From flares to new romantics

The origin of Bizally dates back to 1979 when Clive Morris started an accounting and advisory practice at 177 Eley Road, Blackburn South. Clive’s expertise saw the practice grow and in 1985 he decided on a change of career path and sold the business to Graeme Ritchie.

Graeme Ritchie had already been an accountant for over twenty years when he took over the practice and his knowledge, dedication, and hard work guaranteed the continued success of the practice. In 1989, Clive decided his skills were better suited to public practice rather than banking, and he returned to the business to partner Graeme, and together they formed Morris & Ritchie.

A new focus on SME’s

Morris & Ritchie continued to grow and developed a reputation for integrity, excellence, outstanding client service that was built on a foundation of attention to detail and technical excellence. The practice focused on small and medium-sized business owners and spanned a wide range of industries. Most importantly, their empathy and understanding of their clients’ needs forged many enduring relationships that continue to this day.

GKRA – The next generation

With the growth, staff numbers also grew. In 1994, Ben Stokes joined Morris & Ritchie from Melbourne University. In 1999, Marco Polloni joined the team with his excellent technical abilities and attention to detail. In 1999, Ben left the practice to act as the Finance Director and part owner of a small technology start-up business but later re-joined the firm in April 2007 after spending six years in London in a variety of management accounting, financial controller and software implementation roles for small and medium sized companies.

The new millennium

In 2000, Clive decided to transition to retirement with Graeme taking the reins as a sole practitioner trading under the name of G K Ritchie & Associates. Courtesy of continued client referrals the practice continued to thrive and on 1 July 2008 Ben Stokes and Marco Polloni were admitted as partners. Their enthusiasm and knowledge combined with Graeme’s experience has positioned the firm as a premium practice in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

Start ups and SMSF’s

In response to the changing needs of our clients, we have also added new services such as our specialisation in self-managed superannuation funds, growing client wealth, and business start-ups. We have also developed several niches and industry specialisations with builders; the building trades, property developers, restaurants and cafes, manufacturers and the road transport industry.

The impact of new technology

As a progressive firm, we continually adopt the latest technology and systems and in 2015 we have a team of 10 people. While the personnel may have changed over the last 35 years, our commitment to excellence remains unchanged.

A name change

In 2015, the team at GKRA decided it was time to change their name to reflect their changing culture and focus on technology. The name Bizally was adopted as it was felt it best reflected the energy and dynamism of the team, as well as a renewed focus on ‘best practice’ technologies, which are empowering our clients to become more efficient and make more informed decisions.

Bizally now offers a complete range of business, tax, financial and compliance services to business owners. Our clients not only include local operators in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, they spread across all of Victoria with a number of client’s located interstate.

The future

Although technology and business processes have changed dramatically since our inception in 1979, our focus has not. Technology may liberate us all from the mundane and repetitive tasks, but human engagement is where the real value is created. We have a philosophy of empowerment, which ensures that with each meeting our clients understanding and confidence grows. Our goal is to provide you with all of the information and support you need to build and protect your personal wealth.