"I thought I was just getting accounting.  And what I got was actually somebody who'd seen a lot of similar businesses and was giving some advice on the way I might run things."

Snapshot

Simon Mellins is a digital publishing consultant who works with publishing companies around the world to improve their digital publishing programmes.  He set up his consultancy as a limited company in spring 2024 with the support of Kevin Wright and the team at KW Accounting, and has worked with them ever since.

The Challenge

After 12 and a half years with his previous employer, Simon was made redundant and decided to go it alone.  He had clients lined up and was ready to start, but the business side was unfamiliar territory.  "I didn't know the right way to structure the business.  I didn't know how to make things tax efficient and indeed tax compliant.  I didn't know anything really."

The pressure was real and immediate.  Simon wasn't even sure a limited company was the right vehicle, and one key client was waiting on him: "I had a client who wouldn't even work with me without a Companies House registration number.  And that was the point where I decided to get help."  He describes himself at the time as "your typical panicking new business owner", and says that after 20 years in corporate life, "I really felt I was out in outer space trying to start this business."

Working with KW Accounting

Simon called Kevin in spring 2024 needing to move fast.  Kevin had worked with plenty of small new companies and grasped straight away what this one needed: "He knew exactly what I needed to do."  His team got to work almost immediately, and Simon had a limited company registered within a couple of days.  Kevin guided him through Companies House registration and the full accountancy setup.  Since then the support has continued through annual accounts, strategic conversations and calls whenever Simon needs to check how he's doing something.  Several of the team work with him, and he notes that "Kevin's always been really reachable."

Key Insights and Breakthroughs

More than accounting

The biggest surprise for Simon was the scope of the support.  Kevin offered advice on backend software, operations and how Simon might run the business day to day.  "Kevin took an interest in the kind of strategic side of the business, which I didn't expect."  For a first-time founder, that guidance gave him the confidence to get on with it.

Tech-first from day one

Kevin pointed Simon straight to Xero, which he connected to a business bank.  "The whole thing flowed in a way I didn't expect.  It was tech first in a way that appeals to me."  As a result, Simon had far less paperwork and manual admin than he might have taken on.  He admits that he "could have been easily driven into a much more manual" approach without that steer.

Imposter syndrome, dealt with

Like many new founders, Simon worried he'd made some basic mistake that anyone experienced would spot.  Kevin's calm reassurance that this was all very normal changed that quickly.

"Am I a fraud?  Am I an imposter?  Imposter syndrome stands no chance against Kevin ... It killed that anxiety immediately and let me focus on the business."

A setup that adapts

When Simon later took on part-time work for another company, he needed to stay tax-efficient across both.  "Kevin again straight away knew exactly what to do, gave me a setup I wouldn't have thought of that works really, really well."

Impact and Results

Simon was able to register, invoice his foundation client and start trading almost straight away.  He says the long days of the early weeks would not have been manageable otherwise: "I don't think it would have been possible without being able to have Kevin's advice and without being able to hand over that part of running the business."

Two years on, the change is clear.  "I no longer feel intimidated by things to do with the financial side of the business."  His admin is now limited to reconciling transactions and periodic strategic check-ins, so he can focus on the consulting work.  He also values having a second opinion on his decisions: "There is a rationality, a sanity check layer that makes sure I don't do anything silly and that is a hugely valuable thing when you're running a business on your own."

What's Next

Simon's business is evolving as demand in his industry shifts, and he expects its role in his life to keep changing.  Whatever comes next, Kevin remains his first call: "Kevin is always the first person I talk to, apart from my wife, and he helps me plan how that works."  He doesn't foresee a time when he'd arrange his affairs any other way.

Verdict

"I don't feel like I was treated any differently to a larger corporate client, even as I was coming into a brand new business with very little capital in it.  It was immediately the case that I was taken seriously, addressed nicely and checked in on just the right amount."