We have asked one of our past students a few questions…
 
Linda-Jane Haynes, co owner of IPS Property Services.
My husband and I have our own business, IPS Property Services, which is a Managing Agent company. He always claims that I work FOR him, but I have to remind him that we are partners, and that behind every successful company (man) is a woman! I work WITH him!

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
When my husband first went into business on his own, in 2006, I helped him with the processing of the monthly accounts, on a part-time basis (after hours!!). When we were awarded Management contracts with 2 large HOA’s in George, I had to join him full-time and I left UCT after 12 years. We now have offices in Cape Town and George. I do the majority of the administration, while he does the management side. 

What was your motivation for enrolling in the Paddocks courses you have completed?
As I became more involved with our business, it became evident that I would need to know a lot more about the property world than just doing admin. Also, we own property in a Body Corporate, and it’s extremely important that we have a grip on things from an owners’/trustees’ perspective. Paddocks offer so much in their courses that there was never a doubt about enrolling with them.
 
What did you enjoy about the courses?
I have only done two courses to date but will definitely be doing more as and when the needs arise:

Law of Sectional Title Meetings Course:
An absolute must for anyone in the property business! And I also feel that it should be strongly encouraged that Trustees attend this course. So many of them are there to “make up numbers” and have absolutely no clue what their duties are. Plenty of folk just bumble their way through their period of appointment, relying completely on Managing Agents to deal with things, which are after all, their (the Trustees’) responsibilities at the end of the day. Can you imagine going to a meeting where everyone knows their place and their business? What a pleasure!

 

Sectional Title Bookkeeping Course:
Even with a bookkeeping background, and my husband as an accountant, this was extremely useful. There are always things that we do “out of habit” and it’s easy to miss the importance of them. This course highlighted plenty of those exact important issues, and certainly was a wake-up call. It is also very useful as a refresher course for those bookkeepers who have been in the business for years, and who need reminders of why they do things the way they do

 

Any additional comments?
Not only are the courses with Paddocks extremely useful, but their staff are all particularly helpful and friendly. I have only had pleasant experiences with everyone I have had dealings with. 

 

Article reference: Volume 5, Issue 2, Page 6.