Greenbank business the Business Wellness Hub is up for a national award

Mrs Spalding said she came upon her business model almost by chance, after identifying a niche in the accounting industry.

"I'd been an accountant for 20 years when I identified a gap in the market," Mrs Spalding said.

"A lot of business owners seemed fearful of accountants, so I decided to try and help them understand what it all meant.

"Then after I had some health issues of my own, I discovered yoga and mindfulness. It made my anxieties fade away and everything became clearer."

Mrs Spalding said she seeks to bring a similar revelation to her clients, many of whom are local, family-owned enterprises that don't necessarily have their sights on massive profit margins.

"At Business Wellness Hub we take a holistic approach to accounting," she said.

"It's not just about doing the books, a lot of my clients want to build a sustainable business and keep a work-life balance.

"They don't all want heaps of money, they just want to do things like pay for school fees for their children."

Part of this holistic approach is Mrs Spalding's Five-Pillar system, which includes basic business strategies such as branding and business management alongside wellness and leadership principles.

The company also offers a variety of packages to suit businesses of varying sizes.

Mrs Spalding said she was hoping to develop the wellness side of her business even further and resume offering wellness retreats for business owners, which she had temporarily halted due to the COVID pandemic.

"We've had great feedback on the retreats in the past," she said.

"I'll be getting someone else on board to help with the accountancy side of things while I'll do more wellness activities.

"We're now much more clear on who we are and what we offer."

The Greenbank accountant said her job was rewarding, particularly when she saw the effects her wellness programs had on her clients.

"I feel a lot of pride helping my clients, and the wellness side of things is especially rewarding," Mrs Spalding said.

"You can see the stress leaving these people's bodies, which puts a smile on their face."

Mrs Spalding said this year's award nomination was also rewarding for slightly different reasons.

"We're only a little business, it's great to be recognised as we're playing with the big guys," she said.