When I set up Equation Accounting ten years ago, I never imagined I would have the power to run and grow my businesses whilst enjoying the freelance lifestyle. The concept was a just a fanciful pipe dream.
Back then, the cloud had not been invented, clients would bring in shoeboxes of receipts and it all was backed up on the faithful old C drive. When Clear Books first appeared, I remember feeling initially quite shocked; Would clients start doing their own bookkeeping? Would droves of business owners start completing their own accounts? Had the accounting market suddenly bottomed out? Would people even need an accountant in the future? As a relatively new business, I don’t mind admitting I was a little concerned.
I joined Clear Books in 2010, one of their first wave of customers, just as the cloud revolution was starting. My initial concern turned to curiosity, then swiftly to excitement as I grasped the enormous potential of the programme. Most exciting was clients could now learn to create and understand their own books and really get to grips with their figures, in a way which they never been able to before. Accounting was suddenly accessible and understandable, and to ordinary business folk, it was a real game-changer.
I dipped my toe in the water and introduced Clear Books to some of our more forward-thinking clients with the reassurance of free training and support. It wasn’t long before the results came in. They liked the simple-to use interface and the way they could keep on top of who owed them money. They liked being able to invoice on the go and chase up an invoice with the touch of a button. For people who had used a shoebox or spreadsheet for years, it was a revolution.
Clients enjoyed this new-found freedom and felt empowered and in control of their finances for the first time in their business lives. Most importantly they realised they could work anywhere and for the first time since the start of my business life, so did I.
It was a liberating thought. My business operated in a town that I wasn’t bowled over with. It was okay, but it wasn’t my first choice. I wanted to live in Poole where I could scuba dive, jet-ski and body-board all in the local vicinity. It was unheard of to relocate an accounting business in those days but due to the power of Clear Books, it meant I could now move the business without dropping a single customer and achieve my life-long dream of living and working by the sea.
It soon became apparent there was a still big demand for accountancy and the business grew and grew. We continued to offer Clear Books training, one-to-one financial business coaching, accounting packages and regular financial reports showing tax liabilities, net profit and available dividends. The whole business was systemised, succinct, integrated and efficient and so were our client’s.
Ten years on Equation work exclusively with Freelancers and Digital Creatives, sharing the same productivity / results driven mindset and enjoying the fabulous freedom of working on the cloud. Instead of being tied to the desk 9-5, we are flexible in our work and as a result we are more productive and creative as a company. Our whole lives, including our play-time has improved.
Since moving to Poole I have become a PADI advanced scuba diver and underwater photographer, visiting dive sites all over the world, whilst continuing to run the business I love with the help of Equation’s Chartered Accountants and collaborative team.
We specialise in taxation and accounts packages for freelancers and digital designers, so if you are a freelancer who would like a friendly voice to help you get to grips with Clear Books or understand your finances, please contact info@equationuk.co.uk or visit www.equationuk.co.uk. And if you have a passion for water sports too, then it’s not going to hurt!
