The 5 questions to ask yourself about change in your firm

Richard Brewin • April 25, 2018

We should all know by now that accountancy firms have a pressing need to change. Digital disruption, and specifically Making Tax digital and cloud accounting, is changing the face of our profession, the needs and expectations of our clients and the demands being placed on our systems. Firms that want to develop as advisory practices […]

We should all know by now that accountancy firms have a pressing need to change. Digital disruption, and specifically Making Tax digital and cloud accounting, is changing the face of our profession, the needs and expectations of our clients and the demands being placed on our systems.

Firms that want to develop as advisory practices but keep their compliance arms face the dual challenge of changing the perceptions of ‘paid for’ advice and making the compliance product both cost effective and profitable.

Firms that want to focus on an online product face the challenge of maintaining value and creating differentiation in that market place.

Are you doing enough right now?  Ask yourself these 5 questions:

  1. Are you completely clear in your own mind of the direction in which you want your firm to go?  YES/NO/UNSURE
  2. Are the changes that you have made, or are already committed to make, to your systems, processes and resources consistent with that direction?  YES/NO/UNSURE 
  3. Do you have a clear client management plan in place for taking your clients in the same direction?  YES/NO/UNSURE
  4. Does the future excite you?  YES/NO/UNSURE
  5. Will you commit to action now to eradicate any ‘NO/UNSURE’ answers given in 1-4 above? YES/NO/UNSURE

MTD for business is now mandatory from April 2019, that’s 5 typical VAT returns away for many of your clients. How much have your systems, your clients’ systems and your client relationships changed over the last 5 submitted VAT returns? How much progress have you made in that time?

Get my point?

Change must be driven through your firm’s processes, client management strategies and support systems now if you are to be moving forwards proactively as opposed to reacting to HMRC and client pressures.

If your answers to 1-4 above aren’t all YES but your answer to 5 is then you are still in a good place. You at least recognise the need for change. Many of your competitors still don’t.

I’m very happy to talk to you now if you want guidance or support to create more YES answers for you.

Being proactive is a culture, not a slogan

By Richard Brewin • June 27, 2025
Look at any accounting firm website and there is a fair chance that the word ‘proactive’ will be prominent. Ask some business owners and taxpayers whether they consider their accountant to be proactive.  There is commonly a gap between the two, between the intent of the accountant and the expectations of the client.

How tech helps us to rebuild our trusted advisor role

By Richard Brewin • June 23, 2025
The tag ‘Trusted Advisor’ gets bandied around a lot. Without trying to be deliberately contentious, I often challenge its use. Undoubtedly, accountants were once the trusted advisor to their clients. When I came into the profession 44 years ago now, the older partners, especially, were seen by their clients as their trusted advisor, their ‘go to’ person on any issues, business, family or personal, that were troubling them. Without the filing deadlines of today, these clients were with their accountant primarily because they valued the relationship rather than the products.

Why your accounting firm is unique

By Richard Brewin • June 5, 2025
All accountants are the same! We’ve all heard it said. It’s nonsense, of course, but, when you are asked what it is that your firm does that differentiates it from other accounting firms, it can be a challenge to come up with something tangible.  Accounting firms tend to offer similar services, that’s what makes them accounting firms. Differentiating from competitors based upon services provided is therefore an issue.