The Practitioner: Can I split the practice?

DON’T YOU EVER WISH that you could get back to just being an accountant?

I am starting to get sick of having to be everything but; I know that some clients are also starting to wonder what happened to the proactive, forward-thinking accountant that they thought they were getting for their money.

The past six to eight weeks have probably been the worst of my career so far, and I have felt more like a slave than a partner in a progressive firm.

The thoughts I have had over the past couple of months relating to streamlining the firm, cutting down on staff in the office, moving off the high street to save on rent and property overheads are now starting to become a distinct reality. What benefit is there in being a silly fool and failing to deliver the promised ‘value added’ to the clients?

The problem with thinking about things is that they start to become a reality. I remember reading a book a couple of years ago – Dale Carnegie, I think – and one quote in particular has stuck in my mind: “Thoughts become things.”

This can work both ways and be a good or bad thing, depending on what you think about! When you start to think that maybe there is another way, then that is the first step to actually making it a reality. So much so that I have scheduled a partners’ meeting for next week where I am going to raise the subject of instigating a split, of some sort, of the practice.

It is probably time to stop thinking and make things actually happen. I seem quite capable of advising clients on how to grow their business and how to cope with difficult situations, so maybe now is the time to put my words into actions.

Wish me luck.

The Practitioner’s uncensored thoughts come from the coalface of a regional firm in the heart of England