PLUS: Why you should ‘marry’ your accountant
It’s wedding bells in the Mumford household…
My daughter Amy will be marrying her long-term boyfriend, Andy, this summer!
Naturally, she’s keen for the event to be perfect. So we’re currently knee-deep in bridesmaid’s dresses, complicated logistical arrangements for the wedding reception and guest lists.
Well, I say “we”, but I really mean Amy and my wife Thelma – I’m doing my best to keep out of it!
Still, watching Amy and Andy together gives me great joy; there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing your children happy.
All this wedding fever has made me think about business relationships, too…
You see, Andy and Amy’s relationship is already long-established. They’ve been together for eight years, so I know that they are an excellent match. All that’s left for them to do now is continue building a wonderful life together.
It’s very different to our relationship with our clients when we start working together. In a sense, we’re also ‘tying the knot’. Our intention is always to forge a long-term relationship with our clients, and I expect them to be similarly committed.
Yet at that point, we hardly know each other. Although there is always huge goodwill and excitement, we will have had only a few meetings.
Yet building a strong relationship is make-or-break for our work together.
Unlike standard accountants, who will typically only be in touch with you a few times a year, becoming your outsourced finance department depends on us working very closely together. We can’t offer you business-changing financial insights and maximise your growth and profitability without mutual trust.
That’s why our onboarding process is so important – and so different to what you may have experienced with previous accountants. Essentially, we date!
We spend several intensive months learning about your business, because if we’re going to help you make better financial decisions, we need to understand your business in-depth.
There is constant liaison as we strive to understand the way you think and work, how your financial affairs are currently set up and your priorities and your needs. During this period, you’ll come to a much deeper understanding of what drives us and how we work, too.
We schedule as many as possible of our meetings face-to-face, so we can get to know you and your people personally. We want to be fully integrated in your team, although technically we’re remote.
And soon, we start moving you onto our financial systems and delivering the upgraded, world-class financial management we’ve promised.
The key is that this isn’t a supplier relationship. It’s a true partnership – hopefully, a marriage of two companies built to last!
That isn’t to say that if for any reason, things don’t work out, that you are stuck in a relationship you don’t want. One of the advantages of an outsourced relationship is that divorce is very easy 🙂
But happily, most of our clients do stay with us for the long-haul, and many invite us to their Christmas do’s and management team meetings, fully embracing us as part of their team.
That’s when we do our best work, because the tighter our relationship, the better financial insights and advice we can deliver. And the more confident you’ll feel about the financial side of your business.
If that’s the kind of financial management you’d like to have, please get in touch with us today. Simply hit ‘reply’ to this email or call us on 01279 647 447 to arrange a no-obligation conversation about your needs and to find out more about how we can help you.
Warmly,
Garry
