{"id":3687,"date":"2023-12-27T10:49:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-27T10:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/klaar.me\/?p=3687"},"modified":"2025-08-21T08:31:25","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T08:31:25","slug":"big-persona-story-liis-laanesaar-estonian-accounting-landscape-needs-to-be-refreshed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klaar.me\/en\/big-persona-story-liis-laanesaar-estonian-accounting-landscape-needs-to-be-refreshed\/","title":{"rendered":"BIG PERSONA STORY | Liis Laanesaar: Estonian accounting landscape needs to be refreshed"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Free, light, modern, innovative, but still within its own limits \u2013 you can only approach accounting like this if you love it, says Liis Laanesaar.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, Liis Laanesaar has worked as an accountant and auditor in the audit and accounting field. The Klaar.me team led by Liis employs more than 20 people located all over Estonia. There are more than 200 companies in the customer base, divided between thirteen accountants and four financial managers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sport has played a key role in personality development<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSport has been a part of my life for a long time and has played a big role in shaping my personality,\u201d she says. \u201cFrom an early age, I loved to run very fast and compete. I\u2019ve won numerous medals in county and national competitions, and for a time I was also the Estonian record holder in the 4 \u00d7 100 metres relay.
Hurdles and 200 metres were the closest to my heart. I\u2019ve also competed in volleyball, swimming and tennis. I\u2019ve always liked to set new goals and never set limits for myself. It keeps me motivated. Everything is possible if you dream and act.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Everything is possible if you dream and act.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Liis Laanesaar
CEO of Klaar.me Services O\u00dc<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Liis acquired basic education in M\u00e4rjamaa and went on to study at the Audentes Sports School. After graduating from upper secondary school with a silver medal, she was awarded a scholarship for good academic and sporting results and continued her studies at University Audentes. Later, Liis continued her studies at the Estonian Business School, where she obtained a Master\u2019s degree, which she highly appreciates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liis is known to her friends and acquaintances as a determined and responsible person. \u201cIt\u2019s happened time and time again that when life has brought me moments when it was necessary to find someone who would take the responsibility for the success of a project, venture or event, I\u2019ve happily raised my hand,\u201d she says. \u201cOver time, I\u2019ve also learned to stay in the background a bit. Seven years of top-level sports have given me good discipline and routine tolerance, as well as the ability to set goals.\u201d For Liis, it\u2019s always been important to do things thoroughly and properly, and to give her best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A passion for numbers that dates back to childhood<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Liis became interested in accounting as a child. \u201cWhat I particularly like about it is that numbers are logical and systematic \u2013 it\u2019s very interesting to me,\u201d she says. \u201cI love numbers and the orderly picture that numbers create. Even as a small child, I helped my shopkeeper father count the cash, weigh the goods and complete orders. My father\u2019s mobile shop was my childhood playground, where I could satisfy my passion for the magical numbers. My father often asked me to serve customers both in the mobile shop and in the caf\u00e9 he opened at various sporting events. He trusted me completely in financial matters since I was little.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I went to University Audentes, I chose strategic financial management as my specialty, and it has accompanied me to this day,\u201d she recalls. \u201cI also started working alongside my studies and got more and more involved in the field. As there are several generations of accountants and auditors in our family, there was really nothing new or difficult about the choice of profession for me.\u201d Liis really has always taken like a duck to water when it comes to numbers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First work experience<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I was in university, I started doing accounting for my uncle, and from there I moved on to PricewaterhouseCoopers Estonia as an auditor,\u201d says Liis. \u201cI gained some great experience during my five years there and wanted to try something new. I decided to start working as an individual auditor. However, after working in this role for a few years, I discovered that the market for accounting services in Estonia is not covered and there\u2019s a shortage of good accounting service providers on the market. There were many service providers, but they often gave no thought to how they provided it.\u201d As her suggestions were repeatedly disregarded by the management when she was working as an individual auditor, there came a moment when she felt that account was the area where she could see her professional development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe field of work was and still is big, and that\u2019s great,\u201d she adds. \u201cI still have this
desire to do something big! It hasn\u2019t left me over the years, it\u2019s only grown.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work challenges have led to further progress<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

However, achieving results has also meant overcoming difficulties and finding the strength to keep moving forward, even in the most difficult moments. The biggest challenge for Liis has been how to find people for her team who really love accounting and the world of numbers, and whose mindset is similar to hers. In order to do this, she has developed a clear plan for bringing in new people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Klaar.me employs more than 20 people from all over Estonia. \u201cAccountants are located all over Estonia, which is facilitated by the possibility to work remotely,\u201d she says. \u201cSo you could say that Klaar.me also promotes life outside the capital.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are more than 200 companies in the customer base, divided between thirteen accountants and four financial managers. There are companies that have a legal body in Estonia and companies located in other countries. So it\u2019s often necessary to handle the cross-group accounting of companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Free, light, modern, innovative, but still within its own limits \u2013 you can only
approach accounting like this if you love it.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Liis Laanesaar
CEO of Klaar.me Services O\u00dc<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOver the years, I\u2019ve repeatedly asked myself: who do I want to be as an entrepreneur? Many professional service providers have based their companies on personality cults, but I\u2019ve never wanted that \u2013 ideas must ignite people. I wanted people with the same mindset to come together under one banner. We had a long discussion in the office about what this name should be, but finally I realised that I needed to bring in experts and made the investment. I took out a loan and used it to have a brand designed, which represented the way I wanted to show accounting. Free, light, modern, innovative, but still within its own limits \u2013 you can only approach accounting like this if you love it. An accountant is by nature a person with specific boundaries, but often very creative inside. I like to push these boundaries within myself and bring out my creative side.\u201d Loving the field, experimenting and challenging herself are important to Liis above all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rapid business growth brought new challenges<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For Liis, the rapid growth of the company has been a great goal as well as a challenge \u2013 how to cope with the growing and evolving internal processes, how to balance them and how to move forward. \u201cDuring a phase of rapid growth in 2021, the internal management processes failed and as I\u2019d not been a senior
manager before, but had developed as a manager with my own company, I had to figure out at some point how to move forward,\u201d says Liis. \u201cI\u2019ve had to make repeated investments to bring in specialists to support me on my journey and boost my development. It has always paid off and been a worthwhile experience. We\u2019ve now finished the tidy home project and are riding in a completely new wave. I believe it\u2019ll start to show in 2024.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Running a business when you have children has been a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Liis Laanesaar
CEO of Klaar.me Services O\u00dc<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, the whole business and life of Klaar.me has also meant challenges in balancing work and family life. \u201cRunning a business when you have children has been a challenge,\u201d admits Liis. \u201cI have no regrets, but if I\u2019d known in advance what it would entail, I don\u2019t know if I would\u2019ve done it. I try to find time for important things \u2013 work, family, friends, myself \u2013 to have balance in my life. As accounting is an area where responsibility is very high, I\u2019m also constantly working on maintaining my femininity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sector-specific self-development<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When I ask Liis what inspires her most to work in this field, she says it\u2019s the development of herself, her team and her clients. It\u2019s important what people achieve together. The overall development of Estonian accounting \u2013 where it\u2019s heading \u2013 is also considered important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m also inspired by the understanding that there\u2019s no ceiling in this area. I have so many thoughts and ideas on how to develop the field in the country and put Estonian accounting on the world map. But before that, we need to tidy up our home. Estonia is an internationally renowned technology country, but why not also an accounting country. All the conditions for this have been created. My bold ideas keep me fresh. I am a big fan of my field at heart.\u201d Seeing the result is important to Liis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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There\u2019s no ceiling in accounting.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Liis Laanesaar
CEO of Klaar.me Services O\u00dc<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

For Liis, it\u2019s also about lifelong learning, or continuous self-improvement in her field. \u201cAttending conferences and interacting with people is an ideal way to improve yourself,\u201d says Liis. \u201cI can say that I no longer attend more specific accounting training. Instead, I\u2019ve recruited financial specialists who are smarter than me, who know everything about the Value Added Tax Act well and can do more complex payroll accounting. I feel that when it comes to personal development, it\u2019s important to give yourself time, be alone with your thoughts in silence, and let them come up with something big. I also think it\u2019s important to find logical connections and have a forward-looking view of where the world is going and what entrepreneurs might need in a few years\u2019 time. I want to offer my clients solutions that work, not wait and guess what a particular company might need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKlaar.me offers more than just an accounting and finance specialist service,\u201d she says. \u201cOur clients all get a person with the competence of an accountant and a financial manager onto their team. Some clients even get several accountants. We find out what the client\u2019s expectations are before offering our own solutions and agree very specifically on the boundaries of the service, or responsibility, so that there\u2019s less disagreement and disappointment. Efficiency, cooperation and a clear picture are the keywords that accompany us every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best decisions and results are made with a team<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Seamless teamwork is also extremely important to Liisi, as she wouldn\u2019t achieve anything on her own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe best decisions and results are made with a team,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s also important that common values are shared \u2013 they must be the same for colleagues as well as clients. Our company has a set of shared values on which we\u2019ve built a system of service delivery to our customers and support for our colleagues. The key words important to us are trust, efficiency and partnership.\u201d Building on these, Klaar.me has been in constant development. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you need to understand to succeed in your field? Do you have any recommendations for others?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s certainly important to understand who you are and what you want,\u201d emphasises Liis. \u201cTo be who you really are and follow your gut instinct. It\u2019s a good idea to start your finance career in accounting, as it gives you a good feel for the logic of the world of numbers and a solid foundation for future progress \u2013 you could become an auditor, a chief accountant or a CFO. There are enough options and the choices of which path to take are made by each person, already aware of their strengths. A good education and diverse work experience provide a strong strategic foundation from which to move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goals drive action<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When we talk about what else is on her mind and where she wants to go with her business, Liis says she believes it\u2019s important to develop new services that make the work of accountants easier and create value for clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hear all the time how accountants are being told why you don\u2019t keep up with the times, why you don\u2019t integrate software, why you don\u2019t bring new ideas to the table, why you don\u2019t do this or that. But if accountants were to do everything the public expects them to do, who would do the payroll, who would check that the purchase invoices have been accounted for and that all the purchase invoices have arrived in the accounts and that all the month-end entries have been made? There\u2019s little point in complaining, it\u2019s necessary to take real action and provide solutions at the level of the state as well. I feel that I have a good understanding of what conscientious, hard-working and creative accountants really need, and that\u2019s what we are trying to offer them and other accountants in our company,\u201d says Liis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s also concerned that no organisation in Estonia represents accountants as individuals and really supports their development. It doesn\u2019t matter whether they work in an accountancy firm or in a company\u2019s finance department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Estonian accounting landscape needs to be refreshed<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe that the Estonian accounting landscape needs refreshing,\u201d says Liis. \u201cI see that this could be achieved through an association that would bring together different competence groups across Estonia, which should include professionals in their fields \u2013 auditors, financial managers, corporate accountants, firms. It should start at the other end: we should look at where an accountant\u2019s basic training and development should be anchored, and then move on from there to other activities. Then, present and future accountants will also see that the profession of an accountant is awesome, that this work is inspiring. In addition, the value you can create in the process and, of course, the pride you can take in
being an accountant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAccounting has always been in my soul,\u201d she says. \u201cFrom the outset, my ambition has been to improve the quality of accounting services. Why not do it differently, when we\u2019re a well-known tech country and have intelligent people. All the prerequisites are in place, but how to make real use of this potential, how to make Estonian accounting a model for the rest of the world, that\u2019s the question. How to bring business and financial processes together in a real and effective way is what Klaar.me is working on every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leisure activities give energy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As life is about more than work and you need to take time to rest as well, Liis recharges her batteries by spending time with her family and friends and simply being at home. \u201cSports definitely give me energy \u2013 I play tennis, I go to the gym and do Pilates,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liis considers her family and friends to be her daily influencers and supporters. \u201cI\u2019m an experimenter, I\u2019m not afraid to fail, because I know the experience I\u2019ll get will be worth it. I follow my gut instinct a lot. Sometimes I make decisions that seem strange to onlookers, but I trust myself and my gut,\u201d she says, unafraid to experiment and sometimes make mistakes. That\u2019s also her advice to others \u2013 don\u2019t be afraid to make mistakes and try new things, because you can learn and move forward only through experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The courage to change is the basis for development.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Liis Laanesaar
CEO of Klaar.me Services O\u00dc<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI’m an adventurous fighter and sometimes a bit like Mother Teresa in my thoughts \u2013 I enjoy diversity and I like to discover what life has to offer. I\u2019m still fascinated by the logic of numbers and the big picture behind them,\u201d says Liis, who enjoys running the company as a journey towards a more exciting future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liis Laanesaar\u2019s advice to accountants<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n