Choosing an accountant isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. You want to be sure that the individual or company you’ve chosen will support your business vision, help increase your profits, and ultimately make your life easier.
Not too much to ask, is it?
There are certain tasks you expect your accountant to get on with, like…
- Crunching numbers
- Filing tax returns
- Producing annual accounts
Of course, if your accountant really knows their stuff, they should also be proactively looking out for anything that could be a red flag, and giving you advice on cashflow and financial deadlines.
As well as being able to spot any potential issues before they become a problem, your accountant should be responsive. Feeling like you’re just another number on their client list, receiving a cursory call every quarter, won’t help you build your business or enjoy the other benefits a more consultative relationship with your accountant could bring.
So…annual accounts, tax returns, proactive advice and a friendly voice at the end of the phone when you need them. That sounds pretty good, right?
But what about value?
Of course, keeping your bookkeeping up to date, looking after payroll administration and filing tax returns are very important core services, but the reality is, there are plenty of accountants that can provide that.
By value, we mean an accountant who will go above and beyond the scope of normal services to provide support in other areas, like legal, HR or networking advice. Yes, you read that right – networking.
At Blue Rocket we believe in doing all we can to support our clients, and after everything 2020 has thrown at us, getting together with other like-minded business owners to share knowledge, experiences (and maybe get something off your chest!) can be incredibly helpful.
Panda Technical Services Ltd (PTS), one of our clients based in Bromley, Kent, had been working with us for three years when COVID-19 resulted in national lockdown earlier this year.
As IT consultants specialising in database and custom software development, PTS offer in-house IT support for sectors such as insurance and advertising, traditionally working on short term contracts.
Supporting clients through new challenges
Following lockdown, business changed for PTS. Owner Patrick Delaney comments, "Companies we usually work with have gone into their own ‘mini lockdown’, understandably protecting themselves. It has meant we can’t get into the organisations that we would normally go to."
As a result, Patrick and the team at PTS needed to make changes to their ways of working and find ways to reach potential new clients. We already support PTS with their regulatory and payroll requirements, and after chatting through some business development ideas with Patrick, we suggested he might benefit from joining one of our monthly online networking sessions.
Initially Patrick wasn’t sure about the idea, as his previous experiences of networking had been poor and as a result, he avoided traditional networking events. But we reassured him, and as Patrick comments, "Blue Rocket pushed me out of my comfort zone. They encouraged me to attend the networking sessions online, which have been revelatory."
Our networking sessions are designed to be a friendly way to share knowledge, rather than a ‘hard sell’. Patrick goes on to explain, "At one of the sessions, marketing agency Morton Waters gave a presentation titled ’10 Things in 10 Minutes’, giving tips to boost your LinkedIn presence, which I found very useful. As a result, I’ve written content and I’m pushing it out across my social platforms, with more content lined up to go out. I’m enjoying doing it and I’ve picked up two new business leads already!"
Building relationships with other business owners can help support you and your business in what is a proving to be a difficult year. "Prior to finding Blue Rocket, we went through 3 accountants in 6 years - they just never got us, and we always felt on our own with little meaningful support. I recommend Blue Rocket to everyone," Patrick says, "they have been so forthcoming with ideas, they are genuinely interested in our business. It leaves you with a warm, cosy feeling – like they’ve got your back."
Whether it’s keeping you up to date with the latest news via our client WhatsApp group, informative monthly emails direct to your inbox, or a regular call just to check in, we make sure we’re adding value for our clients wherever we can.
Interested in attending the next networking event?
Meeting on the last Tuesday of the month at 9:40am, our relaxed meetings include open networking, presentations from other members and an opportunity to present your own business. Register your interest for the next one here.
Blue Rocket Accounting provides tailored accounting and bookkeeping support to businesses across Kent including Dartford, Bexley, Sidcup and Maidstone, helping to put them on course to reach their full potential.
