Earlier this year, I introduced you to George Isaacs, who was about to launch his accountancy practice in Manchester. I said at the time that his story would be one to keep an eye on, so I wanted to come back now he’s a few months into trading, because he’s made a very promising start.
In the last 2 months alone, George has brought on 23 new clients, worth around £33,000 in recurring annual fees. That’s an impressive result for a brand-new practice.
So how did he do it?
There’s a lot in George’s approach that other aspiring practice owners can learn from. He didn’t buy in leads or rely on a ready-made stream of enquiries, nor did just announce he was ready for business and hope the clients would simply turn up. Instead, he got out into his local community, joined BNI and other networking groups, attended events and started producing his own online videos to build his profile.
Much of that work began before he was even trading. By the time he opened his doors, he’d already started building the relationships that would help bring in his first clients. The preparation came first, and it paid off.
Of course, the fact that he was operating under the umbrella of Affinity Associatesplayed a big role, too. Trading under an established brand helped George build credibility, while Affinity’s specialist teams handle the accountancy work for his clients. That leaves him free to concentrate on developing relationships, winning new business and looking after the people who choose to work with him.
George brought the initiative and did the groundwork. Affinity gave him the brand, systems and specialist support to build his practice around.
What does this mean for you?
Being part of the Affinity Associates franchise gives you a major head start compared with building from scratch on your own. You don’t have to think of and create everything yourself from a blank slate. You have an established brand behind you, a network of specialists to help support you and your clients, and a model that lets you focus on growing the business. With that platform behind you, you can focus on growing your business, and your success is driven by the hard work you put in.
This can be particularly appealing if you’re a bookkeeper who wants to offer a broader range of services to a wider range of clients, or an accountant who enjoys developing client relationships and wants to build a practice of your own without having to deliver every service personally.
As George’s experience shows, building a successful practice takes effort, but, if you get out there, make connections and become someone local businesses trust, success will follow.
If you’d like to revisit how George got started, you can read his original story here: Meet George Isaacs.
If you’re wondering whether the same approach could work for you, I’d be happy to talk it through. We can look at your experience, what you’d like to achieve and whether the Affinity model makes sense in terms of your own plans for the future.
All the best,
Dan Allen
Senior Franchise Consultant