In the modern world of technology, you might think that word of mouth is dead. In the age of TripAdvisor and social media, some might think that there’s no place for the opinions of locals when you can find 10,000 opinions online.

Here at AIMS, we’ve been helping small local businesses for over 25 years now, and we can see both sides of the argument. On the one hand, if a thousand people have given a business a 5-star review online, then that business is probably doing something right and is worth your time doing business with. However, with the problem of fake reviews becoming more and more prevalent, and the polarisation of online reviews into either 1-star or 5-star, you can never be 100% sure of what you’re getting if you rely solely on impersonal opinions.

That’s why we think that there will always be a place for personal opinions and referrals in the business world, and especially the SME sector.

Personal referrals really help give you an honest feel for the business you might be engaging with – the referrer can tell you about exactly how their process of dealing with the business worked, and both the good bits and the bad. If someone really trusts the business they’re dealing with enough to advise that you engage them, then that’s a strong indicator that they’re a business worth your time. One personal referral can easily be more valuable than hundreds of impersonal reviews.

Here at AIMS, we love referrals – both giving and receiving. We’re very grateful to our clients who trust us enough to recommend our services to friends and family. We’re also always happy to give our clients advice and recommendations on who to engage in relevant areas that we might not be able to help them with. After all, any business relationship is a two-way street.

Find your local AIMS Accountant today.