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Accounting Excellence awards
Accounting Excellence

Get your entries ready: Accounting Excellence Awards 2019 are open

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7th Feb 2019
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Ambitious accounting firms are already crafting their award entries, as accountancy’s prestigious Accounting Excellence Awards returns with a brand new 'investing in people' category.

February is often seen as a time for reflection. Having seen off tax return season, practice owners now turn their attention to planning the year ahead and studying their previous year’s successes. It’s only right then that the Accounting Excellence Awards gives those go-getting firms a chance to convert their cogitation into trophy-cabinet gold.

“Putting together a compelling award entry is a great way to focus your attention on what sets your business apart from the rest and to assess where and how you are making progress,” commented AccountingWEB’s head of insights John Stokdyk.

“Customer satisfaction, growth and profitability don't happen by accident. Over the years we found the firms achieving those things are doing so by working collaboratively with their teams on clearly articulated strategies.”

Awards categories

Launching on 1 February, the Accounting Excellence Awards celebrates small, medium and large firms for their ability in areas such as client service and care, constant improvement, and quantifiable performance measures like revenue growth and profitability.

New 'investing in people' award

Brand new this year is the ‘investing in people’ award. The arrival of this award reflects the profession’s grapple with a recruitment crisis, which has in part inspired firms to take a bigger focus on culture and development. Over the past year, we’ve seen firms like PJCO use training and development to spearhead their cloud offerings, and in doing so become a more attractive workplace for ambitious accounting graduates.

This award also salutes what firms and businesses are doing to tackle the always-on culture. As work-life balance has now slipped seamlessly into the profession’s dialect, we've seen firms like Farnell Clarke respond by bringing total flexibility to how, where and when employees work.  

There are also awards for firms who have developed specialist niche services, enjoyed rapid and sustainable growth, and in the always closely fought category of client service.

Software and finance awards

In addition to the practice awards, the finance awards return after their inaugural outing last year, with categories for finance team and finance project of the year.

The evening will also recognise excellence in accounting software, with the awards determined by the accounting software survey which powers AccountingWEB’s Software Review project.

The winning firms and vendors will be announced on 12 September in a black-tie awards ceremony hosted by comedian Katherine Ryan at The Brewery in the City of London. 

Entry form 'a simple first step'

The Accounting Excellence programme is built on accountants sharing their experiences to support and help fellow professionals.

“Particular firms and individuals might end up getting the kudos at our awards ceremony and talks, but everyone who takes part benefits from the opportunity to learn about ideas that are working for other firms,” added John Stokdyk.

“The entry form is a simple first step you can take to join this thriving community.”

Check the award categories below and then enter the awards here

Firm Awards

  • Client Service Award
  • Fast-track Firm of the Year
  • Innovative Firm of the Year
  • Investing in People Award – NEW for 2019
  • Large Firm of the Year
  • Medium Firm of the Year
  • New Firm of the Year
  • Small Firm of the Year
  • Specialist Team of the Year

Individual Awards

  • Practice Pioneer of the Year
  • Software Pioneer of the Year

Finance Awards

  • Finance Project of the Year
  • Finance Team of the Year

Software Awards

  • Accounts Production Software of the Year
  • Best Business Banking App NEW for 2019
  • Cloud App of the Year
  • Data & Expense Management Software of the Year
  • Forecasting, Planning & Analysis Software of the Year
  • Mid-market & Enterprise Accounting Software of the Year
  • Payroll Software of the Year
  • Practice Management Software of the Year
  • Practice Suite of the Year
  • Professional Tax Software of the Year
  • Small Business Accounting Software of the Year
  • Small Business Accounting Software of the Year, Practitioners’ Choice
  • Software Innovation of the Year

What are you waiting for? Enter the Accounting Excellence today and you never know, this time next year you could be clutching your own AE award.