Amanda Casey
who set up Lotus Accountancy Ltd has a motto, and it’s a good one; ‘I am an accountant with a smile’.
She says; ‘I don’t want to be the accountant you go and see each year when your accounts or tax return is due, I want to help any way I can and build a relationship with my clients so that they feel at ease asking for my help.’
And
considering the fact that most start-up businesses are at risk of failing
within the first three years, Amanda is keen to promote the fact that although
people may be skilled in their business, they are not necessarily skilled to
keep accounting records, manage cash flow, and all of the other things that
come with running a successful business.
‘I know a lot of people don’t like to
appoint an accountant when they start up in business, but if there was any
advice I could give them, it would be to appoint an accountant as soon as
possible to ensure you are aware of what is ahead, and can make the correct
decisions.’
As well as
offering all the usual accountancy services such as tax returns and annual
accounts, Amanda also offers her clients advice on starting up their business; ‘With my clients I want to make sure that
they get the best advice from the start so they have the best start in their
business.’
Previous to
starting her own business, Amanda was an accountant in a medium-sized firm in
the City Centre. Here she managed a diverse portfolio of around 300 clients and
managed and trained a team of 4. Amanda admits that setting up her own business
was never something that she really thought about, but had always wanted to be
an accountant. ‘From a young age I was
taught, as we all were, to do well at school, get qualified and go out and get
a job. I studied for nine years and began working full time, then got settled
in employment and thought I was in it for the long haul.’
But it was
two years ago that Amanda began to feel unhappy in her situation, she was
working 60 to 70 hours every week but although she was working harder than
ever, with the cost of living rising, and her wages flat lining, she wasn’t
moving forward; ‘I found myself thinking;
Is this what I have spent all of those years studying for?’
At this
point a friend introduced her to Arbonne, a range of skincare products made
using natural and botanic ingredients, and a business model in which Amanda
became a partner and representative of. Working on this business Amanda says: ‘It was when I started my Arbonne business
that my eyes were opened to the power of time leverage and the fact that the
9-5 grind of a job was no longer the only option.’
From here Amanda realised the possibility of self-employment and began taking the steps towards setting up her own Accountancy firm. She came to one of The Women’s Organisations Business Club Networking events and learnt about the services that we offer, with support from RBS Inspiring Enterprise, and then set up a meeting with Business Advisor John Jones; ‘He helped put my ideas into action and I put together a business plan and started to connect with people I knew in business who could benefit from my services.’
She was able
to find clients and get her started doing freelance Accountancy work 2 days a
week. ‘Starting out on my own has been
one of the scariest things I have done to date. After being employed for as
long as I have, and being reliant on the monthly pay cheque, I felt all the
emotions you would expect; anxious, fearful and nervous, but I knew these were
all part and parcel of stepping out of my comfort zone.’
‘With the help and support of my
friends, family and The Women’s Organisation, and a positive mind set, I have
felt the fear and done it anyway.’
Amanda was
particularly lucky in finding a Business Advisor like John Jones who is also a
qualified accountant. She says; ‘He has
been amazing, and has pulled out all of the stops’. Although Amanda had
knowledge of setting up businesses from her role as an Accountant, she
struggled with other areas of the business, particularly Social Media;
‘John ensured that I had the guidance
and information I needed to fill my voids and set up a one to one with the
fabulous Jo Austin (Digital Media Co-Ordinator), who talked me through LinkedIn
and the possibilities around using this as a business tool and platform for my
business, which left me so excited about the possibilities.’
Although it
is still early days for the business, Amanda is finding that things are going
well and has enough clients to keep her busy and is excited about the future.
She says that one of the best things about running her own business is the
flexibility it offers; ‘Not only with my
time, but the flexibility to run my business the way that I want it to be run’,
and establishing the right relationship with her clients which she believes is
paramount; ‘I no longer have to conform
to somebody else’s ideas and views on running a business.’
Lotus
Accountancy Services (with the name being inspired by the Lotus flower which
symbolises new beginnings) and The Women’s Organisation look to be firm friends
for the future as Amanda is passionate about the work that we carry out; ‘Women are still so under-represented in
business and I love the fact that The Women’s Organisation is there to help
empower women and help them to become the amazing women that they all are. My
dream is to empower as many people as I possibly can to be the amazing person
they truly are.’
And any
advice for those who are thinking about starting their own business; ‘100% go for it! There are no right or wrong
decisions in life, just lessons to be learnt, so if you have that fire in your
belly to get out there and do it yourself, then get yourself out there, get an
appointment booked at The Women’s Organisation and get all of the information
you need to get the ball moving.’
‘There are so many people out there
working each day in a job that they hate, not realising that this affects them
in other areas of their life, and most people are capable of so much more. So
find your passion and go out there and get the advice and help you need to get
started – because it will change your life.’
If like Amanda you would like to set up your own business, then get in touch with The Women's Organisation to find out what support is available to help local women. Whether looking for guidance on how to build a business plan, understand tax, national insurance and other legalities, or gather practical tips on how to use social media to market your small business, contact 0151 706 8111 or hello@thewo.org.uk to find out more.
RBS Inspiring Enterprise is encouraging a more entrepreneurial culture. From the classroom to the boardroom, RBS are inspiring and enabling enterprise at every stage of the journey. As part of this, RBS has committed to inspire and enable 20,000 women, by the end of 2015, to explore and unlock their enterprise potential. Inspiring Enterprise is encouraging more people in more communities, to explore enterprise, build their skills and start up and succeed in business.
If like Amanda you would like to set up your own business, then get in touch with The Women's Organisation to find out what support is available to help local women. Whether looking for guidance on how to build a business plan, understand tax, national insurance and other legalities, or gather practical tips on how to use social media to market your small business, contact 0151 706 8111 or hello@thewo.org.uk to find out more.
RBS Inspiring Enterprise is encouraging a more entrepreneurial culture. From the classroom to the boardroom, RBS are inspiring and enabling enterprise at every stage of the journey. As part of this, RBS has committed to inspire and enable 20,000 women, by the end of 2015, to explore and unlock their enterprise potential. Inspiring Enterprise is encouraging more people in more communities, to explore enterprise, build their skills and start up and succeed in business.
If you would
like to find out more about Amanda, her incredible passion for life, and the
work that she does with Lotus Accountancy Services and Arbonne, then you can
use the contact details below. And if you would like help, advice and support,
like Amanda received from The Women’s Organisation, then get in touch with us
by emailing hello@thewo.org.uk or phoning 0151 706 8111
Photo Credit: Kate Williams
Photo Credit: Kate Williams
T:
07789645144
T:
07789645144
No comments:
Post a Comment