"A big thank you for all the nine years of support and let's do another nine or nineteen years together.  It's been great ... He's got great experience, he's very approachable, and he can give some real day to day support to owner directors of small to medium sized businesses, definitely."

Snapshot

Zsolt Petrik is managing director of Fifth Column Limited, a textile printing and embroidery business with 25 employees and around £4 million turnover.  He has worked with Kevin Wright and KW Accounting for over nine years, since he and his fellow director Damien took over the business through a management buyout.  KW handles the company's accounts, payroll and tax, and Kevin is the first person the directors call for strategic advice.

The Challenge

When Zsolt took over running Fifth Column Limited, he inherited a hands-off approach to finance.  "The previous owners weren't very involved in company finances."  Most of the accounts were paper-based, and the work was "a bit of an ad hoc and firefighting sort of work."

As new leaders going through a management buyout, Zsolt and Damien needed support they could count on: "We really needed someone who we could reach out to, not on a daily basis, but whenever we needed some help or support."  Their accountant was hard to get hold of and only got in touch once the year-end accounts were done.  Zsolt is careful not to blame anyone, and suggests the business may have been too small for that firm to prioritise.  What he needed was clear: "I really needed someone who's got experience in this sort of field and also who I could rely on."

Working with KW Accounting

Zsolt was introduced to Kevin through a recommendation.  After a Zoom call and then a meeting in person, Kevin reviewed the company accounts and the overall state of the business.  Straight away, "he already came up with some great recommendations about potential improvements we could start with the business."  Over the next few weeks KW set Fifth Column Limited up on Xero, including the chart of accounts and payroll.  Since then, Kevin and his team have handled year-end accounts, payroll, business tax and benefit-in-kind queries.  They have also given the company access to a tax investigation service in case it is ever needed, and have looked after Zsolt's personal tax since he became a director.  As Zsolt puts it, "It's like a whole package we get from him."

Key Insights and Breakthroughs

Reachable when it matters

The biggest contrast with the old arrangement is access.  "With Kevin, I can just text him anytime I want, really."  Zsolt usually gets a reply within a couple of hours, which matters in a business where decisions need to be made quickly.

From paperwork to live data

Moving to Xero changed how the business sees its numbers.  Profit and loss, management reports, forecasts, and what the company owes and is owed are all available immediately.  When something isn't clear, Kevin's team explain it.

"We have real-time data available to the management and to the sales team as well, which is really important.  That definitely drives business forward."

Advice built on knowing the business

Kevin started by going through previous years' accounts and getting to know the people behind them.  "He got to know us, the directors and the key people working for the company as well.  And that gives him such a deep sort of insight."  That lets him give personalised strategic advice and warn the directors early about changes to tax and NI contributions.

Part of the family

Over time, Kevin has become more than an external advisor.

"It might sound a bit cheesy, but he's kind of a part of the company or the Fifth Column family if we can say that, because he knows the business inside and out."

Impact and Results

The basics are now reliable.  Year-end accounts are "never late," and payroll, tax and potential tax savings are all covered.  Beyond compliance, Kevin has advised on reducing labour costs, which investments to make or avoid, and how to maximise profitability.  When the factory rent went up, for example, he helped the directors look for savings elsewhere.  "He always comes up with great suggestions and we've been following his advice for nine years already."

For Zsolt personally, the result is peace of mind.  That includes the busiest periods of the year: "When we have a busy period and then I'm behind with finance work and accounts and these sort of things, he's always there to rely on."

What's Next

Fifth Column Limited has plans for the next two, five and ten years.  Those plans include growing the new garment decoration methods it introduced in the last six months.  When Zsolt and Damien can't settle a decision between them, Kevin is the first person they call: "Let's get some advice from someone who's the best person to call.  It's probably Kevin."  Zsolt hopes to work even more closely with KW in the coming years: "There's always ways to grow, always ways to save on cost as well and I'm sure that together we can achieve our goals."

Verdict

"He's got great experience, he's very approachable, and he can give some real day to day support to owner directors of small to medium sized businesses [...] I think it's probably quite rare these days as well.  This day and age, finding someone who's available, who's there to help, and who's genuinely interested in helping others, I think that's a great value."