Are you too busy to spend a few minutes reading this article?
Here are 7 reasons why you should…
You have probably heard the phrase “You should sit in nature for 20 minutes a day, unless you’re busy. Then you should sit for an hour”. I was talking to an accountant this week, and I was reminded of this phrase.
One of the most common reasons I hear from accountants for why they are not working on improving their practice is, “I don’t have time”.
If you’re like most accountants, you’ve probably said: “I’ll focus on improving the business when things calm down.”
But the work never stops. Tax seasons blend into payroll cycles; VAT quarters morph into year-end peaks. Before you know it, another year has flown by and you’ve barely had chance to stop for breath.
Running an accountancy practice can feel like you’re on and endless treadmill. Clients need you. Team members need you. HMRC deadlines certainly need you. With the daily whirlwind, taking time out to improve the practice—rather than simply operate it—can feel like a luxury you can’t afford.
But here’s the truth:
If you don’t carve out time to improve your practice, your practice will carve it out for you—through burnout, churn, inefficiency, and missed opportunities.
Making time to work on the practice isn’t an optional extra. It’s a strategic necessity for growth, stability and sanity and this is why.
7 reasons why you need to read on
1. Improvement requires intention—not spare time.
If you are tired of firefighting, and you want different results, you have to start doing things differently. Being too busy is not an excuse do no nothing – it’s a reason to do something.
By scheduling even small pockets of strategic thinking – just 1 hour per week to start with – you begin shifting from reactive chaos to proactive control. Think of it as creating space for the business to breathe (like sitting in nature!).
2. Better systems = Fewer firefights
Every practice owner knows the pattern:
- A deadline crisis
- A client who sends everything late
- A job that takes twice as long as it should
- A team member who needs rescuing
Most of these issues aren’t personal failings—they’re system problems.
When you invest time in improving processes—templates, workflows, automation, onboarding, pricing, communication—you massively reduce future firefighting.
A few hours spent improving can save hundreds of hours spent scrambling.
3. Clients actually want you to be better (not busier)
Clients don’t value frantic effort—they value outcomes: accuracy, clarity, speed, proactive advice.
Take Tracey, for example. She felt like her clients were running the show. She was working endless hours, for very little return, and was on the verge of giving up. But she started taking the time to work on her business with AVN and, step by step, a transformation took place.
In just three months she saw a change in her mindset to one where she’s in control and her clients are really noticing the difference.
Now she is able to:
- Deliver higher quality work
- Communicate more clearly
- Provide value-added guidance
- Build deeper trust
- Charge more confidently
Your clients feel the benefits even if they never see the behind-the-scenes improvements.
4. Your team needs a leader, not a superhero
The more you stay buried in the work, the more your team becomes dependent on you to solve every issue.
When you step back to improve:
- Roles become clearer
- Expectations become consistent
- Training becomes structured
- Performance becomes predictable
- Morale increases
A strong practice is not built on the owner’s heroics—it’s built on consistent, repeatable systems that empower the team.
5. Profitability comes from deliberate design
Many accounting practices aren’t short of clients—they’re short of profit.
Why?
Because:
- Pricing hasn’t been reviewed in years
- Too much time is written off
- Scope creep goes unchallenged
- Inefficiencies pile up
- No clear ideal-client profile exists
Taking time to improve your practice allows you to redesign it around profit, not just survival.
This is where you shift from being “busy” to being “successful.”
6. Future-proofing requires foresight
Accountancy is changing faster than ever—AI, cloud platforms, real-time reporting, advisory services, automation.
If you’re too busy doing today’s work, you won’t see tomorrow’s opportunities.
By making regular space to reflect and improve, you ensure your practice evolves with—rather than reacts to—the changing landscape.
7. You deserve a business that works for you
Ultimately, the biggest reason to make time is this: Your business should enhance your life—not consume it.
By improving your practice, you unlock:
- More time
- More freedom
- Higher income
- Lower stress
- Better client relationships
- A business that runs without you
- The ability to do the work you love
This isn’t indulgent—it’s foundational.
Final thoughts: Improvement isn’t a project. It’s a habit.
If you’re always too busy, then now is precisely the right time to start working on your business. Sitting in nature for an hour when you’re busy seems counter-intuitive, but it actually makes sense.
If something is important enough to you, then you do have time to do it. You need to protect that time in order to protect yourself, your business, your team and your clients.
- Start small.
- Be consistent.
- Make improvement a non-negotiable weekly appointment.
Because the long-term success of your practice – and your wellbeing as its owner – depends on the time you dedicate to shaping a better future.
If improving your practice feels daunting, you don’t have to do it alone. Book a 15-minute Discovery Call with AVN to find out how we can help.