I started my practice at the beginning of the pandemic. I had previously worked in large companies in industry and then in a small accountancy practice. I was initially scared at the idea of starting up on my own, but it has turned out so well. We work with small businesses, mostly in service industries: marketing, recruitment, business consultants and software. We have also been getting more e-commerce clients recently: people who are selling on TikTok and Shopify.
Starting the practice was about work-life balance. It’s about having a comfortable income stream and a balanced lifestyle. It’s the same for my team members; we all believe in the same thing so it works. We try to fit everything within the working hours and not work overtime. If that doesn’t work, then we look to improve and find efficiencies.
There are plenty of clients to go around, so practitioners should feel able to share their learnings
I’ve started The Leap Programme, a six-week course on how to build an advisory business. As accountants, we have so much data at our fingertips but we don’t use it – or not in a way that is beneficial to us. We need to go beyond compliance work and offer advisory services, and in a way that makes a massive difference to clients.
The practitioner community is so important. I heard about the Leap Programme from a fellow accountant while on the train to Accountex Manchester. There are plenty of clients to go around, so practitioners should feel able to share their learnings with others so that we’re providing better services.
My clients know that I will tell them exactly how it is and what they need to do
Recruitment is one of the biggest issues for us. I’m looking to recruit someone right now so that I can focus on advisory services. Unfortunately, we have to rely on outsourcing in the short term but that isn’t going to keep the economy going in the UK indefinitely.
Not everyone knows about taxes and accounting, so I think our job is to help people to sleep better at night knowing that they’re doing the right thing. My clients know that I will tell them exactly how it is and what they need to do. That reassurance is so important for clients who are often scared that they’re going to get something wrong.
My dad had done free wrestling since he was a kid and ended up going to the Olympics in 1976. When he retired from sports, he started coaching, and my sisters and I grew up doing sports. We loved being in that social environment with other people and working together. That’s why I’ve started my fitness journey. I teach a few classes including pilates and yoga. It clears your mind, and you go back to work with fresh ideas and reduce the chances of burning out. It makes a massive difference – even if you just go out for a walk, get some fresh air and reconnect with the world so you can come back a better person.
