Despite living in an increasingly digital world, one of the questions we regularly see is ‘does anyone know of a good local accountant’?
Tradespeople are often seen posting on social media looking for a recommendation, even if that comes from a bloke down the pub.
‘Local’ shouldn’t really come into the equation in 2022, with the technology in place to enable people to access any professional service remotely.
Sure, it’s useful if you happen to have an accountancy practice with an excellent reputation for tax and business advice on your doorstep.
But it’s not the be all and end all these days, not least because you’d be narrowing the pool you’re fishing in if locality was your main priority.
Stay local?
If you value face-to-face meetings, then going with a local accountant makes sense, despite them being a thing of the past during the pandemic.
They also might have a network of professionals for you to tap into. That’s useful for helping with elements of your business you can’t handle yourself.
Going local is good if you want to build a relationship with your accountant where you meet in person every now and again.
However, the local accountant tends to be a jack of all trades, rather than a master of one and that might not be what you’re looking for.
Or widen the net?
The fact is innovative accountancy practices around the UK are increasingly focusing on catering towards niche sectors.
For example, you might be a contractor who wants to work with an accountant who focuses mainly on the construction industry.
You might be based in London, whereas the best accountancy practice for construction professionals is 200 miles north.
The same could be said for any sector-specific accountant; there’s bound to be one to suit your business’s industry if you shop around.
Reaching a decision
Gone are the days where your accountant needs to have an office close to you. Instead, you can find the perfect professional via a Google search.
And you absolutely should look at an accountant’s Google reviews for a balanced, transparent insight into what it’s like to work with them.
Google reviews are the most legitimate testimonials you will find, as they list all reviews – good and bad – and they’re made by verified people.
Every good accountant will have this facility, alongside hand-picked testimonials on their websites to show them off in the best possible light.
What we offer
Thames Williams welcomes clients local to Birmingham and the West Midlands, but we also work with businesses in specific sectors.
We offer services to medical, legal, engineering and IT professionals, while we specialise working with ecommerce firms and creatives.
Many of those clients are not local to us and yet we’ve been able to reduce costs for them in the same way we do from those in the Black Country.
If you would like us to modernise your systems to give you real-time information about the health of your business, get in touch with us today.