Before working with WBS…
Like many professionals in the early days of going it alone, I felt very bamboozled. There was a lot to deal with, a lot of choices to be made, and I hadn’t even thought about what form I should be taking – limited company or self-employed. I was also suffering a little bit with imposter syndrome and I just didn’t know where to start.
During this time, a client of WBS recommended them to me and I have to say, I was a bit hesitant at first. I had no experience of working with an accountant before, but I knew accountants, so I had a strong stereotype in my mind. Someone who is a little stuffy, who is preoccupied and doesn’t really see the bigger picture – how is this person supposed to manage my budgets?
Despite my hesitancy, I met with Dona, and my choice was already made for me. She laid out what my options were with starting a business and what they would look like, and she gave me a whole bunch of business advice that wasn’t just limited to accounting. Despite the experience that she obviously had, it was actually a gut feeling that made it a complete no-brainer to decide to work with WBS. She was so nice and friendly and I just had this reassuring feeling that everything was going to be very easy.
Now, I’m confident and in control
Since working with Dona and Andrew at WBS (it’s been 10 years!), my business has grown considerably. I don’t think I ever imagined it would succeed in the way it has!
I’m not the most organised person, so I’ve gone from just managing to keep my clients organised and stressing to manage everything else by myself to having a very smooth interface. I’m sending out invoices that look smart and I’m not chasing people. I can keep tabs on things in a much more useful way and I know that all the compliance stuff is being taken care of without having to directly deal with HMRC. I can rely on getting little prompts and reminders from WBS to stay on top of things, and all the while I feel really confident that my clients see me as professional and in control.
That’s the main thing for me: that my clients don’t see the furious pedaling under the water when it comes to any of the financial transactions. And that’s what WBS gives me: confidence and control.
WBS are not what you expect from accountants
If you’re a busy professional trying to manage everything on your own, work with Dona and Andrew! They are really easy to work with, it’s always a pleasure to engage with them, and they most certainly do not fit into the stereotype of old-school accountants.
What I love about Dona and Andrew is that they are so approachable and friendly. It seriously feels like I’m just ringing a friend up to ask “what’s going on with this?” or “I don’t understand this, can you help?” It’s so easy to get in touch with them too and they are so responsive. If I’ve got a question or something on my mind, I ask them and they get back to me so quickly. This does wonders for my stress levels because I don’t have to wait (and therefore, worry).
As well as responding quickly, I also love that they are always willing to listen to me and help with what I need. And they don’t make me feel bad for not really understanding how some of the processes work either – even though I’ve been going through some of them for years.
I’ve really enjoyed the way we work together because it is so informal. I can get a bit of advice on any given day and I can rely on them to deliver when I’ve got a million and one things on my mind – it’s just like having a really good friend who has my back. From working together for 10 years, we’ve got to know each other reasonably well. We often know what’s going on in each other’s lives and we even meet at Christmas for our annual review and mince pie!
