Category: AVN Insights

Here at AVN we see many Accountants change their lives and change their Practices. All of these Accountants are at different stages in their business, all with different client bases, all starting with different aspirations for their business. What they do have however is a determination to succeed, a determination to not just put up…

Michael was working seven days a week. No systems. Long hours. Burnout was on the horizon. Michael was doing too much of the work himself, while investment in team resources was non-existent.   “I had a business that was OK – a shade of average. It was ticking along.  I had historic practices which I learned years previous, which became bad…

In 2017, Harriet set up her own accountancy practice, having been passed over for partner once too often in the larger, male dominated company that she had worked in for the last 15 years. She set up her business with two family members who, whilst not accountants themselves, were competent and well meaning and able…

Last night I had a conversation with 4 accountants who appeared to be in a contest for “who has the worst, barmiest, annoying client” competition. It is amazing that even these “switched on” accountants still work with these types of clients. Each admitted that they consume huge amounts of time and energy and are bad…

Have you ever met someone and found it difficult to strike up a conversation, don’t necessarily ‘get’ what they’re saying?  Chances are they don’t have the same values as you. Your values and beliefs differentiate you as an individual and attract like-minded people to you. Those with the closest values are your loved ones, your very close…

For a Father’s day get together, my family and the families of my two sisters had arranged to take my parents out for dinner. For a variety of reasons, we agreed on our local Harvester pub and on the following Tuesday since Father’s day itself didn’t work for us all. So we pre-booked a week…

I often hear this phrase about an employee… “They are really sweet but I just can’t trust them to do everything they are supposed to!” Sound familiar?   Well, you have 2 choices: Get rid of them – if you can’t trust them to do the work you will be constantly worrying about it and…

A common set of metrics that are measured within an Accountancy Practice might include: – Turnover, Gross Recurring Fee Income, Profits, Average Fee Per Client …   Do these resonate with you? Do they move and inspire you? Some of these don’t reflect success and some are consequences of doing the right things. What’s the right thing for you?   Drive…

A strange thing happened the other day. I was at the gym with my personal trainer and he set me a really horrible exercise. The exercise itself doesn’t matter, the point it is left me absolutely knackered. Muscles hurting, chest pounding, lungs bursting. “How was that?” he asked. “Bloody horrible,” I said, “I’m in pain…