Smart-21 – Your Resource & Partner in Helping Develop Key Business, Management, Financial & Soft Skills
Short Introduction
Hi – my name is Sean Finn & I am the founder of Smart-21. My career started in finance & accountancy, gaining extensive experience in the world of business. But now I work as an outsourced finance specialist and business systems consultant. This includes being a mentor and business storyteller. My goal, in working this way, is to help you develop the skills, resourcefulness & personal leadership to succeed in business.
Simple, effective & putting you first.
Inspiration
Why a lightbulb? Or why that lightbulb?
To name two reasons – working creatively & solving everyday business problems. Devising profitable outcomes to name a third. It also represents a sense of excitement about the possibilities in business.
The key thing though is helping business professionals & SME owners have all they need by way of information, systems and resources so that they develop. Above all, to give you the time & space to do so.
I love reading quotes for the sheer interest & enjoyment. Of course they also offer golden nuggets of wisdom and learning. One of my most favoured for instance, is the following by Goëthe:
“Treat a man as he appears to be & you make him worse.
But treat a man as if he already were what he potentially could be
& you make him what he should be. “
Leadership, soft-skills, personal development & management are key in the 21st Century. Portfolio Careers & independent working will increasingly be the norm. So helping business professionals & SME’s succeed in this environment is why I set up Smart-21.
Sustainability
Sustainability is not just about the obvious & very urgent need to first rescue and then protect Planet Earth from the more rapacious nature of mankind. It is also about people, business & how combined they contribute to society overall.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in “Good Business” said:
“Business exists to enhance human well-being.”
Have a look at his short video defining Good Business.
So four key drivers for me are:
- Business is more than simple economic opportunity – it has the capacity to be a real force for good
- Making business itself sustainable – better not simply bigger
- Putting people along with their growth and development front & centre
- Business being a key player in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Clients
Current & recent clients include Emerald Guitars, Allglass Windscreens & ecoXpress . Previously I have worked with the National Concert Hall, Hudson Partnership, the Irish Human Rights & Equality Commission, Primark & RGP. In addition I have also assisted private individuals whom I advised on numerous business projects. Through my work with EFM Ireland I have completed a number of projects for SME’s in obtaining funding from Enterprise Ireland.
Short Bio
I established Smart-21 in 2017 – specifically to help individuals & SME owners succeed in business. By creating finance & business confidence. Prior to that, my experience spanned financial management & reporting, systems development & efficiency (using Lean Six Sigma). Holding a Diploma in Management from the Irish Management Institute, I am also a certified Greenbelt in Lean Six Sigma. Finally, I am a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland having first obtained a degree in Economics from Trinity College Dublin.
In other words, a professional with broad-based experience, a creative mind as well as the desire to help others succeed.
Prior Projects
Putting both creative & innovative solutions in place is key since this makes it more likely that people will succeed.
For example, a selection of previous projects that I have worked on includes:
Outsourced Financial Management
- Managing the full finance function for extended periods during the absence of key staff members
- Assisting clients with new accounting systems implementation.
- Completion of business plans for SME’s in support of funding applications to Enterprise Ireland
Business Systems Consulting & Mentoring
- Undertaking full business reviews leading to strategic changes in approach & direction
- Automating financial & other business processes resulting in greater efficiency, reduced risk & more effective analysis
- Creating a “Getting Things Done” programme for people so that they were able to increase personal effectiveness, time management & job satisfaction
Business Storytelling
- Engaging in ghost-writing projects with people helping them publish their books
- Editing & producing newsletters & other articles to keep recipients both engaged & informed
So to learn more, please read Working Together, SM-21 Way & the Blog.