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Practice update September 2010: Ian Morgan

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22nd Sep 2010
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Since joining the start up practice group, Ian Morgan has expanded his practice, with 15 new clients, and has taken the leap into paperless working. We caught up with him to find out how he's approached these challenges and opportunities.

AccountingWEB: How has life in practice changed for you over the last six months?
Ian: The practice has changed quite a lot in the last six months. We have become a paperless office, so there have been a lot of changes in the general running of the practice. A lot more is conducted through email and the internet than before, and things this year also are a lot busier than the same time last year. The client base has grown a lot.  I’m spending a lot more time doing actual chargeable work, which can only be a good thing.

AccountingWEB: What’s been the most valuable business lesson you’ve learnt so far this year?
Ian: To have good plans in place for managing workloads. My workload is about four times as much this year than last, and good planning is required to manage everything that needs doing.

AccountingWEB: Who have you turned to when you needed advice about your business and what tips did they give you?
Ian: My wife; she is part qualified and often has different thoughts and ideas on things to me. We often see things in different ways to each other, which helps in getting the right solution most of the time.

AccountingWEB: Have you expanded your service offering since we last spoke and if so, what are you now providing?
Ian: I now offer independent examinations for small charities. This is something I had experience of from my previous employment but hadn’t decided to offer as a service. I was approached by a small charity and decided to have a brush up and offer this as a service to other potential clients.

AccountingWEB: Has your client list grown since we last caught up?
Ian: Since last time, I have attracted around another 15 clients; most have been through online advertising campaigns and word of mouth. One of those has moved on - they thought they would be happy with a remote service but decided it was not for them. 

AccountingWEB: Have you put any new processes in place since we last spoke and if so, how effective have they been?
Ian: Since last time I have moved to running a paperless office. This has meant reviewing a lot of processes to ensure that the potential savings can be made the most of. I print very little and only when necessary. All mail is now opened on a daily basis and ‘scanned in’ once or twice a week rather than waiting around to be filed.

AccountingWEB: Have any new regulations caused you a headache so far this year? If so, which ones and how did you get around it?
Ian: Nothing as yet but I am sure with all the changes announced in the Budget there will be something to get my teeth into.

AccountingWEB: Have you invested in any new technology for your business since we last spoke, or are you planning to?
Ian: As mentioned I have decided to run a paperless office. I had a multi function printer so I didn’t need a new scanner (for now). I have subscribed to an online backup system to ensure that my paper free system is safe should the worst happen. To help with the practical side of being paperless I bought a second monitor for my laptop. I liked this so much I now have a third.

AccountingWEB: What do you see as the biggest challenge facing your business over the next six months?
Ian: I am in the process of moving. Although I'll still be within Gloucestershire, I am moving away from the main city itself into the countryside. The challenge is still to be able to attract new clients given a larger travelling distance.  Adverts have gone live and one new client has been gained within the first week so things look as though they can continue.

AccountingWEB: Have there been any major wins/achievements you’ve made since we last spoke that you’d like to shout about?
Ian: I have just made it through to the final five of the Accountancy Age Awards 2010 – AAT Accounting Technician of the Year. It's certainly something that I am very shocked but delighted to be selected for as a finalist.
 

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