Marketing for Accountants: How to Get Ahead of the Game

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Accountants do not generally use marketing strategies to grow their businesses. Most accounting professionals rely on client referrals.  They know that businesses will always need core accounting services such as bookkeeping, VAT returns, end of year accounts and payroll.  They hope that their clients will refer them to other business owners.  This can and does happen to accountants who look after their clients, but it cannot be relied upon to grow your business as you have no control over when and how often it happens. So how do you gain control over your business growth?  Business growth is not like…

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iO- Services Innovator of the Year Finalist

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The need and ability to constantly innovate is widely recognised as one of the major contributors to business success. Innovation is vital for the UK’s economic growth, productivity and prosperity. The Innovation Awards recognise, celebrate and reward the businesses, organisations and individuals who are dedicated to innovation.  iO is delighted to have been voted as a finalist in the Services Innovator of the Year category in the prestigous Innovation Awards. Here is why iO was selected:  Innovation is the driving force behind the growth and prosperity of businesses around the world. It propels organisations to stay ahead of the competition,…

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Are you stressed about finding a work-life balance?

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Even trying to achieve the ideal work-life balance can be stressful. The good news is that stress and leading a fruitful life can occur if you are experiencing the strain of growing your business while maintaining your lifestyle. You can find the balance that works best for you if you are mindful. How much stress is beneficial for you? The goal is to prevent your stress levels from pushing you down the other side of the bell curve, as demonstrated by the Yerkes-Dodson rule, which states that an individual's performance increases with stress until cortisol levels get too high and…

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How team members training increases your accounting practice skill set

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It is essential to invest time and resources in team member training. Your team members will feel appreciated, empowered, and involved with your company's mission when they see that you care about their future. That is excellent news for your team's morale and satisfaction scores and not to mention for the workforce's overall productivity.Investing in your team members' futureIf you want great things from your team, you’ve got to give them the very best support. A job is not a fixed thing. The role will evolve and change over time with new skills, responsibilities, and job descriptions.To offer your team…

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Accounting Methods and Trends in 2023

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Accounting methods and trends are always evolving, particularly as new technologies are developed. The development of new technologies combined with evolving client demands means that business needs and practices have altered over time. Today, accounting involves much more than just bookkeeping and ledgers. New solutions are being embraced by accounting companies in order to keep up with the times and better meet client needs.  High inflation and increasing interest rates means that clients demand more for less. Offshoring is the ideal approach to lower expenses, increase efficiency and profitability as your accounting practices expand. The trends listed below will help…

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Why #hamster?

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You may have noticed my headline on LinkedIn is “Let us be your Hamster and save you time to grow your business or allow you to breathe” and that I use #hamster for sign off on LinkedIn.You will no doubt think it is odd…..you may think this Nikolai Naylor is an accountant with an accountancy practice and an outsourcing offshore business, why on earth would he use #hamster and have such a weird headline.So let me tell you the story behind #hamster.I talk to a lot of accountants and the two things most complain about are:1.     Working too many hours and running around like a “hamster”…

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Considerations when offshoring accounting services to the Philippines

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Are you considering offshoring for your accounting practice? Building your accounting team might be challenging because you need to identify potential employees with the best accounting knowledge and qualifications.You can hire highly-qualified accounting team members using offshoring. By using an offshore team, you can lower expansion risks and costs.These are the three points to think about before exporting your accounting process to the Philippines, if this has piqued your interest and you are now considering it:Cultural perspective and differencesBusiness owners rarely consider cultural variations while offshoring accounting to another nations. Filipinos have adapted to Western culture partly because English is…

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Why the Philippines is a Popular Offshore Location

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Offshoring is very appealing if you're searching for ways to reduce costs, increase efficiency, and concentrate more on your core business.  However, not all countries are the same and it is important to choose the right one for your offshoring needs. Although cost reductions are important, successful offshoring requires much more than a focus on the lowest cost. In fact, choosing the cheapest can be a very costly mistake.  Other factors must be considered, such as culture, work ethics, the state of the economy, government support, fluency in English and the educational levels of the team members.The Philippines continues to perform…

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Leadership skills every accountant needs to succeed

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Good leadership is vital for a successful business.  Whether you have 1 or 100 employees, as a practice or partner, it is key that you have good leadership skills.   Practice owners and partners need a number of attributes in order to manage their team members and run their business successfully.  One of the vital attributes is leadership.  Some people are natural leaders, but anyone can develop the skill set needed with some practice.   Here are the nine leadership qualities that anyone hoping to succeed in business requires: Management and Organizational Skills As an accountant, you are used to managing…

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How to build your offshore accounting team

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Some companies believe it is easy to establish an offshore accounting team. However, there are various factors to consider. You may be wondering where to start when looking to build a high-performing offshore team.The first step in developing a successful offshore accounting team is to evaluate your employment needs.  You must know your objectives and requirements.  This will help give you a clear understanding of the job role(s) and the type of people you want.  An effective offshore accounting services company, like iO, will help you to develop full job descriptions and person specifications.  These are vital. Without them, you…

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