The Barista’s wisdom: Insights for Accountants, Bookkeepers, and Tax Advisers

By |2023-07-03T18:25:00+01:00July 4th, 2023|Accountants, Experience and expertise, Sole practitioners|

Some years ago, while on holiday with my wife, we stopped at a distinct and unique coffee shop where my experience prompted this blog post with lessons for accountants, bookkeepers and tax advisers.  Espressolab was a fantastic little place where a range of bespoke coffees were also being roasted in a laboratory style environment.

What is the key to accountants’ survival in the AI era?

By |2023-06-13T10:09:07+01:00June 13th, 2023|Accountants, Client servikce, Dependability and trust, Experience and expertise, Key Business skills, Networking, Referrals, Reputation, Sole practitioners, STANDING OUT|

One of the biggest changes to be heralded by the introduction of AI so far as accountants are concerned, links to one of my long-term messages for accountants. How can you stand out from the competition? And, as a result, win more of the business you really want? Even before the launch

Some accountants undermine their credibility. Do you?

By |2023-04-03T18:03:32+01:00April 4th, 2023|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Experience and expertise, Networking, Referrals, Reputation, Sole practitioners|

One of the accountants I mentor has long been proud of how efficiently they look after their own business affairs. Others though are embarrassed at their inefficiencies. And there are some who do not appear to give any thought as to how they are perceived. Some of the accountants in this category may, unintentionally,

Avoid this mistake if you want more referrals

By |2023-03-20T15:44:29+00:00March 21st, 2023|Accountants, Experience and expertise, Marketing and promotion, Networking, Referrals, Sole practitioners|

I wonder if you make an all too common mistake. We all hope that clients will want us to provide a range of services to them. And we hope that clients will recommend and refer us to other prospective clients too… But, as I frequently point out, ‘hope’ is not a strategy. What do

How’s your self confidence and experience?

By |2022-05-21T18:29:21+01:00May 31st, 2022|Accountants, Client servikce, Experience and expertise, Networking, Social Media, Sole practitioners|

In my experience many accountants have more potential to succeed than they themselves believe. They are better accountants than they are prepared to admit. And they deserve to be more successful than they have so far managed to be. Could this be true of you too? Equally there are plenty of accountants

Make it easier for people to remember what you do

By |2022-05-21T18:38:31+01:00May 24th, 2022|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Experience and expertise, Networking, Referrals, Sole practitioners|

We know, don’t we, that good communication is important in business. In my view, one of the most fundamental pieces of communication is how we talk about what we do.There are many challenges to be overcome here. We want to avoid sounding just like everyone else in the same field. We want our

Don’t make this marketing mistake especially if you are reliant on referrals

By |2022-04-19T10:52:04+01:00March 1st, 2022|Accountants, Experience and expertise, Marketing and promotion, Networking, Referrals, Social Media, Sole practitioners|

I am frequently surprised when apparently successful accountants tell me that they know they should start being active on social media. And that they want to beef up their marketing activity. Both such aspirations typically reflect a belief in the mystical power of generic marketing and the hype surrounding social media activity.

What do you REALLY need to sell as an accountant?

By |2022-02-22T11:27:29+00:00February 22nd, 2022|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Dependability and trust, Experience and expertise, Marketing and promotion, Pricing, Reputation, Sole practitioners, STANDING OUT|

What do you really need to sell as an accountant? This is a simple enough question, and knowing the right answer could make a profound difference to the success of your practice. Let’s start with what you’re NOT selling. As I explained in a 2018 blog post, You are NOT selling your time.

What can you do if you want to attract a better type of client?

By |2021-09-10T18:48:26+01:00September 7th, 2021|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Experience and expertise, Marketing and promotion, Networking, Referrals, Reputation, Sole practitioners|

When I ask accountants what they would like to be different in their practice, one theme is more common than any others. They frequently express the desire to have better quality clients, to increase their average fees and to be doing more interesting work.One sole practitioner accountant I was mentoring expressed this quite

What can you do about all the competition from other accountants?

By |2021-08-19T17:02:16+01:00August 17th, 2021|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Experience and expertise, Lead generation, Marketing and promotion|

Not everyone who calls me for my input becomes a client. I sometimes offer some simple advice to accountants who are not yet in a position to need or afford my mentoring services (even though these are much more affordable than you might expect). One of the accountants I spoke with recently

Why you need to build your personal brand – and how to make this work for you

By |2021-07-19T10:28:07+01:00July 20th, 2021|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Dependability and trust, Experience and expertise, Networking, Reputation|

What do people say about you when you’re not in the room? What would you like them to say? Few accountants seem to think this through. If you are clear about what you want people to say though you are likely to find success a lot faster than anyone who is ‘just

Why you need to tell people who you are – beyond being an accountant

By |2021-06-28T13:32:35+01:00June 29th, 2021|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Experience and expertise, Marketing and promotion, Networking, Referrals, STANDING OUT|

No one is 'just an accountant'. And you know that already. But how clear do you make this on your website, your online profiles and when you are networking? Lots of accountants make the mistake of assuming they only need to evidence their credibility as an accountant. And it's true that sometimes

Are you prioritising the right type of training?

By |2021-04-13T11:02:08+01:00March 12th, 2019|Accountants, Dependability and trust, Experience and expertise, Key Business skills, Networking|

Weird question? I know. But stay with me for a moment. For as long as I can remember accountants have treated CPD as being synonymous with technical training - by which I mean technical updates and courses intended to explain new rules and regulations. And surely we have to prioritise such training?

Practical solutions for accountants who don’t want to choose a niche

By |2019-02-05T09:52:08+00:00February 5th, 2019|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Experience and expertise, Marketing and promotion, Networking|

There is no doubt in my mind. The more focused you can be as regards your ideal clients the more chance there is that they will recognise you as an accountant they should approach. And, if you have a clear focus, the easier it will be for other people you know to recognise

The Sole Practitioners’ formula for identifying your premium fee paying prospects

By |2016-06-28T14:02:51+01:00June 28th, 2016|Accountants, Business messaging and branding, Experience and expertise|

This is a guest blog provided by Patrick McLoughlin. In it he explains how sole practitioner accountants can become really clear as to who is a premium fee playing client. And, having done that, how you can then clarify your future marketing and business generation activities. As Patrick's approach is much the same as mine I

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