AIMS Accountants for Business
AIMS Accountants for Business
Steve Hunt’s decision to change career direction after 20 years in industry was made for the simple fact that he wanted to work with a portfolio of small businesses within his local area. Steve he opened his AIMS Accountants office in Barnsley in June 2014 and since then has grown from zero clients to more than 170 clients.
Steve’s comments on his experiences with AIMS are “Thoroughly enjoys working with local small businesses and I’m always looking forward to continued growth but the focus does shift with time to delivering excellent customer service in line with the AIMS philosophy to all my new clients”.
After a career at a Big Four accountancy firm and in investment banking, both at senior levels, I decided to leave the City. I wanted to spend more time with my children, who were growing up fast. Setting up an accountancy practice locally became the obvious choice. Not only would doing so enable me to manage my professional and personal life better, but I genuinely enjoy accounting work and helping clients achieve their goals.
The immediate issue I faced was marketing and technical support while I focused on my clients. I came across AIMS in an ICAEW publication. I attended their discovery session and immediately decided that their model suited me. A few months later, in early 2016, I opened my practice. Since then it has been growing steadily – I currently serve more than 150 clients, and that number keeps going up. AIMS have provided me with support at every step of my journey, even helping me arrive at a staffing solution.
Having started my career in a small accountancy practice, I found myself 20 years later in industry. I managed a large team, spending my day challenging budgets, looking at ‘efficiencies’, constantly talking in business jargon. I realised the work I had enjoyed all those years earlier was so far removed from my current situation – something needed to change. I wanted to actually produce something, interact with clients, get excited about winning business again! With a 2-year-old daughter, I also needed a degree of flexibility. My working week would still be significant, but I needed it to fit around that lifestyle.
But how could I generate a client base big enough to financially provide for me and my family, all from a standing start? I needed three things – marketing support, accounting technical support and IT support. In these areas AIMS has been faultless. My marketing has produced a steady stream of leads, IT have helped me in technical matters that would have crippled me in the initial stages and the accounting support has allowed me to take on work I wouldn’t have the confidence to take on alone.
It isn’t easy, there can be stressful times, but AIMS gives you a structure where it is within your grasp to succeed. 20 years on from being a filing clerk starting my AAT, I am back to doing what I genuinely enjoy. It’s just a shame it took me so long to realise it.
"The support is first class, from recruitment through to marketing, IT and technical. The AIMS team guide you through the whole process. Having always been employed, I couldn't have set up my practice without the support and expertise of the AIMS head office team."
"I had many reservations starting my own practice. With AIMS’ guidance and support I have the confidence and credibility to win clients and build business. Looking forward to the rewarding journey with AIMS."
"When I was working in practice, I would flick through the job averts of Accountancy Age, just to check I was not being vastly underpaid.
I kept noticing a small ad, that just read, Accountants wanted to work with small business, and a contact phone number. This intrigued me, and I eventually called them to see what it was all about.
I made an appointment to visit Park Road, where, amongst other things, I was told that Henry had seen a gap in the market to provide a good quality accountancy service to small business, an area he felt was overlooked.
They were providing this service via a franchise model, with central support and training, with a proven system. I decided to give it a go and never looked back.
The main benefits for me have been the flexibility, especially when the children were young with both parents working, and the support and whole franchise model, that makes you feel you are not on your own. There is always someone to talk to about any issue, and guide you through the ever changing, and ever more complex rules and regulations."
“I have been very happy with the amount of work coming my way thanks to AIMS and its marketing and although leads still come through I am at a place where I don’t want more clients as my work fits around my lifestyle and allows me to spend more time with my family.”
Being part of AIMS has helped me grow my practice steadily over the years. AIMS has helped me attract new client in a number of ways - by use of the AIMS telemarketing system, the high profile of the AIMS website, Google campaigns and use of social media. Being part of AIMS has taken the headache out of marketing my practice to local businesses.
Being unemployed at 50 is tough and getting a new job was not going too well. As luck would have it, I bumped into an ex colleague whom that month had started with AIMS and she gave me the contact details. The rest is history and 10 years later I have a good business. Am I having fun….yes!! I have wonderful clients who give me great pleasure to work with. This business is not rocket science. Of course you have to keep up to date and maintain your knowledge base, but the most important aspect is to care for your clients and to be there when they need you. Customer service is king!!! So many thanks to you all for providing me with the opportunity to have a good life and may it continue for many years. It is not only my 10th anniversary with AIMS but my 60th anniversary of being on this earth.
Recently I noticed that I had made duplicate payments to a software supplier which amounted to over £2,500. The software supplier refused to refund the duplicate payments and I reported it to AIMS, the Support Team got involved and the supplier refunded the sum in full. I am very grateful to AIMS for their support and it showed the importance of the strong relationship that AIMS have with suppliers.
This made me very aware of how important it is to be part of the AIMS organisation. The support that they give me in all areas including accountancy, taxation plus all the other aspects of running an accountancy practice has been excellent during the fourteen years that I have been an AIMS accountant. This support has given me a great deal of “peace of mind”.