Hi everyone, just had a lovely meeting with Yvette discussing the group and how we may be able to help those out who have changed course in their life and are now in a completely new world.

For those of you who have taken the step into the world of business, we know how stressful and daunting it can be keeping on top of all things finances. So if you have any questions or are looking for some support then we are here for you.

My name is Michael and I was a Healhcare assitant in the NHS for 7 years, predominantly in A&E, before joining the ambulance service as a student paramedic for 2 years, a role I truly loved. However my mental health didn’t love it as much and a few jobs took their toll on me, leaving me really struggling to function as a human outside of work. This led to me leaving the ambulance service and wondering where do I go next.

I turned to my dad at this point and asked if there was space for me to join him in his accounting practice while I gave myself the chance to heal. Now 2 years down the line, I love my role in the practice, getting to meet new people and help them understand their finances through our bookeeping and accountancy services and bouncing ideas off my dad.

We only have 1 other member of the accounting team, so we are a close unit and family run which means we get to show our family values through our work. Between us we have the approach for every type of client. I thrive off human connection not just stone cold figures, the business owner brings the numbers to life for me and that is what makes my work feel worthwhile. I’m not just reporting numbers to HMRC, I’m helping clients improve their financial position and allowing them the freedom to do what makes them amazing, rather than being bogged down by the financial admin of running a business.

I have close communication with my clients and our door is always open for a coffee if they need a chat about their accounts or just life in general. My role is to ensure that the clients are able to be open and honest with us so we can give them the clearest picture of their company.

I have fantastic support around me with my dad who has 37 years experience as an accountant, 10 years in his own practice with the rest all being in industry, and Susanne who is a fantastic bookeeper studying her level 4 qualification.

If you’ve made it this far I really appreciate you taking the time to read. If you need any help or support please get in touch, we’re approaching what can be a very stressfull time for sole traders with christmas coming up and the ever dreaded self assessment deadline in January. If you are struggling we are here to support where we can. I will post snippets to the group when wisdom hits or something new comes around that is noteworthy