Confidential by default
Clients
A small number of clients speak on the record by name. What they were dealing with at the time does not appear here, and it will not.
Invitation only
The stories are held back.
Owners talk to us about margins, families, illness, partners and prices. A good deal of it would be commercially damaging in public and some of it would be damaging privately.
Written accounts, with figures and with names, are given to owners who have been invited to an event, in print and by hand, under the same confidentiality we would extend to you.
What the record actually is
- 20years in practice
- 6years, average length of a client relationship
- 20client places a month, held deliberately
- 4invited events a year
On the record
A number of clients have agreed to speak on the record.
Neither the bank manager nor the accountant has been of any use in decision-making for the future. They have been great at telling us what we have done in the past.
There are a lot of Mickey Mouse people out there who portray themselves as business coaches and business advisers. I wanted somebody professional and quite corporate in their outlook.
You might believe me or you might not, but I guarantee you were not as sceptical as we were. It has worked out very, very well for us.
I am not talking about just turnover, but the net profit we bring in now. I am on a three-day week, and I spend more time with my wife.
As accountants, we are very proficient at looking after people's finances. What we are not proficient at is various other aspects of business.
I actually went against the opinion of my accountant. Thank goodness I made that decision.
The film
There is film.
These accounts were spoken to camera over several years. The footage is shown in the room, to owners who have been invited, and it is not published here. Out of context it would be worth very little and could cost the people in it a good deal.