotions can cloud judgement. “Although our business may be our passion, it’s dangerous to make decisions based on emotions,” she cautions. “That’s when I provide the reality check.” She finds that it is common in family and privately owned businesses, that the business has evolved from personal passion or creative endeavour. Elena’s coaching approach, insights from keeping in touch with the people in the business, and reliance on financial measurement is the reality check that her clients need.
Elena works with a range of clients, from hospitality, retail and pharmacy to labour hire, professional and medical services. But she has a particular affinity with clients in the creative industries—artists, designers, and fashion professionals—who often face unique challenges in balancing creativity with commercial success. Her experience in these sectors allows her to provide tailored advice that respects the creative process while ensuring financial sustainability.
“It’s great to work with clients who are passionate about what they do,” Elena says. “When we can combine their passion with the right business strategy, that’s where the magic happens.”
Elena’s approach is built on deep understanding, partnership, and accountability. By combining her technical expertise with a genuine commitment to her clients’ goals, she supports their journey towards business sustainment and growth with confidence and clarity. She’s more than just an accountant—to use the cliché, she’s a trusted partner in her clients’ success.
Image: Paul Vasileff, Designer & Founder at Paolo Sebastian on the left, with Elena and Chris Kontos, Creative Consultant (right)
“We love working with Elena and Krista at Holman Hodge. They are an extension of our team and have helped guide and shape the direction of our brand over the past years.”
Paul Vasileff, Designer & Founder at Paolo Sebastian
First Image: The panel at the Adelaide Fashion Week Icons Only Lunch. Facilitated by Poh Ying Leow, the panel included Adelaide Lord Mayor, Dr Jane Lomax Smith, Fashion Editor, Anna Vlach, Designer & Founder at Paolo Sebastian, Paul Vasileff, Director and CEO Adelaide Fringe, Heather Croall AM, and Creative Consultant, Chris Kontos.